Stand...or sit?

[peteboiler]

Wow. I am going to the show in Clearwater next month, and it is a seated venue. I am now worried because I don't plan on sitting for a second! What is the proper etiquette for this? Bob

[hwllo]

i just realized it was a smaller place. i think it depends a lot on your surroundings. i don't think you can make the call until you are in the building and feel it out if that makes sense.

 

but, if you really want to stand i say go for it. it is a concert after all

[peteboiler]

I am thinking of Jeff and the boys coming out starting to play and everyone is seated. Seriously? If I was part of the band, I would think 'this sucks.'

[radiatortunes]

I am thinking of Jeff and the boys coming out starting to play and everyone is seated. Seriously? If I was part of the band, I would think 'this sucks.'

 

I'm not entirely sure about that. In Victoria Friday night the fans gave the band a standing ovation as they hit the stage and I think they really appreciated that.

[thagle]

It's a concert. Stand. Dance. Enjoy.

 

That being said, I like the opportunity to sit at jeff solo shows

[caliber66]

It surprises me to learn that Jeff's solo concerts aren't actually concerts.

[tommyjacobs]

Wow. I am going to the show in Clearwater next month, and it is a seated venue. I am now worried because I don't plan on sitting for a second! What is the proper etiquette for this? Bob

If it's a seated venue, sit. If that expectation is there, it's the polite thing to do.

 

Think about it this way...if you went to a movie theater and the guy in front of you stood the entire time, how would you feel?

[thagle]

If it's a seated venue, sit. If that expectation is there, it's the polite thing to do.

 

Think about it this way...if you went to a movie theater and the guy in front of you stood the entire time, how would you feel?

 

couldnt disagree more

its expected that you sit at a movie, nobody EVER stands at movies

concerts (and shows ) are made for dancing and standing. Its' the norm. Music moves you it makes you want to get up and dance and jump around.

 

I was at a Stones show and a guy was pissed that I was standing up and dancing. He then started throwing popcorn at me. He eventually got kicked out by security for throwing shit at me

[SeattleC]

I'm not entirely sure about that. In Victoria Friday night the fans gave the band a standing ovation as they hit the stage and I think they really appreciated that.

 

 

I agree with you. Jeff's face lit up at the standing ovation to start things off in Victoria and it set the good mood for the night. I was impressed that people did that. They did sit down after that, which fit the situation.

 

Jeff also commented positively on the fact the the Portland crowd had figured out when to sit and when to stand 'all by yourselves'. In other words, they stood for the rocking songs and sat for some of the more mellow stuff. That's a good compromise if, like Portland, people all do it. In Victoria a couple of people in front of me stood up about midway through the show and stayed there, blocking some of my view of stage center and right. I personally didn't care and was glad to stand. However, the people behind me weren't standing, putting me, being tall, in an awkward postion, so I went back and forth for awhile before saying F%$# it and standing for the rest.

 

Bottom line, sit and stand, depending on the song, that's my (and apparently Jeff Tweedy's) advice.

 

 

But a call out to Spokane, where I saw the worst Wilco show of any I've seen (still good, not great). If you don't stand up for some of the rowdy songs, Mr. Tweedy will not be too happy with you.

[peteboiler]

Thank you all for your advice, but I was hoping that everyone would agree on one unwritten etiquette, but there are differences of opinions. I find it upsetting that I will have to sit just because a seat is provided, and the hundreds of people around me will be sitting. It is what it is. If nothing else, I will lead, and hope others follow. This is my first time seeing Wilco, and I sure as hell am going to have the time of my life. Bob

[tommyjacobs]

couldnt disagree more

its expected that you sit at a movie, nobody EVER stands at movies

concerts (and shows ) are made for dancing and standing. Its' the norm.

I don't think we disagree that much. My comments were in the context of a concert and venue where the expectation was that the audience would sit. You wouldn't stand and dance during an opera or Broadway musical, would you?

 

If this venue is one where standing is expected, go for it. If not, be respectful of others. Live music is a communal experience, after all.

[SeattleC]

Thank you all for your advice, but I was hoping that everyone would agree on one unwritten etiquette, but there are differences of opinions. I find it upsetting that I will have to sit just because a seat is provided, and the hundreds of people around me will be sitting. It is what it is. If nothing else, I will lead, and hope others follow. This is my first time seeing Wilco, and I sure as hell am going to have the time of my life. Bob

 

 

As I said, do both! Tweedy will approve. There isn't a cookbook to follow.

[rockinrob]

ruth eckerd hall is a concert hall, and kind of bowl shaped. More of an orchestra type of place

 

It has phenomenal sound, and even at the very back row, you have great visibility and feel as though the band is closer than they are.

 

 

I really like to sit and take it all in at shows. I am not the average music fan in that I usually dont get hammered, I DO NOT talk at all during the show and I basically sit/stand in a hypnotized daze while staring at the stage trying to soak in as much as possible while I am in the presence of artists I admire greatly. I freakin love ruth eckerd hall because it is conducive to this type of enjoyment.

 

For wilco, I usually try to do the above as much as possible, but during the rockers I like to stand.

 

I think some people say "Its a rock concert, stand up sissy!" but this is a WILCO show. Its not like we are seeing lynyrd skynyrd and doing beer bongs in the parking lot (most of us at least). Wilco Is a band I want to LISTEN to.

 

Stand up for the rockers and have fun, but I want to sit down and let the waves of beautiful noise splash over me during "Via chicago".

 

 

and hopefully "broken arrow!!!" (if you are listening guys, please????!!!!)

[froggie]

from what i've seen, Jeff likes it if you stand and take the music in - but he's only one person, compared to all the people around you that might get pissed off. best to wait and see what the atmosphere's like

[lamradio]

Yep, like froggie said, it's all about the atmosphere. I had seats on the front row in Charleston a few years ago, and they were so close that we were practically on the stage.. If we stood up, we'd pretty much be all up in Jeffs grill.. So we sat the whole show, until the last couple songs when everyone in the place piled up front, so we of course had to stand.

 

I have front row balcony seats for Savannah, and planning to sit.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Thank you all for your advice, but I was hoping that everyone would agree on one unwritten etiquette, but there are differences of opinions. I find it upsetting that I will have to sit just because a seat is provided, and the hundreds of people around me will be sitting. It is what it is. If nothing else, I will lead, and hope others follow. This is my first time seeing Wilco, and I sure as hell am going to have the time of my life. Bob

 

Every crowd is different, but it's not exactly rocket science: standing is socially acceptable until it isn't. If you stand, you're the only one standing, and someone/people ask(s) you to sit, then just sit. Even if you're not the only one standing in the whole venue, but rather the only person standing in your area, either sit down or offer to swap seats with the person who is asking you to sit. Absolutely have fun and enjoy the show, but be aware of, and respectful toward, other paying concert-goers.

[KramkonG]

At night one of the UIC shows I was in the seats, stage left, and most were standing...but there was a group of 8-10 older folks sitting behind me. If I was the only one standing, I would have sat down, but in this case, if someone in front of me is standing - I stand. If you want to sit behind me and watch my ass dance...go ahead.

[Doug C]

It is damned difficult for my wife and I to sit. Wilco? Sit? That isn't happening, I wanna rock! We don't get in anyone else's space but stand and move at our seats. That said, I agree with Speed Racer and if no one else is standing in our area and we clearly aren't being trendsetters, then we always begrudgingly sit down. Fortunately, I can count on one hand the number of those types of Wilco shows. Even when we succumb to the thankfully rare social pressure to stay seated, we are still moving.

 

I respect that someone doesn't want to stand and move, dance, feel the spirit, etc. but barring being physically unable, I cannot understand it.

 

Ruth Eckerd Hall and The Fox Theatre will be standing. I have never seen wilco at either venue but have seen shows at both and plenty of folks were on their feet.

[Central Scrutinizer]

I would say the best advice for everyone is go along, get along. It is crowd mentality so stand if you want. But if someone whines and makes an issue behind you, it's not just between you and the whiner, everyone else around you experiences that too. So you can make an issue of it, or sit down for now. There's likely going to be another song soon that others will probably join you if you stand up again.

 

I think that goes, too, for deciding to wait until the conference starts to begin having a loud non-concert-oriented conversation that disturbs others.

 

In either case of the stand or sit debate, the must frustrating thing to me is when someone makes the concert about themselves. That includes shouting inane commands, excessive woo-hooism (particularly during Sunken Treasure), and other behavior that aims to focus attention away from the concert and the communal experience.

[peteboiler]

Thanks to everyone for taking time with this issue. I am hoping everyone stands, but I will sit if everyone is seated. I know myself, and I get antsy if I sit when I want to rock out. It will be tough. I just hope the people in Clearwater want to stand, dance, give high fives, and rock the whole night long. I will definitely be standing until someone tells me to sit. I respect others, but dammit, it will be hard. Bob

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I have been to several shows there in the past, and I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of sitting. The seating in Ruth Eckerd is not really conducive to standing for the entire night. I'm skinny enough to do it, but anybody weighing over 200 lbs. will be wedged in between the rows like a sardine in a can.

That being said, if the band comes out and plays upbeat songs right up front, everybody jumps up and stays up, I'll be up for a good long while. And if I take a sitting break, I don't care who's in front of me.

[hazel]

ruth eckerd hall is a concert hall, and kind of bowl shaped. More of an orchestra type of place

 

It has phenomenal sound, and even at the very back row, you have great visibility and feel as though the band is closer than they are.

 

 

I really like to sit and take it all in at shows. I am not the average music fan in that I usually dont get hammered, I DO NOT talk at all during the show and I basically sit/stand in a hypnotized daze while staring at the stage trying to soak in as much as possible while I am in the presence of artists I admire greatly. I freakin love ruth eckerd hall because it is conducive to this type of enjoyment.

 

For wilco, I usually try to do the above as much as possible, but during the rockers I like to stand.

 

I think some people say "Its a rock concert, stand up sissy!" but this is a WILCO show. Its not like we are seeing lynyrd skynyrd and doing beer bongs in the parking lot (most of us at least). Wilco Is a band I want to LISTEN to.

 

Stand up for the rockers and have fun, but I want to sit down and let the waves of beautiful noise splash over me during "Via chicago".

 

 

and hopefully "broken arrow!!!" (if you are listening guys, please????!!!!)

 

 

this is exactly the way i feel also.

[i'm only sleeping]

I cannot imagine myself neither standing during "Sunken treasure" nor sit during "Monday"

[rwilson580]

Hmm. I've only seen the band a couple times, and sitting wasn't an option at either show. Not if you wanted to see anything. There were seats, but nobody used them. I figured this was just the norm for these guys. But I don't think anyone else has made that point, so perhaps I'm wrong. My next show's in Scranton, no seats, so problem solved there. I just wonder what I'll do with my freaking jacket...

 

All that said, I agree with the "go with the flow" sentiment. If you've been to a hundred Wilco shows where people have stood...and at 101, it goes the other way...be cool. Nobody wants to sit behind the one guy in the theater who refuses to sit down. You're wrecking a great night for all those people behind you. And their carping is going to ruin it for you.

[cambot]

If it's a seated venue, there are times you sit and times you stand. If you want to stand the whole time, do so! But you should stand and applaud when they come out oand for the final ovation. And any other time you feel like it.

 

I watched a little of the Boyz II Men Tribute to The Motown Sound concert on HDNet, and thought it was odd that while they were all jumping around on stage, almost the entire audience was sitting. Their audience is a little older now, but at least there were some nerdy looking white guys up front TRYING to get down.