At the age of 73, R&B superstar Etta James has passed away, and the world is a little less exciting. Born Jamesetta Hawkins, Ms James received lasting fame with a string of hits including “At Last,” “Dance With Me Henry,” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” While struggling with drug addiction, she managed to tap into her personal pain to create some of the R&B world’s most memorable performances, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll, Blues, and Grammy halls of fame.

In later years, she was sampled by a host of younger artists ranging from Avicii to Flo Rida.

While Ms James may be gone, her music lives on. We hope you enjoy this performance of “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” from 1962.

Imagine being in the very front row of New York’s Avery Fisher Hall. You’re in the center section, near the aisle on the right-hand side. The New York Philharmonic has come to the quiet part of Mahler’s 9th Symphony, right before the final, thunderous section leading up to the end. Suddenly, a shrill bleeping starts. You realize it’s coming from your jacket pocket. It keeps going. Music Director Alan Gilbert, who had been conducting, finally drops his hands, turns around, and stares you down as the orchestra grinds to a halt. Someone shouts, “Thousand-dollar fine!” What would you do?

Avery Fisher Hall

This isn’t a nightmare particular to over-stressed classical music fans–according to classical music blog Thousandfold Echo, it’s what happened at a recent concert. Someone’s iPhone (set to the jaunty “Marimba” ringtone, apparently) went off in the very front row. Worse yet, it kept going. When the conductor stopped the concert, turned around, and stared the offender down, it still kept going. Thousandfold Echo writes:

Gilbert said something like, “Are you finished?” The guy didn’t move a muscle. Gilbert: “Fine. We’ll wait.” And he turned to the podium and lay down his baton.

As the marimba kept on clanging, someone shouted, “Kick him out!” Another echoed. Some started to clap. But then others shushed the hall down, preventing pandemonium from erupting.

Finally, it stopped. Gilbert: “Did you turn it off?” The guy nodded. Gilbert: “It won’t go off again?” Another nod. Gilbert turned to the audience, and said, “Ordinarily in disturbances like these, it’s better not to stop, since stopping is worse than the disturbance. But this was so egregious, that . . .” (I lost his words here), and the audience burst into boisterous applause.

Phew. It’s tempting to blame the iPhone itself for the death of courtesy, but a comment from a reader reveals that this kind of thing has been going on longer than some would care to admit:

It reminds me of a story Leonard Bernstein used to tell about one performance of Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps at Tanglewood, when immediately at the conclusion of the first part — which ends in a raucous, frenzied, blaring climax — some lady in the audience commented, mid-conversation with her companion, “I prefer to use lard.” Bernstein claimed that he would always think of that moment in subsequent performances of that work.

What do you think was going through the iPhone owner’s mind? What would you do in a similar circumstance? Is a thousand-dollar fine an appropriate punishment for ruining a performance of Mahler’s 9th? Let us know in the comments below!

Remember, ShowTimeTickets.com is always able to provide tickets to any classical music event, anywhere, any time–regardless of whether the box office is sold out. Visit our classical music section for more information on tickets to the symphony, or our New York Philharmonic page for more specific information.

Vancouver artist Mac DeMarco, formerly the brains behind the critically-accaimed art-pop project Makeout Videotape, has returned with a solo effort under his own name and an upcoming EP on Captured Tracks, and a song from the album has gotten the thumbs-up from the tastemakers at Pitchfork Track Reviews.

The song is dreamy, shoegaze-influenced, surf-y lo-fi rock, and would be reminiscent of Blonde Redhead if it weren’t for DeMarco’s voice: a low, sensual, Elvis-like croon complemented by a falsetto harmony on the chorus.

Take a listen to “Baby’s Wearing Blue Jeans” over at Pitchfork, and let us know what you think in the comments.

The Brit singer-songwriter, famed for her incredible vocal chops, curves, and retro-mod aesthetic, has been taking time off her sold-out tour to get vocal surgery and recuperate. That’s left her fans Adele-less, but for those looking to roll in the deep again, there are few options. Until now.

Meet Korean superstar karaoke contestant Park Jimin, seen here doing a surprisingly Adele-like version of “Rolling in the Deep.” She’s adorable (that sweater!!), but she’s also really, really talented.

One of the best parts of the video: the death-glares coming from the other contestants, which need no translation.

Meanwhile, Regular Adele recuperates from surgery and prepares to pick up a Grammy or two – she’s nominated for six. For up-to-the-minute info on when she schedules her new tour dates, stay tuned – we’ll be posting an announcement via our twitter.

So, who did the song better… Park Jimin or Adele? Let us know in the comments section below!

Bert Jansch, the 1960s folk icon who was a major influence on musicians from Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page as both a solo musician and a member of the group Pentangle, has lost his battle with cancer. The singer, age 67, passed away in a hospice in Hampstead, England, on October 5, but leaves behind a legacy in his own discography as well as the work of those he inspired–including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Johnny Marr.

To remember Jansch, take a listen to this live version of the Pentangle track “Light Flight.” Rest in peace, Bert!