Concert Etiquette: Does Gen Z just suck?

By Charlie Deitchman

Gen Z is known for a lot of unique things, unfortunately one of those being lousy concert etiquette. Since the pandemic, reports of disruptive and sometimes dangerous behavior amongst teenagers at concerts have been skyrocketing. Fans are throwing objects at the artists on stage, shouting over songs, recording entire sets, and passing out in the pit. There is definitely a problem going on in regards to fan behavior at concerts, but I’m dubious if the blame is really all on Gen Z.

I have experienced my fair share of bad concert experiences, usually due to the inconsiderate crowd. I’m hard-pressed to think of a concert I have gone to in the last year where there wasn’t at least one person who fainted. When I saw Boygenius at MGM Concert Hall in September, three people fainted before the band even came on stage. When I saw Mitski at the Primavera Sound musical festival in Los Angeles in Sept. 2022, the audience was a mess. There was constant shoving, Mitski had to pause the show to tell people to take a few steps back, and one person around me was screaming so loudly throughout the entire set that I saw them throwing up into a trash can right after it ended. 

Curious as to whether this was an issue amongst other generations too, or if it is really just a Gen Z problem, I interviewed some millennials and Gen Xers. When asked about what concerts were like when they were teenagers, Gen X said that they were wilder. “One of my earliest concerts was Queen at Madison Square Garden and I remember seeing someone burn a seat and someone else lying on the ground in their own vomit.” Another recounted being in a mosh pit at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert that became so intense he was pushed onto the stage. When I asked Gen Xers and Millennials about what the crowds at shows were like now, both said that there are a lot of people on their phones the entire time, just recording and watching it all through a phone screen. Millennial Molly Canfield went on to talk about how she feels that there is an increased tension within audiences today, whether that is being upset when people in the immediate vicinity want to stand and dance or more aggressive pushing and shoving by concertgoers who are determined to get to the front of crowds. “It’s like the fanbase forgets that we all like the same music and that’s why we’re here,” she says. I think that one of the things that makes concerts so special for fans is the connection they feel to the music. These artists and songs have helped a lot of people get through really difficult times so it is only natural that they have resonated so hard with the artist. However, you are not the only one who feels this connection. Chances are, the majority of the audience feels the same way. Use this mutual ground as a way to meet new people and form new relationships. Some of my favorite concerts I have been to are the ones where I took the time to get to know the people around me, some of whom I am still in contact with today.

So what is good concert etiquette? There is a general consensus between all generations that audience members need to stop recording so much of the shows and instead be present for the actual music. Emerson alum and Gen Xer Mike McCusker put it this way: “Concerts are meant to be experienced, not recorded. You don’t need to make a documentary.” Be aware that you are not the only person in the world going to see this concert. There are going to be other people around you and you should treat them with respect (this goes for the actual artist, too). Don’t push and shove. Don’t yell at people for enjoying the show. If you want to talk, go to the back or somewhere quiet instead of interrupting the artist or those around you to do so. If you are going to camp out in line all day, do it in a way that accounts for your health and safety. 

The problem with concerts these days isn’t Gen Z. Maybe they are the face of the problem, since teens and people in their 20s tend to go to concerts more often than older people, but they are not the real issue. The real instigator is social media and the increased digitization of our world. Nowadays, everyone is trying to go viral. Whether you just want to get a really good angle of the artist’s performance or hold up a Greg x Rowley edit during The 1975 concert, social media is driving the pervasive presence of phones at concerts. Rowdy fans who interrupt shows is nothing new. There have been well documented cases going all the way back to Elvis Presley concerts in the ‘50s, the most infamous case being the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway which resulted in a concertgoer being stabbed to death by the Hell's Angels, later immortalized in the concert film “Gimme Shelter.” Thirty years later, there were famously multiple police reports and arrests for rape and sexual assault at the Woodstock '99 Festival. The difference today is that everyone in the audience has a phone with a camera, no matter what their age, so these incidents get called out more by being posted to social media. Though I don’t think Gen Z should be taking the brunt of the blame, I do think the recent behavior at concerts should be a reminder for everyone to check themselves and how their actions affect those around them. It’s time we all remember not just why we’re here but that we’re here–as part of a community of fellow fans. Let’s try harder not to ruin anyone else’s good time.