It’s OK to be a first-timer at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, or a symphony newbie at Boettcher Concert Hall. It’s OK to get lost while looking for the bathroom, or feel intimidated by the snaking bar lines.
Everyone has to start somewhere.
But it’s not OK to talk over quiet performances, steal someone’s seat, go beast mode over a minor slight, or act like a drunken boor. That’s bush league, and you’ll immediately peg yourself as such to everyone around you, given that Colorado has some of the most active, experienced concertgoers in the country, according to Pollstar rankings.
In the spirit of communal harmony and transcendent experiences, here are some basic tips for Colorado concert-going in 2024 — whether you’re a veteran or it’s your first all-ages outing.
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1. Prepare thyself
Check the forecast. It’s no fun to freeze or sweat all the way through your favorite band’s set. Also be aware of your environment, especially at outdoor shows where extreme weather increasingly threatens concertgoers and artists. That means not only hydrating and wearing sunscreen, but also locating exits in the case of an emergency, and figuring out where to shelter during a storm. Set weather alerts on your phone and follow them. (By the same token, be ready to show your tickets at the door so you’re not wasting everyone’s time as you fumble on apps.)
Weather awareness is vital at higher elevations, as Red Rocks has proven. Winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour prompted the city to cancel the May 6 Hippo Campus concert. Last year, a disastrous hail storm at Louis Tomlinson’s Red Rocks show broke windshields and sent people to the hospital with bruises and broken bones, requiring treatment for another 80 to 90 people on site.
At the very least, be sure to locate the bathrooms (or diaper-changing stations, as the case may be), elevators, food and drink options, and other services before you get set up. Wear comfy shoes if you’re going to be standing or dancing. And always bring earplugs.
2. Keep it together
Outside of pop country concerts — which in my experience have the most ruinously drunken crowds of any genre — being wasted is generally gauche these days. And why waste your own time and money when you’ve gone to this much trouble to see the show? Colorado’s cannabis-friendly culture and embrace of psychedelic mushrooms runs parallel to the recent slowdown in alcohol sales as more people look for alternatives to $8 beers and crushing hangovers.
We’re not endorsing those, to be sure. But alcohol isn’t the only way to bond, or navigate boredom and social anxiety in a public setting. Colorado in particular has growing options for sober and sober-curious concertgoers, which helps account for the overall increase in all-ages concerts since the industry bounced back fully in 2022. Plus, spending 8 to 10 hours at a festival like Denver’s Underground Music Showcase requires stamina, and you’re not going to get that from avoiding water or food.
Drunk or not, no one wants to hear you screaming over the artist when they talk between songs, or requesting the same song a dozen times.
3. Limit (or curb) your phone use
Venues vary on this, so pay attention and go with the flow. At an orchestral show or Broadway musical, tradition and house rules forbid phones. At rock clubs, theaters and outdoor venues, they’re mostly fine — provided you’re not blocking someone else’s view for more than a few seconds. At a comedy club? They’ll likely kick you out.
It’s your own fault if you’re surprised when someone asks you to put it away, wherever you are, or complains about not being able to see. Chances are you’ll find the exact same photos and videos online the day after the show, taken by the other people who were also experiencing it through a tiny screen.
4. Shut up!
The most infuriating thing you can do as a concertgoer is to talk (or yell) so loudly that the people around you can’t hear the music. Perhaps you’ve done it before, too, and gotten everything from the stink eye to a tap on the shoulder. And if you’re too inebriated to read the room and stop blabbering? Your own problem is now everybody else’s.
This type of behavior immediately stands out at an intimate jazz show or acoustic concert. But at a metal show or sprawling outdoor venue it is still, sadly, possible to compete with the sound coming from the stage. Don’t narrate the show or catch up with your friends at that same volume.
Don’t like the band? Forced there by a social obligation? It’s truly irrelevant. That said, if there’s audience participation, go for it. Sing along. Dance and whoop. Just keep it focused on the show.
5. Be accommodating
This is not only about respecting personal space — something important to many concertgoers since the pandemic — but also realizing that if someone is wearing a mask, sporting a cane, or sitting down when everyone else is standing, you can’t judge their abilities or health. Not everyone with a physical or mental disability is in a certain section. And not every venue, unfortunately, meets the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
At Red Rocks, for example, the tricky geography makes only the top and bottom rows (Row 1 and Row 70) wheelchair accessible, and those seats must be selected when they’re purchased. Not exactly ideal, depending on your luck and financial resources.
Is this your 20th concert or 200th? Awesome. Keep in mind that it might be someone else’s first, and that they may have traveled far and saved up for years to get there. Don’t stand directly in front of short people. Don’t browbeat others for not dancing. If someone strikes up a conversation and you’re not feeling chatty, it’s OK to politely tell them that.
6. Don’t be a martyr
If someone’s behavior is disrupting your experience of a show, tell an usher, security guard, server or other employee. Chances are, if you’re annoyed, someone else is, too. Don’t just sit there in misery.
Truly, no one wants to be a snitch, or create an awkward vibe that lasts the whole show. But why waste $100 or more on a ticket and suffer through the concert? This depends on the act, of course. No one’s going to wade into a mosh pit and announce that people are dancing too hard, or swap spots with you just because you have a bad sightline. Concerts are chaotic and unpredictable, full of catharsis and adrenaline. That’s generally a good thing.
7. Take a deep breath
Annoyances can ruin a show, whether it’s people talking around you, a perceived slight when someone inches into your seat, or a tipsy birthday party that won’t stop talking. They can also ruin the memory of a show, prompting you to feel down every time an otherwise positive experience comes up.
Let go of that. Remember the good and slough off the bad. Unless it was a historic trainwreck or over-sold fire hazard, you were probably lucky to be there and whatever happened, happened. With apologies to “Wayne’s World,” live in the now, man.
Some people are looking for fights, so be prepared to move if you need to. You can’t control others’ behavior, and there are times when politely asking prompts only aggression. A crowded room requires careful navigation and patience. But you paid to be there, and have the same rights as everyone else at the concert. Conflict is not the only option, and concerts are meant to bring us together, not pit us against one another.
