Tossup whether this should be here or IMHO - my choice is now obvious…
This thread was prompted by a discussion I entered in FB regarding sitting vs. standing and dancing in a concert venue. I’m going to try to present it neutrally, and I’ll add my opinion later.
The venue is an outdoor arena. The tickets are sold for specific seats - no lawn seating, no mosh pit. The performer has some real toe-tappers in his portfolio - the kind that make people want to dance.
On one side of the discussion, you have those who want to get up and rock. They love the music, the performer, the atmosphere, and they want to have a good time. They say those who want to sit and listen should stay home on their couch with a DVD.
On the other side are those who want to enjoy the performance. They’ve come to see the performer, listen to the music, enjoy whatever special effects or backup dancers and singers who may be included. They think those who want to dance should go to a club or stay home with a CD and dance all they want.
So, should you be able to dance in your row, even tho you’re blocking the people behind you from seeing? Should you be able to demand that the dancers keep in their seats so you can see the show? Should the rules be different for indoor and outdoor venues? Should the performer set the rules by making an announcement at the start of the show? Are there other possibilities that I’ve missed?
I think for certain types of music, you have the right to dance around. That’s why I don’t go to concerts anymore, and would rather sit home and watch on my TV. For something like Elton John, I think you should sit down and listen to the music.
This particular argument is transparently ridiculous. I daresay everyone on both sides of the issue wants to have a good time; and those who want to dance around could stay home and dance around their living room, or go to a dance club.
My point of view is that if a specific dance area is not provided, it is extremely rude to prevent those behind you from seeing the show because you want to boogie. The same applies to those who wish to sing along - I bought tickets to hear <performer> sing, not my seat neighbor. I don’t care how good a voice you have, I’m not here to listen to you!
Now, lawn seating is another matter altogether - much less formal and I think less expectation of concert manners. You can’t get away with being a drunken asshole, but if you’re singing and dancing along, as long as you don’t dance into my picnic basket, I’ll deal.
Do whatever you want, just stop recording the whole thing in portrait mode from 500 feet away with your cellphone. You’re never going to watch that, the screen is distracting to everyone behind you, and portrait mode is stupid.
Chaired seating where everyone is pressured to stand up and dance or sing along is essentially the same as not having chairs except that you can drape your coat over the back of the chairs.
It’s a bit shit if you’re short, disabled, tired, wearing heels, whatever. If you’re just not up to standing for two hours it can look like you’re not joining in when you sit down. And you’re not, because you can’t see anything.
Lawn seating, though I’ve never heard of it - presumably that’s where you just come in and mill around with no seats provided, even if it’s indoors? - usually at least provides some seats for those who need them.
Otherwise, if you’re in a wheelchair you can expect no view and for everyone to assume the spare space at eye level equals a spare space they can walk into. And your lap will be full of other people’s beer within about five minutes.
But at least if you were told there’d be no seats or seat spaces then you’d be prepared for it. It is a bit disingenuous to say that people can sit down and then have social pressure on them not to.
While I can see (heh) both sides of the arguement, IMO the experience of the non dancers is ruined somewhat more by the dancers than the dancers experience being ruined by not being “allowed” to dance.
Standing forces the people behind you to either stand or stare at your ass instead of the performance. Which in turn forces the next row to stand, etc so no one gets to actually enjoy their seat. It actively screws with everyone else’s evening.
I go to a show expecting this to happen because people are innately selfish and would rather justify why they should get to mess with your evening than show any consideration but it still is what it is.
This was prompted by my sister who wanted to dance and got ticked when the people behind her called for ushers who told my sis to sit down. She didn’t think they should be able to tell her what to do and she made the “Stay on your couch and watch a DVD” comment. I think she was being an ass about it.
Lawn seating means there’s an actual lawn or grassy area in front of the stage. If it’s a fancy outdoor arena, the lawn might slope uphill away from the stage. Sometimes there are a few chairs at the very front or the very back of the lawn, but the vast majority of people will be standing or sitting on the grass, maybe with a lawn blanket or picnic basket. Needless to say, there’s no seat numbering.
I go to over 80 concerts a year most of which are jam band shows. If you asked someone to sit down and stop dancing you’d be laughed out of the venue. Over my decades of concert going, I have gotten the opportunity to chat with many musicians. I assure you that the performers very much prefer people to be up and dancing. Just last night I saw Phish in Los Angeles in an arena. If anyone was sitting down, I didn’t see them.
IMHO there’s a very simple answer to this: do the performers encourage the audience to get up and dance? If they don’t then the audience should stay in their seats.
I worked as an usher at concert venues for many years and it’s usually a mob rules policy. So if you’re the only ones up and dancing in your section we’re going to tell you to sit down, but if everyone is up and dancing except for a few seated patrons they will be told to deal with it.
The trick is that usually the ushers have some ability to move you, so if you don’t like what’s happening in your section ask them if there are other available seats that would work better. I assure you that as long as you ask nicely the answer will be yes.
