# Lighters at concerts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273 "2000-03-26T23:33:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273/1 "2000-03-26T23:33:00Z")

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anyone know when the tradition of holding up lighters at concerts started?

and what does it signify?

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Check out my site:  
[Chief’s Domain](http://qfg.tierranet.com)

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273/2 "2000-03-27T00:00:00Z")

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I was doing it in 1973, so it’s a least that old.

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TT

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”  
–James Thurber

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**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273/3 "2000-03-28T06:31:00Z")

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WAG, altho’ I think a nicely poetic one.

“Keep the fire burning.” People are having a good time and they want to hear get a couple more songs outta the guy or have him jam out on the song he’s playing for a couple more minutes.

Of course, I’ve only been to two rock concerts my whole life so this should be taken _cum_ awholeshitloada _salis_.

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All I wanna do is to thank you, even though I don’t know who you are…

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**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lighters-at-concerts/9273/4 "2000-03-27T20:34:00Z")

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Probably started shortly after they started making bic lighters.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines.  
[Delta-9 Home Page](http://www.delta9studio.com)