Concert audience lacks etiquette
BY JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
10/12/10 at 6:45 AM
Go to Jason Ashley Wright's BlogOriginal Print Headline: Lack of audience etiquette brings out offense
Although I was there for Billy Currington and Carrie Underwood, I couldn't get Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three out of my head.
Remember them? I didn't either - totally had to Google 'em. But their song "The Roof is on Fire" flickered through my mind all evening, as I was a tad overzealous in consuming straight-from-hell's-deep-fryer chicken tenders at the BOK on Sunday night. Skip to the next paragraph if you're in the middle of eating your oatmeal or coffee with nondairy Irish "creamer" (yeah, we all know your little secret), but it took a good 12 hours for the skin to stop dangling from the roof of my mouth.
Despite that minor injury, it was a rather fabulous night with my running buddy FGP, who reviewed it for the World. I've always liked Ms. Carrie, but I fell a little more in love this weekend.
But being a pseudo-keen observer of human behavior, I took notice of several breaches of etiquette in the audience - and, on at least one occasion, I was equally offensive. Let's chat about it while our tenders are cooling.
The ripple effect
I'm always nervous in crowds, but it never ceases to fascinate me sitting in the BOK, looking around at thousands of people, trying to discern faces in the suites above and behind me, plotting ways I could ingratiate myself into one some day.
And it never ceases to frustrate me when people spend more than half the concert standing up in front of me, screaming along off-key to a song. Granted, there are some numbers you just have to stand up to, like "Before He Cheats" or "Last Name."
But when everyone in your section - seriously, everyone else - is sitting down, listening to a performer, please don't be the lone prairie dog in a sea of fellow fans, blocking the view of people behind, because it has a ripple effect. If you stand up, people behind you have to stand up, and so on and so on. It's like social Ebola, just less messy.
Eww, that reminds me, I was more-tee-FIED to realize 30 minutes after leaving the arena that I had left my molten chicken tender basket, napkins and water bottle under my seat. As often as I chastise people in movie theaters - politely, of course, behind their backs - for leaving trash behind on the floors, I had to get on to myself for doing the same. Sorry, BOK cleaning crew. You all rock the Casbah.
Keep the line moving
Speaking of annoyances, if you see a line of people behind you waiting to exit the row you're on, please wait 'til you're out of the way to fish around for your cell phone, trade numbers and THEN talk about it. You know who you are. And, while I'm at it, you should know your skirt was wa-a-a-y too busy for that top.
Anyway, I got all huffy with Miss Tradey McNumberson and hopped over the seats to exit on the row behind me, then stared a hole in the back of her head - like that was well-behaved on my part. Remembering I was an adult, I tried to make amends by letting 40-something people go in front of me - which, no doubt, upset everyone behind me. See, social Ebola. The next concert should come with haz-mat suits.
Yet I still love me some humanity and all our foibles. But note to self: Order a cold sandwich or Dippin' Dots next time.
Associated Images:
|
