Walt Disney Concert Hall

I like to think of myself as a pretty cultured person.  I love all the arts, but symphony orchestra is an area that I don't know much about.  Having grown up playing the piano, and a brief stint of the clarinet, I have an appreciation for classical music, but it's not what I jam to in my car, if you know what I mean.  Plus, tickets to see the LA Philharmonic aren't the cheapest and being the huge sports fan that I am, I'd rather be spending my money watching one of my beloved LA teams duke it out with a rival than go outside of my bubble and listen to Mozart.  Regardless, you can imagine my excitement when I was able to snag $20 tickets for a symphony concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Our $20 tix got us balcony seats to see the St. Louis Symphony at a mid-week evening performance. 

Since the concert was mid-week, we had to arrange our schedule so we could have enough time after work to grab a quick bite to eat prior to the performance.  In an effort to not get stuck on the parking lots that are LA freeways at rush hour, we headed up to downtown and stopped at La Taquiza for Mulitas to tide us over till we could eat a real meal after the 8pm concert. 

The concert hall, located in the northern part of downtown, is just a block away from the Taper and Ahmanson Theaters.  It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and boasts a 3.6 acre complex with a stainless-steel exterior and state of the art acoustics in the hardwood-paneled main auditorium.

This evening, the St. Louis Orchestra featured pieces from Igor Stravinsky and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  They alternated concertos between the two composers and internationally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham graced us with a number of impressive solos.  I am no classical music virtuoso, but I can definitely tell you that after sitting in that concert hall and absorbing the notes that, at times, seemed as if they were literally dancing amongst the beams of the ceiling, a profound appreciation for the mastery of a symphony orchestra began to grow in my heart.  I found myself mesmerized by the movements of the musicians and the direction of the conductor.  It was like a choreographed dance, without the use of their legs.  After an hour and a half or so, with a brief intermission, they ended closed the evening with Mozart's Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 245 ("Linz") which in turn received rounds of applause and a standing ovation.

Even if you may have no interest in classical music, the architecture of the Walt Disney Concert Hall alone is reason to visit.  I guarantee you will be in awe of its beauty-- and maybe the music as well. 

At this point, with only one mulita in our stomachs, we were famished.  A late dinner was definitely in need, so we headed to Wurstkuche ("The Purveyor of Exotic Grilled Sausages") off of 3rd street for some late night sausages.  At first glance, Wurstkuche looks like an ordinary order-at-the-counter style hole-in-the-wall.  Totally unassuming from the outside, all you see is a counter and I immediately assumed that we would order and eat in the car.  To my surprise, you order your food and then follow the wall around the corner that opens into a large room with ambient lighting, a large bar, and a number of bench tables for dining.  Techno/trance music played loudly as late-night diners huddled in booths and mingled at bench tables with their beers and fries. 

At, Wusrtkuche there are over 20 sausages to choose from.  From the menu you choose two toppings, pick a sausage, and if you order fries, a dipping sauce.  I ordered the Kielbasa with caramelized onions and sauerkraut, Carla ordered the Buffalo Chipotle with spicy peppers and sauerkraut, and Kelly ordered the Hot Italian with caramelized onions and sweet peppers.  We had two orders of their double-dipped belgian fries with the chipotle ketchup, chipotle aioli, and the curry ketchup; all were delicious!  It may not have been the typical way to cap off an evening at the symphony, but I left quite happy and full.

The Day's Damage: $9 chicken mulitas + $83.90 (3) symphony tickets + $35.12 sausages & fries = $128.02 total.
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