People are so strange sometimes

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

DH and I went to a concert last night. It was 60's bands (the Happy Together Tour) so it was an old crowd. We were in seats 3 and 4 in from the aisle. After the first band had performed a man came in and sat in seat #1. He never looked up, but took out his cell phone and was on it the whole time. He was rocking to the music and head-bopping so I guess he was into it but whatever was on his phone was more important.
After the 2nd band a woman came and sat in seat #2. She, too ,took out her phone and got on it. She never looked up. I glanced over and saw she was just scrolling up and down reading a different screens. During intermission, they spoke with each other so obviously they were together. Once the music started up again they went back to their phones. He continued bopping along, not her.
For the last act (the Turtles), she moved down to the row in front of us where the first 2 seats were open. She then put her phone away and paid attention to the show.
Maybe she only wanted to see that one act? Maybe he didn't want to see any of it but went along to keep her company? The tickets were about $80 each so I was perplexed by the whole thing.

At least I didn't spend too much time wondering about it, because then I, too, would have spent good money on a concert I didn't see. But I did find it so strange.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

That is so astoundingly rude. I think it's so disrespectful to the performers and to the other audience members to have your cell phone on and open during a show.

We saw Audra McDonald a few weeks ago, great show, and toward the end she said, "This is the last song, so you'll be able to check your phones in just a few minutes. Thank you to those of you who waited, and to the rest of you--do you REALLY THINK we can't see you checking your phones from up here? We look out over a dark audience and we see a few ghostly lit-up faces out there! WE SEE YOU!"

[happymum Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close happymum]

Behavior at both concerts and theater performances is awful. We were at a performance of Wicked in London and the couple in front of us barely looked at the stage, they were too busy making out. I guess tickets were cheaper than a hotel toom!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

That is so astoundingly rude. I think it's so disrespectful to the performers and to the other audience members to have your cell phone on and open during a show.

We saw Audra McDonald a few weeks ago, great show, and toward the end she said, "This is the last song, so you'll be able to check your phones in just a few minutes. Thank you to those of you who waited, and to the rest of you--do you REALLY THINK we can't see you checking your phones from up here? We look out over a dark audience and we see a few ghostly lit-up faces out there! WE SEE YOU!"

Good for her. It's awful. It's also bad etiquette with respect to seat neighbors, the lights are really distracting. Some (bolder) ushers will tell people to put their phones away. DW used to be a frequent perpetrator but is finally coming around.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

This is really an addiction.
Drives me nuts too especially in movie theaters.
And you'd think with the little commercial they run at the beginning of the movie
that people would get the hint, but nope, it's not talking about them!

[susieq Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close susieq]

That is so astoundingly rude. I think it's so disrespectful to the performers and to the other audience members to have your cell phone on and open during a show.

We saw Audra McDonald a few weeks ago, great show, and toward the end she said, "This is the last song, so you'll be able to check your phones in just a few minutes. Thank you to those of you who waited, and to the rest of you--do you REALLY THINK we can't see you checking your phones from up here? We look out over a dark audience and we see a few ghostly lit-up faces out there! WE SEE YOU!"

Good for her. It's awful. It's also bad etiquette with respect to seat neighbors, the lights are really distracting. Some (bolder) ushers will tell people to put their phones away.

I find it very rude and annoying when people are on their cell ~ talking very loudly ~ in any public place. Do they actually think that their lives or what they have to say is so much more important or interesting than anyone else?? They could at least walk outside, as some courteous people do, and not subject everyone else to their "earth-shattering drama".

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

I wasn't so much bothered by them, as their phone lights were dim but I was confused as to why someone wood pay good money to see a concert they didn't watch.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Any chance he was filming the show on his phone

[jackio Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close jackio]

Any chance he was filming the show on his phone

No, they were scrolling and checking things. The phones remained in their laps the whole time. The only time the woman looked up was when the Turtles came on, and they were the last act. He never looked up.

I shouldn't even be wasting my time thinking about them so much, but it struck me as so odd.

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

No, they were scrolling and checking things. The phones remained in their laps the whole time. The only time the woman looked up was when the Turtles came on, and they were the last act. He never looked up.

I shouldn't even be wasting my time thinking about them so much, but it struck me as so odd.

Maybe they work the show and have seen it a few times, still shouldn't do that but whateverrrr.

[StressCadet Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StressCadet]

There is a particular artist I like to see (Rock star) who has a HUGE issue with this...he's also a control freak...but never the less. He asks the audience to "be in the moment" and assures everyone that any photo ops and videos will be available for free online. And they are. He takes it very personal that you paid good money to hear him play and then you aren't "present" He feeds off the participation and if he doesn't have that he will literally cut the show short. Some say it's the control aspect but I think he's right. Be present in your life.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

there is a particular artist i like to see (rock star) who has a huge issue with this...he's also a control freak...but never the less. He asks the audience to "be in the moment" and assures everyone that any photo ops and videos will be available for free online. And they are. He takes it very personal that you paid good money to hear him play and then you aren't "present" he feeds off the participation and if he doesn't have that he will literally cut the show short. Some say it's the control aspect but i think he's right. Be present in your life.

like!

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

I have seen the Happy Together tour twice. Some performers are good (Mark Lindsay, Chuck Negron, even Flo and Eddie), some are walking dead (The Association). My wife is going for her third time. I declined (refused) to go. I think I would have sat there with my phone too. Tickets for their performance at the MN State Fair (second largest fair in the country) are only $21. Plenty of plaza seats still available.

I did see Journey last year and had two women behind me talking. I finally turned around to stare at them. When they asked me what I was doing, I asked if they liked Journey. They said 'yes, don't you?'. I said, 'yes, but I can't hear them with your talking' and then turned around. It was quiet for a while.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Happy Together is coming to our big local theater soon, too. Tickets are really expensive there--we can never justify buying tickets there unless we get them at a discount. Like Happy Together is $21 at that state fair that Vintner is talking about, but they would be probably $110 in the rear orchestra at our place after all the fees. It's so aggravating. Audra McDonald tickets were mostly north of $150 because there was a gala afterward. Can you imagine spending $300 for a pair of good seats and then sitting there on the phone?

Stressy, who's the rock star?

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

At the very least it is distracting...