Enjoy the Show: Common Misconceptions About Live Music

Live music is a wonderful thing. At its best, it brings people together to enjoy a shared experience. But since live music has so much power, we should understand how to enjoy it respectfully. These common misconceptions about live music will teach you how to be a better audience member.

It’s OK for Fans To Talk Back

Regular concertgoers likely have run into folks who like to hijack the entire evening. Sometimes, especially if the venue is small and intimate, an attendee will yell something “funny” or share an anecdote or do some heckling. Suddenly, the entire flow of the evening is gone.

If you don’t ignore their pleas for attention, they will become an even greater distraction. Don’t believe the myth that it’s OK to distract the performers and crowd. Both will despise you.

People Only Want the Hits

One of the most common misconceptions about live music is people only want to listen to the greatest hits. Sure, some people only want to hear artists play their most popular songs, but they are only a vocal fraction among the large population of music appreciators. There are many fans who trust the musicians to play the right songs for the event. It’s best to go into a show not feeling as though the artist owes you a specific kind of performance.

Musicians Wear Earbuds While Playing

This is an easy mistake to make. Concertgoers may notice vocalists and other musicians wear ear devices that look an awful lot like earbuds or headphones. But, in reality, these are in-ear monitors, or IEMs, that give musicians their mix of instrumentation and vocals. Confusing these for earbuds is one of the most common misconceptions about IEMs.

Musicians Need Constant Feedback

When something exciting occurs onstage, it makes sense for a crowd to jeer and applaud the musicians. But concertgoers applaud too often. Shows like American Idol and The Voice have conditioned us to respond enthusiastically to nearly every change in tempo. Producers coach audiences in those shows to be overly enthusiastic for the television cameras, and we should not interpret their behavior as proper concert decorum.