Concert Etiquette

I just came from our area’s Area All-State music concert in which Brady was participating.  I’m too young to be so "get offa my lawn" about this sort of thing, but there are some standards that simply ought to apply at any such venue, especially when you’re paying for tickets.  To wit:

  • Show up on time, or you miss the first number.  When the performance begins, no one should be allowed entrance to the auditorium.  Period.  I don’t care if your child is on stage right now.  If it was that important, you would have been there on time.  People entering the auditorium are a distraction to those of us who did manage to get there on time.
  • Speaking of distractions; along with politely asking us to silence our electronic devices, attendees should be admonished to silence their very young children or to remove them if that’s not possible.  I have paid money to listen to a concert, not to someone else’s children cry, ask all kinds of questions, or make all kinds of observations about the obvious.  When my children were that age, we either didn’t attend such events, found sitters, or ensured that they stayed quiet (or left if they couldn’t).  Even if it weren’t common courtesy, this is of especial importance when the event is being recorded!  At least two numbers this afternoon ended abruptly only to have some toddler’s babbling continue in what otherwise would have been the silence between the final note and the applause. 
  • I know I’ve lost this war, but I’ll never stop fighting.  At least one girl on stage was wearing flip-flops.  They weren’t even the "fancy" kind that could, arguably, be considered "sandals"!  Words fail me.

My grousing aside, the concert was fantastic!  Now I’m off to check my lawn. 

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