Jeff Stahler for November 09, 2021

Yeah. The visceral experience of a show is supposed to leave your viscera inside AND functioning.

At least he’s considerate

They have had several concerts in the past where this has happened. They need to band having standing areas at concert.

In an earlier time, folks bought tickets to actually listen to artists exercise their talents. From Lauritz Melchior to Arthur Rubenstein to Jimmy Dorsey to Gerry Mulligan, Dave Brubeck, or Charlie Byrd, to listen silently was both fulfilling and respectful of talent that was beyond most of us.

Guess screaming and physical acrobatics seem to have become the new form, although I wonder what satisfaction it is to modern pop-music artists that they are sometimes the only ones who can actually hear their music.

It’s so crowded, nobody goes there anymore – Yogi Berra.

There are some events like baseball games, I’d rather attend in person. Concerts are not on this short list.

Went to plenty of concerts when I was a younger dude. Went to some clubs to see bands where there was no seating near the stage and generally avoided that area as that was where it was most crowded. I do remember finding a soft spot near the side of the stage at a club in Boston when the Motels were playing. There wasn’t a crowd there so I stood there for a while and got a good look at Martha Davis’ sweat. The sax player came over to that side of the stage and blew his solo into my face. After the song he came over and asked for a swig of my beer lol.

The ticket seller replies: “Just wear a mask. Everyone will avoid you”.

There had been a similar event with a crowd rushing the stage and people being trampled and killed 20 or more years ago. That resulted in laws prohibiting general admission seating for indoor and arena events. Apparently something similar is going to be needed for outdoor events as well.

When I was a young ‘un, I went to concerts ALL THE TIME. Over 300. The shows were great, the experience exhilarating, and the ticket prices were in line with the value of the experience. I stopped when ticket prices surpassed my car payment (about 1995!!!); not long after, the concert DVDs got SO good that they were better than the experience of actually being there; and finally, the horrific behavior of the crowds and the misery of the physical experience put an end to it. Haven’t been to a concert since Clinton was POTUS.

And apparently in the “I know my Constitutional rights! I ain’t wearin’ no stinkin’ mask!” section.

My son and I were once caught up in a ramp crowd surge leaving a football game. It’s scary to be propelled along. I maneuvered us to a space in front of where the wall jutted out and waited out the flood, but it was tense.

Carry on wayward sons. Kansas is on tour now.

Time was when a reviewer would write on what he heard. Today, he just interviews the survivors.

When you take a step back from the “yeah, well, concerts are like that; it’s part of the fun” thing, this whole event in Houston was a disgusting spectacle. The performer is one known to encourage his audience to violate venue protocols, including buying a ticket (“just come over the fence…”), whipping them up to a frenzy, encouraging them to avoid security. It required ambulances, doctors, nurses, drug therapy, medical techs, extra police and on and on — and that was before the surge. This wasn’t a concert.

Always choose an aisle seat and know where the closest exits are.