“Life in Color”

One of your favorite bands is in town and you’re at their concert. The band is playing your favorite song from their new album and it sounds amazing. The live version is even better than the album track. You’re so glad you got to see them and experience this. You’re admiring the view and watching the band when someone in front of you holds up their cellphone, partially blocking your view.
In today’s culture, it has become normal to take pictures of everything (our food, our surroundings, and of course, ourselves) and share them with others. Our smartphones have made this especially simple and convenient. You can take a picture and post it online in under a minute. However, that doesn’t always mean you should.
At one of their shows in New York City, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs posted a sign at the venue that spread online, bringing attention to the topic. In the sign’s message, they asked concertgoers to put their screens and devices away and just watch the show, as a courtesy to others and the band.
I’ve experienced something similar to this at a concert I went to last summer. During their set, the band played a few songs from the middle of the crowd, but asked that everyone personally experience that moment and put their phones away. Of course, not everyone listened and I’m sure you can find it on YouTube.
I will admit I’ve been both the culprit and the victim in these situations. I am guilty of taking videos or pictures at most of the concerts I’ve been to. I don’t do it for sharing on social media or showing to others, but to capture the moment for myself so I can look back on it, especially if it’s a new song or performance. Some may argue this is ridiculous and I don’t find myself in total disagreement with them anymore.
There is something about going to a concert. It’s an experience that’s different every time, depending on the artist, the crowd, the venue, etc. It’s hard to truly describe it to someone else – you really have to be there. That’s why a video or a picture can never be equal to the real thing. I applaud artists for trying to encourage their fans to just enjoy themselves and experience the music without any barriers. If you don’t have a digital reminder of the concert, you won’t be distracted trying to focus your camera and you’ll rely on your memory of it more.
Sure, we’re paying to attend these concerts, but we’re paying for the live experience, not for a low-quality MP4 or JPEG. Even if we do take out our phones, we should at least be courteous to those around us and respect the wishes of the artist. I’m sure I’ve annoyed someone by trying to take a photo and I know it diverted my attention from the show.
After hearing these band requests and personally seeing a sea of smartphones blanketing the stage at many concerts, I have reexamined my own habits and will try to be much more cognizant of this the next time I start to raise my phone in the air. Will you do the same?