soft-seater

n. an upscale theater-like performing space with a capacity larger than a nightclub and smaller than an arena; (hence) especially attributively, entertainment or a performing space seen as appropriate for a restrained or sophisticated audience. Also soft-seat place, soft-seat venue. Subjects: English, Canada, Entertainment

Editorial Note: This terms appears to be especially common in Canada.

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Citations: 1983 Liam Lacey Globe and Mail (Toronto, Can.) (Sept. 17) “And the winner is…” p. E7: A lot of really good mid-line acts that would ordinarily play a soft-seat place such as Massey Hall were just slaughtered this year—Joan Armatrading, Todd Rundgren and Robert Palmer. All of them deserved better and bigger audiences. 1987 Craig MacInnis Toronto Star (Can.) (Oct. 16) “Fleetwood’s Mac is back from booze bout” p. D8: I’m not so crazy about the “soft-seat” places. But you can get people out of their soft seats. 1989 Mitch Potter Toronto Star (Can.) (Apr. 30) “Home sweet home with Blue Rodeo” p. C3: Keelor was referring to the hall, one of several larger capacity soft-seaters the band has been booked into during the current post-Juno national tour. 1989 Kevin McManus Washington Post (Oct. 20) “Read ‘Em Like a Book” p. N6: The number of reading series in Washington has grown impressively high. They fall into two main types: soft-seaters and hard seaters. A soft-seater is typically held in a fancy auditorium with a lectern and microphone on the stage and, nearby, a small table that holds a drinking glass and water pitcher. The person who introduces the reader is all dressed up and appears to have painstakingly crafted his or her remarks. 1993 Terry Weber Winnipeg Free Press (Ontario, Can.) (Apr. 22) “Curtain rises on Pantages facelift”: We don’t see the number of arena acts out on tour that there were five years ago.…Soft-seater acts are big right now. So I think there is a lot of business in terms of concerts for both venues. 2001 Don Pyle Eye Weekly (Toronto, Can.) (Apr. 12) “Roadhouse vs. the soft-seater”: I think that Blue Rodeo tour made us play with a lot more dynamics than we ever did, ’cause we played soft-seaters every night. We heard vocals in the monitors for the first time! 2001 Greg Lawless Muse’s Muse (Oct.1) “Breaking into the soft-seater market” vol. 4, no. 7,: Soft-seater n. a fancy-dancy concert hall with plush seating for 250-2,500 people. 2002 Michael Barclay Billboard (Apr. 13) “Touring Canada” vol. 114, no. 15, p. 56: For soft-seater acts, booking agents are beginning to turn to the suburbs, where 800-1,300 seat theaters are pulling talent from the urban centers. 2002 Maria Dunn MaplePost (Can.) (Oct. 21) “Roots/Traditional—Two Categories please!!”: Several area “soft-seater” theatres (300-500 capacity) also have well-attended seasons with many folk music acts. 2003 Patrick Langston Ottawa Citizen (Can.) (July 18) “Here’s the world for ya” p. F1: Aside from the annual Carnival of Cultures and the occasional soft-seat show, performers tend to play mostly ethnic community centres. 2004 [Nancy C in Ottawa] Northern Pikes Assorted Secrets Message Forums (Can.) (Apr. 20) “Favourite Pike Memory?”: It is a “soft seater” theater that is not really a place you would imagine a ROCK concert would be held. 2004 Marc’s Road Diary (Can.) (Aug. 27) “Creekside Theater, Lake Country, BC” (in B.C.): The Creekside Theater is in Winfield proper, and it’s what’s called a soft seater—picture a theater where you might watch a play or a musical…we’re on a curtained stage, there are rows of movie theater style seats, and a few rows in the front of plastic chairs for extra bodies. 2005 John Derringer Toronto Sun (Can.) (Oct. 14) “Concert stirred up memories”: I guess it’s another sign of age that I’m no longer willing to jam into a far-too-crowded bar or hall to see the latest bands do their thing. If I’m going to a show, it’ll be at a soft-seater, and an act that has enough hits to keep me occupied for a couple of hours. 2005 Jane Stevenson Toronto Sun (Can.) (Oct. 19) “Feist the zeitgeist”: That she claimed to be at all nervous about performing at the Danforth—"a soft-seater” as she called it—was hard to believe.

Posted 21 Oct 05 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

This seems to have been going around as “soft-seat” in Toronto for at least a couple of years before it’s attested as “soft-seater.” It’s weird that these all come from Toronto:

1987 Craig McInnis _Toronto Star_ (Oct. 16) “Fleetwood’s Mac is back from booze bout”: “I’m not so crazy about the ‘soft-seat’ places. But you can get people out of their soft seats.”

1987 Greg Quill _Toronto Star_ (July 15) “Brewery chases high-profile acts for Massey Hall”: to help produce high-profile rock shows in Toronto’s premier “soft-seat” venue.... aggressive competition for “soft-seat” acts

by tcassedy 21 Oct 05, 0820 GMT

Ah! Thanks. Those are both good. My theory on why this term is popular in Canada is that they only ever had hard seats for the longest time because everyone was too polite to ask for something easier on the bum. So when soft-seat joints came along, they were worth remarking on. (kidding)

by Grant Barrett 21 Oct 05, 0930 GMT