John Legend at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Hall

Dallas, Texas, October 5, 2009

I’ve ventured into the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center at least once every couple of years since it was opened. I have yet to see the Dallas Symphony Orchestra or any other classical offering. Still I love the venue and its non classical product has been top notch. From Roy Hargrove, the Marsalis Brothers, Wynton and Branford to tonight and the incomparable song styling of Grammy Award winner JOHN LEGEND.

The Meyerson lent its perfect acoustics to one of the premier artist of the neo-soul, rhythm and blues era. With regard to non-classical product the Meyerson is a real gem in the city and the inside of the hall is beautiful! And it lends ambiance to any date night.

Whenever I’ve been to the Meyerson for one of the many non-classical concerts, I have been impressed with the diversity of the audiences. I was especially impressed with the diversity at this particular concert. John Legend doesn’t exactly inspire thoughts of the more mature, less urban crowd, but they were there in numbers seemingly enjoying the concert. I mean if you include standing, cheering and mouthing the words to the songs in your definition of enjoying the concert.

Style is surely a Dallas thing and it was certainly on display at the Meyerson this night. Knowing that the Meyerson is a symphony hall would invoke thoughts of tuxedos, spats and after five dresses. But the product offering inspired a less formal display of wardrobe; however still very stylish. From concert casual to nightclub cool, it was all on display.

All and all I suggest the Meyerson has become a premier venue, dare I say cool venue for non-classical offerings in Dallas. Definitely keep them in mind for your next date night.

See my review of the John Legend Concert.

The E’s Stand Alone

I certainly never thought of Mercedes Benz as being anything less than a high end luxury brand. But in recent years their status has been challenged by high end offerings from BMW, Lexus and Acura . But the great thing that Benz still has that those other car companies don’t, is affordable luxury with all the trimmings and the name.

Enter the ninth generation E Class.

While on a recent visit to a dealership, I found myself staring and somewhat admiring the new 2010 E Class Coupe. Upon first glance there definitely is an “ahh” moment and I found myself listening for harps.

The lines on this automobile were taken from the successes found on the recently redesigned C Class. Apparently, the feedback from the C encouraged Mercedes to continue with the style. The concept of the new E seems to be to bring back the engineering that is so readily available in the S and CL platforms and add punch to the aesthetic of the body style. The redesign was sorely needed since Hyundai, Honda and Toyota found it very easy to join ranks as copy cats. But now, Benz has created a beast.

As I sat behind the wheel I knew I was in a different space. First, the headliner was made of a suede material which gives you the feel of the higher end Benz cars. The climate controls went from being corny dials to user-friendly levels that give more of an airplane cockpit feel and lends to the high end luxury aesthetic. The wood and leather are used throughout and are certainly reminiscent of classic Benz styling. Though I didn’t drive the Coupe, I did enjoy the comfort of the cockpit as well.

The new E comes on three platforms, the four door sedan, the new coupe and the E63 AMG coupe which is not yet available. It is offered with 268-hp V-6 or 382-hp V-8 engine 7-speed automatic transmssion. It comes standard with all glass panorama roof. It also has cool stuff like Attention Assist driver drowsiness monitor standard.

Mercedes has stepped its game back up in the mid-size luxury arena with a vengeance and challenging all comers. And I believe that when the year ends, they will have claimed the top spot without a foe in sight.