Concert Etiquette: Sit Or Stand? - Freeze-Frame Radio

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Concert Etiquette: Sit Or Stand?

Zim · Chairwoman Of The Board

I think if you are in the first 20 rows or so, you just have to expect you're going to stand for the entire performance. I was in about the 9th row of a ZZ Top concert, and sitting wasn't an option. The problem is, I don't do well standing in one spot for long periods of time. Dunno what it is, but if I'm not moving around I get dizzy and lightheaded. So I ended up being the dork sitting around a standing mob.

But if you're in the nosebleed section, you aren;t going to see the band any better or get any more energy from the crowd if you're standing, IMHO. I prefer seats far from the band now so I'm not expected to stand the entire time. It sounds like that lady was probably the only person in a nosebleed section standing the entire time. I think concerts essentially have to go with the mob mentality. If everyone is standing, you stand. If everyone is sitting, you better not be the one standing waving the lighter.

ray925 · Darth Raydar

When I was younger it was stand, dance and party. But now that I'm older I'd rather sit and enjoy the show. I still stand when the show merits it. My worst experience was at a Genesis concert about 1992 in the Hoosier (now RCA) Dome. We were standing, dancing and having a great time. Shows over and I put on my coat because it's 10 degrees outside. The idiot behind me spilled enough beer that my coat was soaked. The SOB didn't even have the decency to tell me. I had about a mile walk to the car. Needless to say that's what sticks out about that show. It was good but the idiot is what I remember.

Ultimo · King of the Ring

Im in the go with the flow position, as Zim said if your at the the front then sure its standing and dancing, but further back i think it depends on what everyone else is doing, also it depends who your watching, if your at a rolling stones gig then im pretty sure the whole place will be standing and rocking, where as a night of classical music has different rules.

-- Edited by Ultimo at 09:56, 2005-04-26

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Wow Zim, you raised a point that wasn't raised in a full hour of talk radio yesterday.

It's a very good point about the nose-bleed seats. It's unfortunate though because the close seats are the ones that paid very good money and therefore if you have your enjoyment of the concert destroyed you lose the most.

I go to VERY few concerts, because I just don't like dealing with the crowds (as opposed to J.D. who probably averages a concert a week, maybe more when you take the summer months into account).

But when I DO go, I go all out, and pay a ticket broker to sit in the first three rows. Usually not the FIRST row, because the price difference is usually just silly from the first to second row. You can pay $500 for the first row and $350 for the second row, I won't pay an extra $150 to sit one seat closer to the stage.

But it's very frustrating when even in the 2'nd or 3'rd row you're forced to stand the whole concert because the one or two people in front of you, who obviously have an EXCELLENT view decide to stand.

The whole thing smacks of selfishness to me. An attitude of "I paid my money, I get to enjoy this concert anyway I see fit, even if it dimishes the enjoyment of everyone around me".

HOWEVER, I'm tall enough, and go to so few concerts that it doesn't really bother me to stand. I wonder though how someone who's 5' 5" would feel? when they're forced to watch the back of someones head for 2 hours.

I think the SADDEST thing, in my case, is how many concerts that I decide not to go to because I determine it's just not worth standing for three hours and dealing with potential drunkards.

I know only have four artists I will go to see. Meat Loaf, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill & Huey Lewis & the News.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Man, a frozen beer jacket, in theory it sounds like a good idea In practice it musta sucked!

I agree with you too Ultimo, the artist has a lot to do with what you should expect.

You know, I think this issue wasn't as important to me when concert prices were cheaper.

Now that you can expect to pay $40 - $80 for fairly average seats it's more aggrevating to have the enjoyment of the concert diminished, regardless of which side of this debate you stand on.

I fully beleive that the "standers" would not enjoy the concert nearly as much if they had to sit through most of it.

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

I agree that it really depends on the type of music, as well as the persona of the performers. I'm more likely to sit if the band just sits back and plays, but if it's the type of band that gets the audience involved, the crowd is more likely to stand. And it is a conformity thing. If you're the only guy standing in your area, you're a jerk; if you're the only guy sitting, you have no right to complain.

Here's my question, when everybody is standing, when it is okay to stand on the seat? I went to a Sammy Hagar concert a couple years ago (it was on my birthday even!), and the guy in front of me was over 6 feet tall (and he caught the drumstick, darn him!). I'm 5'2". I spent most of the concert just trying to see!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

See MZ, that's a VERY legitimate issue.

Generally, when you buy a concert ticket you are buying a RESERVED seat, you don't have the option of just moving over to see better.

So how can it be right for you to have to stare at the back of a head for an entire concert just because you're not tall enough?

Standing on the seat is never acceptable not only from an etiquette standpoint, but more importantly from a safety standpoint, the venue would be in line for a lawsuit if you got bumped off that seat and hurt yourself.

But I've seen frustrated people do that, and it's usually someone who just can't see over the crowd.

If you paid $15 for a nosebleed seat you can probably learn to deal with it, but if you paid big bucks for a good seat I think you have a right to see the concert as well as hear it.

ray925 · Darth Raydar

Anyone going to a concert, knowing who the act is, should have an idea whether they will be sitting or standing. Those with seats on the floor should not be shocked to stand. If I'm going to see Blink 182 I'm expecting to stand and possibly be invovled in a mosh pit. If I'm going to an Elton John concert I'll expect to stand on occasion. Gordon Lightfoot, sit back and enjoy. Here's a can of worms. What really sucks is paying scalper and ticket broker prices when they suck up all the seats. Because they have a network of people purchasing large blocks of tickets or software that cheats the internet "Average Joe" gets screwed. ...But ain't that America!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

LOL, yes, that IS America Ray.

I actually am thankful for the ticket brokers because I know that I'd probably never land the seats I do if it weren't for them.

But it still does suck. I would not blame them if they outlawed the practice.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

JD. Where are you?

I'm excited to hear your take on this (although I suspect I already know where you STAND).

But JD goes to soooooooooooo many concerts, he's GOT to have some good stories!

ray925 · Darth Raydar

Jeremy,

Quick note on Huey Lewis & the News. I saw them two years ago in Las Vegas. Man, what a show. Those guys still rock it out. When I get rich they're the band I'm hiring for my party. Of course they may be in wheel chairs by then.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

If you get rich & hire them for a private party YOU GOOOOOOTTA INVITE ME!

I'll get em to do some promo's for the station! WOO HOOO!

I saw them in Indiana in 2001, promoting the PLAN B album, I couln't beleive how good they still were, and Huey has not aged much!

They're coming to Indiana again this summer, I may try to catch em again.

WFTR · Prophet of the Posts

Here's another factor in this arguement - age. When we were all younger we didn't even consider this arguement. Just being at the show was the thing. As we have moved along and had our good and bad concert experiences we now actually think about the price of ticket/enjoyment ratio, and standing or sitting is an issue! I think this kind of thing is what spawned the humongo video screens. If you can't see the stage, you can probably see the screens.

Oh! For us midwesterners, we all know that you should NEVER stand if you have lawn seats at Alpine Valley. MUDSLIDE!

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

If the concert is in an auditorium, I don't stand on the seat (the seats fold up, they might eat me!). But I've went to concerts that have been in sports arenas before where I had bleacher seats, that I'll admit, I've stood on. But I try to be respectful to the people behind me as well.

There was one time I woke up early and got an awesome spot in line in front of the record store to buy Aerosmith tickets. But then they came out and gave everyone a number, and then drew the number out of a hat, and whoever had that number started the line. Well, the person who had the number happened to be 3 spots behind me! I ended up being in the back of the line, I was pissed! The concert was in a basketball arena, and because of my crappy spot in line, I got behind-stage tickets., I was so disappointed. But then the concert rocked. Because of the way the stage and the venue was set up, I could see the whole thing and it didn't matter whether I was sitting or standing. And Steven Tyler kept coming over and singing to our area more than he faced the front of the stage, and Joe Perry even came over and jammed in our direction for a while.

MzHartz · Permanent Vacation

If you hear of Huey coming back to Indiana, you gotta let me know. Maybe we'll end up going to the same concert!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Oh, he's coming alright.

July 31'st (which ironically is the same date as in 2001).

He's gonna be at the star plaza theatre, which is a really great venue. Last time I got second row balcony tickets and they were fantastic.

Here's a link...

http://www.starplazatheatre.com/files/hueylewis.html

ray925 · Darth Raydar

Huey's at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merriville, IN on July 31st. Jeremy, he's in West Bend, WI at the Washington Co Fair on the 30th

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

WOO HOO!

I just saw that on his website Ray! I'm definately catching him at the fair! I just looked up the Washington county fair website, I had no idea they had such a nice setup!

Somechick · Chairwoman Of The Board

So I've been working and too busy to get in on this conversation until now. Bother. Jeremy, i was gonna tell you Huey was coming to the Wash. Cty. fair, but I'm glad someone else beat me to the punch. I intend on going as well.

As for the whole standing/sitting issue, it is really dependent on the concert itself. I've gone to 4 Bon Jovi concerts and have never sat down. Then again, no one else was sitting down, and I didn't have the most stellar seats. Nosebleed or not it didn't matter.

I've also been to Fleetwood mac, where the crowd was more subdued, but got up on occasion. I think the stand/sit thing is dependent on the crowd's reaction.

What is annoying to me is people who insist on sitting through the whole concert and expect me to do the same. I'm sorry, if "Go Your Own Way" comes on, I'm not sitting down. I paid very good money to boogie, and I will do so without someone being snarky with me. I do though think that if a person has any common sense, and they see themselves as the only person standing during a slow song, it's just courteous to sit as well.

And to chime in on seat/bleacher standing, I pretty much will stand in the bleachers if everyone else is. If you ever attend Summerfest, standing on bleachers and picnic tables is standard operating procedure.

Skyebug · Standard Member

I have to say that in my younger days it was the standing only kind of thing but now in my "older" age I prefer to sit. I will, however, defer to the mob mentality and follow the crowd.

My most interesting concert was for Chicago in the early 80s at a place in Austin, TX called Southpark Meadows, an outdoor venue (it's no longer there now...it's being turned into a mall!). Basically it was a big open field with a stage at one end and port-o-potties at the other. It was actually wonderful! Mostly you were standing though there were blankets and lawn chairs on the edge of the crowd. The interesting part comes from the "herb" being passed back-and-forth in front of me! We were fairly close to the stage and so packed in like sardines to get as close as possible. Everytime the two guys in front of me passed "it" they exhaled right into my face!! Needless to say it was like shot-gunning when you don't mean to!! I had the worst case of the munchies that night!! I made my date that night stop by Denny's on the way home!! Imagine all that from listening to Chicago!!

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

The venue makes a huge difference.

SOMECHICK is right about Summerfest, that's just a free-for-all, and you have to expect it.

Then again, I think Summerfest is probably the WORST place to see your FAVORITE artist. Because much of the music is free you don't really have fans of the act there, a lot of drunken people just wander in to see anyone just for the hell of it.

I tried to catch a little Ted Nugent after a Meat Loaf concert at Summerfest one year and I'm still amazed I made it out of that pack of wolves alive. They were blasted off their a** and literally pressed right up against everyone else. That makes it sort of hard to enjoy the artist.

Trish · The Procrastinating Red-Head

I think if you have reserved seats, you should most likely stay sitting down. I don't like to pay extra for a reserved seat to watch someone else's backside. I'm only 5'6". I can't always see over everyone, in fact hardly ever. I very rarely went to concerts where you had to worry about sitting or standing. When I saw Huey Lewis, it was from the pit. Same for almost every other concert that I've ever been to.

I did go to Richard Marx and it was reserved. The only time people stood was during the slow songs and they lit their Bics. My sister's had a defect and the metal roller part fell off and landed on the soft underside of the guy in front of us' arm (you know, just below the elbow toward the hand). He starts shrieking like a girl and my sister starts laughing (her nervous reaction to stress, not because she thought it was funny). His girlfriend turns around and says "Don't worry about him, he's a wuss. I'm making him join the Marines to toughen him up." I could have died. I couldn't believe she said that.

The only thing worse was going to see Cats in Little Rock and having these 60-70 year old ladies bumping and grinding in front of us when Rum Tum Tugger came out and yelling "Stud Kitty!" It was so...oh, God, words fail me. It was bad.