LAAS 2017

The LA Show Does Indeed Hit the Ground Running

Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 3, 2017

At the opening ceremony (left–right): Chip Moore (Executive Vice President Programming, LAOCAS), David Robinson (PFO), John Atkinson, and Marine Presson (LAAS).

Attendees were already moving from exhibit to exhibit on the first five floors of the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Friday morning when the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony began to take form. First slowly appeared a red barrier, then a blue Mylar ribbon, and finally an oversize pair of scissors. By the time the official opening began, at something like 10:25, the show was well underway.

Joining Bob Levi of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society and Show Coordinator Marine Presson were a host of audio publication luminaries: John Atkinson and Michael Fremer from Stereophile; Robert Harley from The Absolute Sound, and David Robinson from Positive Feedback Online. To John Atkinson went the honor of the opening keynote. Keeping it short, John reflected on his many years as editor-in-chief at audio publications, starting with Hi-Fi News & Record Review in England in 1982. JA's move to take the helm of Stereophile took place in May, 1986, a little over 31 years ago.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony itself went a long way to proving that behind every strong man must be a pair of sharp scissors. Those on hand proving less than adequate, it took several passes before the blue Mylar parted, and the symbolic doors to LAAS 2017 opened wide.

You can see JA's and MF's opening remarks in Jana Dagdagan's video:

COMMENTS
michaelhigh's picture
Submitted by michaelhigh on June 4, 2017 - 8:26am

audiophiles does it take to sever a figurative barrier to a commercial endeavour?

A: One to bench-test the tool, one to shoot and sell the video, one to document the hilarity, one to process the story, and thousands to read how ridiculous the whole exercise is in the first place!

If they'd have just simply broke out the tacos, within a half hour everyone would be full and burping, then the music could actually have been freed to flow, unencumbered by pseudo-symbolic pageantry and all attendant variables that could potentially delay the proceedings!

Upon further reflection, a good knife sharpener at the starting line would have been a suitable solution to the stubborn blue material, one that measured well, perhaps also one with a favorable review from America's Test Kitchen.

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