Last year, I wanted to find out if movie audiences coughed, squirmed, whispered, and fidgeted as much as listeners at classical concerts. Taking care to avoid high-decibel blockbusters, I went to a bunch of movies, ignored what was on the screen, and discreetly kept my eyes and ears on the audience. In my unscientific survey, moviegoers did a fair amount of twitching, but I heard none of the nervous coughing and whispering that plague classical concerts. Why?

Then it hit me. I realized that some concertgoers are nervous and even intimidated by the whole concert system. Formal attire may no longer be required, but a knot of class issues (in Seattle, the rich are sensed rather than seen), unspoken behavioral expectations, and lack of exposure in schools (can any public school graduate recall spending an uninterrupted hour listening to a symphony in class?) all contributes to folks' feeling ill at ease at classical concerts. Stuck wondering When do I clap? or Is this gonna last much longer? I need to pee, it's no surprise that some people cough and fidget like eight-year-olds. Maybe one remedy is the setting.

With his "Listening Room" tour, cellist Matt Haimovitz is taking J. S. Bach's Suites for Solo Cello into bars and coffeehouses across the country. Haimovitz, a world-class cellist who stepped off the classical music treadmill (he was formerly signed to Deutsche Grammophon) several years ago, decided to play Bach without the uptight trappings of formal concerts. Steeped in the "lyrical Bach" tradition of Pablo Casals, Haimovitz brings a compelling intimacy and vulnerability to these sensuous pieces. Not to be missed. CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

Matt Haimovitz performs J. S. Bach's Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Suites for Solo Cello, Wed Oct 23 at 8 pm (Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave NW, 789-3599), $15.

chris@delaurenti.net