I'd say it's safe to say Zorn has a teeny little anger management issue, exacerbated by the fact he is The Maestro. In his professional life, when has he ever allowed himself to be in the position of having to account for his outbursts? There have been other stories posted on the list about JZ's wigouts, and I've seen it myself -- Masada, Memphis TN, November '97. Barristers was usually a "chainsmoke 'em if you got 'em" type venue, and a couple of dolts didn't get the no smoking memo. During the first set someone lit up while Zorn was soloing, and Dave Douglas immediately got the guy's attention with hand signals and got the message across to him -- no less effective for doing it gently and politely. In the second set, someone else lit up, front row center. After the song ended, Zorn announced, "Does anyone else here besides me want this ASSHOLE [pointing to the smoker] to put his cigarette out?" Cheers from the crowd. Kinda craven to get the crowd to help him humiliate the guy, if you ask me. But you didn't ask me. That said, nothing drives me up a wall quicker than an audience lout who wants to establish his true-fan credentials by hootin' and hollerin' louder than anyone else in the venue. If I wanted to hear that shit, I'd go home and listen to Elvis Costello "Live at El Mocambo," a great live performance completely ruined by some dork going "YEEEE-HAWWWW" a million times too close to the stage. I'm 100% in favor of gently explaining to the offender that there's enthusiasm and then there's showing your ass, and if an audience member wants to show his ass, he should hire a hall and sell tickets -- for another day. But Zorn seems to enjoy doing this in the cruellest ways conceivable. William Crump On Sunday, November 10, 2002, at 12:14 PM, john schuller wrote:
During the first song there was a guy that was getting really into the music, yelling shit like "Right on!" and "Good beat!"...When the song was over Zorn totally ripped this guy a new asshole in front of everyone there. "Hey, I was wondering who was fucking talking?" Dude says "Sorry man, I couldn't help it!" Zorn continues with "Well keep your big fat fucking mouth shut asshole, we are up here trying to concentrate on some music here, fuck! Goddamn what an idiot" (or something very similar)...