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Posted: 2023-03-02T15:47:33Z | Updated: 2023-03-02T15:47:33Z

Pandemic life gave many of us a newfound appreciation for everyday pleasures like hosting friends, dining out or attending a concert.

On the latter front, artists are touring again and fans are flocking to a range of venues to enjoy live performances. Although we all might be a little rusty on the social norms front, that doesnt give people free rein to behave however theyd like at concerts.

We asked etiquette experts to share some common rude behaviors at concerts and advice for avoiding these faux pas.

Getting Too Drunk

Concerts are a great place to enjoy a few drinks and let loose, but theres a fine line between having a good time and being a drunken mess who bumps into people and spills everyone.

It may be easy to overindulge in alcohol at a concert, said Diane Gottsman , the author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life and founder of The Protocol School of Texas. Getting drunk, starting fights, heckling and losing all inhibitions is never a good concert move.

Talking During The Show

During a performance at the theater, opera, ballet, and similar settings, the only sounds should be coming from the stage, said Jodi R.R. Smith, president of Massachusetts-based Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting . This means no talking while the singers, dancers or actors are performing.

Even at a more casual concert, be mindful of how your talking might take away from others experience and ability to enjoy the show.

Doing Your Own Performance

Whenever attending a live performance, its important to remember that this is not your living room, said Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and co-host of the Were You Raised by Wolves? podcast . How you act can affect the people around you as well as the performers on stage. This means being mindful of not being distracting or otherwise affecting the enjoyment of other audience members.

To that end, enjoy the performance, but dont try to put on one of your own that detracts from others experiences. Refrain from scream-singing unless everyone else is doing it.

You may know the words to every song, but taking the stage in your own row is distracting, Gottsman said.

Being On Your Phone

Try to avoid texting during concerts, especially those in intimate settings.

Those glowing screens are incredibly distracting, especially in a darkened theater, Smith noted.

Its particularly disrespectful to the performers, as evidenced by Patti LuPones famous reaction to a texting audience member in 2015.

Unless theres a reason why your phone needs to be on, its best to power it all the way down to avoid the temptation to look at it, Smith said. A phone on vibrate still makes noise and can annoy those around you.