An Open Letter to People Who Stand for an Entire Concert

Dear Standing People,

DOWN IN FRONT!

OK, now that I’ve said that (and probably will say it again another 50 times through the course of the show), please understand that I’m not saying this to be rude, but rather out of necessity.

See, I was not blessed with height. Stunningly handsome, insanely funny and immeasurably intelligent, yes, but unfortunately I missed out on being tall. I’ve dealt with it my entire life, and with the exception of trying to reach things on the highest shelf at the store, I’ve handled it pretty well.

Except when I go to concerts.

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When I go to concerts, I am always at the mercy of whoever is seated in front of me. If they sit, I’ve probably got a good shot at enjoying the show. If they stand, however, I’m going to be hearing a lot of great music while staring at the backs of the heads of those ahead of me.

Recently, I went to see the band Live at Foxwoods in the Premier Theater. It was my first time seeing them since 1995, when they had released the album Throwing Copper and were all over alternative rock radio. They were huge at the time, and one of my favorite bands for their insightful lyrics as well as their diverse sound.

My mom and dad got me tickets to go see them this past Saturday at Foxwoods, and they were excellent seats, in the “Orchestra VIP” section. I was essentially about 20 rows from the stage, dead center. I had a great view of the stage – until the band came on, and everyone stood up for the entirety of the show.

Look, I get it. Music moves people. You want to get up, to dance (although Live is an odd band to dance to) and move in rhythm with the sounds.

However, this is also a band that hasn’t had a hit song since the last century. Almost all the fans are at least in their 40s. We’re old, and we need to sit.

I remained in my seat throughout the show. I caught glimpses of lead singer (and only remaining original member) Ed Kowalczyk when he was center stage. I tried watching on one of the big video monitors on the walls on either side of the stage, but those were often obscured from my view by people standing as well.

The band and especially Ed sounded incredible, belting out all their hits such as “I Alone,” “Lakini’s Juice,” and of course, “Lightning Crashes.” I had a fantastic time, even if I didn’t actually “see” the entire show.

Generally, the Premier Theater at Foxwoods is an amazing place to see a show. I saw Weezer there last year, and it’s become one of my favorite concert venues in the area.

I know what you're thinking, that I should just stand up myself. However, that won't help when everyone is still taller than I am. At least if they're seated, I've got a shot at seeing over their heads.

Again, I don’t mean to be the grumpy old man here, but it would be nice if people would just take their seats once in a while and maybe sit down for a song or two or five. After all, concert tickets are kind of expensive these days. You paid good money for that seat, don’t let it go to waste without sitting in it.

Thanks in advance,

Tiny Tim