Concert Etiquette

I went to the Third Eye Blind concert a couple of weeks ago and my experience got me thinking- is there certain concert etiquette that is just common courtesy? I've been to a lot of concerts over the years, at many different venues, both small and large. I have even been attacked by a vicious mosh pit (Read: annoying and stupid drunk guys), where I had to defend myself by kicking the offenders (it was fun!). I have always felt that concerts are pretty much an "anything goes short of murder" atmosphere, but this last concert had some interesting characters. I was also in the middle of my strep throat of doom (see previous blog post) at this concert, so that too may have weighed in on my general annoyance.

Exhibit A.

"Girl who just loooves her boyfriend so much that she cannot be bothered to sit in her own seat lest she be apart from him for more than 2 seconds."

OK, we get it. You guys are close. But there is a reason you buy seperate tickets to a concert. So that everyone can have a seat. If we could sit in laps, I would have saved a lot of money over the years (and made a lot of new friends in the process). Another reason we buy seperate tickets is so that the people behind you can see. Sure, I was not directly inconvenienced by you, but many people were and that is just rude. RUDE. And thirdly, it is dumb to sit in your boyfriend's lap for 2.5 straight hours when you don't have to. Kids I get. Twenty year olds, not so much.

Exhibit B.

"Fans who just looove Third Eye Blind so much that the rhythm...well it GOT them and they cannot be bothered to stay in their seats for the MUSIC, it MOVES them."

I didn't have a picture of them, so you get a band pic. I really don't have a problem with this sort of enthusiasm typically, & I will admit at certain concerts that I am totally feeling it and my legs won't allow me to sit. So I really wanted to side with them when the people behind them starting cussing them out because they couldn't see (that being a whole other kind of public obnoxiousness that need not be, but I won't touch on that today). But really, if you are such a rabid fan, you should have bought the standing room only tickets that were a) cheaper and b) closer to the band.

Exhibit C.

"I am old and apparently high and have no rhythm but here I will dance for you Lady."

OK, so this picture obviously did not come out. But honestly, I don't think even a still photo could paint the picture of how visually impairing this woman's reckless abandon was, nor how much it made me want to stab needles in my eyes just to make it stop. It was actually pretty entertaining I guess (in the "I feel sorry for them" bad way), but seriously, isn't there a certain age cut off where dancing like a fool with no concept of rhythm or reality is unacceptable? And really, is this woodstock? No, it is a Third Eye Blind concert in the House of Blues. The musician in me wanted to grab her and force her to do her bizarre hippie sway to the actual beat we were all hearing instead of the one in her head. I guess I do have to give her props for not caring what anyone thought, though.

Of course none of this detracted from the good time (well except for the strep throat). See, we're smiling:

Hooray for concerts and all the interesting people you meet!