Linda Ronstadt escorted from casino for having an opinion

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I've never really been much of a fan of Linda Ronstadt and her special blend of non-threatening light rock, but I'm starting to come around. First, her duet with Barney Gumble; now she's gotten her ass thrown out of the Aladdin casino for dedicating the song "Desperado" to Michael Moore. According to CNN:

Ronstadt, who had been hired for a one-show engagement Saturday night at the Las Vegas Strip casino, dedicated a performance of "Desperado" to Moore and his controversial documentary, which criticizes President Bush and the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
That dedication angered some Aladdin guests who spilled drinks, tore down posters and demanded their money back, said casino spokeswoman Sara Gorgon.
"We had quite a scene at the box office," she said.
About a quarter of the 4,500 people in the audience got up and left before the performance had finished, Gorgon said.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

How dare she, the old Jerry Brown-lovin' pinko. Your excerpt doesn't include the details of Linda getting the bum's rush out the door, though.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm hoping for amateur video showing them throwing her out the door, followed by the sack of cash she earned for playing the show, minus the percentage she lost for alienating the people who came to Vegas to escape having to deal with anything resembling reality. If one of the bouncers yells "AND STAY OUT!" it would be worth a bit extra!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I always like when court cases get reported as "the case was thrown out of court" and imagining the plaintiff landing on the steps outside and two judges dusting their hands, frowning, and going back inside...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

The tip of the doorman's boot would need to be just visible in the extreme of the pic to round the whole thing off

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:24 (twenty-one years ago)

photoshoppaz to thread; make me my new desktop!

― j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

"Oh Senor Bush es no muy bueno..."

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.globalhermit.com/ilx/ronstadt-throw.jpg

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"las vegas doesn't care for outsiders"

― jess, Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

"Go back to Russia!!"

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Does that guy have a nub for a hand?

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 11:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I call foul -- she should get a free pass from the right for having played Sun City. How soon they forget.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

also how great is it that the casino's spokeswoman is named GORGON

― jess, Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, oddly, that guy's hand was untouched by my photoshop skillz.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Google image search for "gorgon" yields the following:
http://www.yfxstudio.com/graphics/gorgon.jpg
http://www.metamovie.de/film/images/gorgon.jpg
http://www.clawpaw.com/homepages/stormwolf/artwork/Artwork/gorgon.gif

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:06 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.daintycrew.com/ninjaman2001.jpg

― jess, Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Aren't the lyrics "Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?" That kind of gives a mixed message, I would think.

― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"Oof! Ouch! Hey, WATCH THE SEPTUM!!"

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Might not be as bad as depicted. From http://timblair.spleenville.com/archives/007218.php:

My wife & I were at the Linda Ronstadt performance in question, at the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and quite frankly, Aladdin President Bill Timmins' account of what happened is complete crap. There was mixed booing and cheering at Ronstadt's pro-Michael Moore comment, and that was about the extent of the "bedlam" that supposedly broke out. I saw no posters being torn down or cocktails being thrown in the air, and if people stomped out of the theatre unhappy, it was because 1) that was the last song Ronstadt performed; it was her encore; and 2) she mainly sang her standards repertoire, with the Nelson Riddle orchestrations, and a large part of the crowd wanted to hear more of her rock-'n'-roll stuff; she got the biggest round of applause for doing a lackadaisical run-through of her version of "Blue Bayou."

― phil dennison, Tuesday, 20 July 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

it's funny how she misjudged the room. Linda also claims that she is uncomfortable performing if there are republicans or christian fundamentalists in the audience.

― keith m (keithmcl), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Linda Ronstadt is the new Dixie Chicks (that includes the brand new boring liberal fanbase that will rush out and buy her music)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 21 July 2004 00:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Nah, if she hates segments of her audience and loathes playing for them, she's the new Nirvana.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Frank woulda never stood for this crap.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 00:53 (twenty-one years ago)

If there's room here for an impromptu "Linda Ronstadt: S&D"

S: her singing on Carla Bley's sprawling avant-jazz-opera Escalator over the Hill.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

it's funny how she misjudged the room. Linda also claims that she is uncomfortable performing if there are republicans or christian fundamentalists in the audience.
-- keith m (keythkeyt...) (webmail), July 20th, 2004 4:38 PM. (keithmcl) (later) (link)

how does she know? does she have the power to look into people's souls?

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

S: backup on Harvest.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 01:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the more important issue here is that the media thinks Linda Ronstadt is still even somewhat relevant

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 21 July 2004 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, Jerry Brown hasn't run a Democratic presidential campaign since what, 1992?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

if you want to be thoroughly amused, read her "political" views in the old Rolling Stone interview (the one in the compilation book with the red cover)...

― Orbit (Orbit), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 21:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Heart Like A Wheel is pretty good So-Cal soft rock

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

S: Mad Love and the Chipmunks' version of "How Do I Make You" on Chipmunk Punk.

― Nick Apollo Forte (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 21 July 2004 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

dont people always spill drinks and tear down the posters at concerts? If i were there I'd leave early and demand my money back too. Whats the big deal.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 22 July 2004 12:03 (twenty-one years ago)

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