Oh, concerts.@@le pant. le whew@@
At this point, most of us are probably familiar with the general set up, the crowds, the music. And yet, time after time, I go to shows and people make the same mistakes that end up upsetting the audience and interrupting the set that people came to see.
And let’s face it: You don’t want a crowd of sweaty, dedicated people — who are dealing with having their personal space invaded and probably there to see their favorite band — turning against you.@@?@@ I’ve seen this happen before, and it is not fun.
1.    Don’t shove people out of the way
“The biggest thing for me is when people get there early and get in line to a get a spot, and then people come late and push them out of the way,”@@so!@@ said Matt Buetow,@@http://www.myspace.com/mattbuetow@@ guitarist and vocalist for local indie band The Royal Blue. Think about it like this: You don’t go to a movie and force someone out of their seat.@@says you!@@ If there is an obvious open spot in the crowd that someone isn’t filling, go ahead and take it; there should be plenty of these opportunities throughout the show. Otherwise, accept the fact that you didn’t get to the there soon enough and get to the show early next time.@@damn! tell it like it is!@@
2.    Do dress simply
People, don’t wear backpacks to concerts. Who wants to get rammed up against a backpack? No one. Keep the concert attire simple — big bags and coats shouldn’t be necessary@@or t-shirts of the bands playing@@. It gets hot in a crowd, and as people begin condensing together, the more items there are, the more awkward it becomes to figure out how to hold your arms — or, you know, how to move in general.
3.    Don’t yell song requests to bands
“Fundamentally, the people in the audience are coming to see the person on stage perform, not hear someone singing as loud as they can or screaming out their favorite song every time in between songs,” said Calyn Kelly, program coordinator at WOW Hall.@@http://www.linkedin.com/pub/calyn-kelly/14/2a4/76@@ Kelly pointed out that a lot of the time the performer is already planning to play the requested song later in their set.@@?@@
Buetow and Yonaton “Jojo” Ferreira, lead singer for local reggae band Medium Troy,@@http://www.bestnewbands.com/bands/item/745-medium-troy-toppling-the-west-coasts-indie-scene@@ both agreed. “Don’t ask bands to play covers that they know they can’t,” said Buetow. “Someone always yells ‘Free Bird’. Always.”
4.    Don’t talk throughout the entire set
This can be one of the most annoying things about going to a concert, according to Buetow, who remembers one where two girls had just met each other and proceeded to talk loudly with each other for the entire performance. This tip works right along with tip number three — people don’t come to a concert to hear other people talking, they come for a performance.
5.    Do be aware of the crowd.
“Just be mindful of people around you. Not everybody wants to thrash dance or be really exuberant,” said Cami White, box office manager at the McDonald Theatre. This is different for different kinds of shows, she points out, but generally, she recommends people being aware of what is going on around them so as to not disrupt others.
“Basically, if you bought a ticket, you have a right to be a part of the shows — at least at our shows,” Ferreira said. “We like people to participate and all of that — as long as they’re not messing with other people.”
There you have it, folks. What the concert etiquette basically comes down to is being mindful of other people. Be yourself, let the music take you where you want@@to the front!@@ and all that stuff — but be respectful. Remember that other people are there to see their favorite band and experience the music, too.