Concert season is in full swing, with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and other artists dominating calendars in the coming months. But a new villain is hurting the experience for many: superfans seeking five minutes of social-media fame.
Homemade signs, screaming teenagers and bouncing beach balls aren’t new to concerts. What has changed is that, largely thanks to TikTok, any moment of a concert can go viral. More fans are trying to force that moment to happen with wild shenanigans, annoying noises or demands on artists to play unusual songs.
That desire to create a quick piece of content to share online has become a buzzkill for everybody else at the show.
Folk-pop singer Maggie Rogers performed in Los Angeles on March 1. Before starting her song “I’ve Got a Friend,” she asked the crowd if anyone came with their close friends. Two fans near show-attendee Maggie Dale erupted. But when everyone else quieted back down, they continued screaming.
The singer tried to tell a heartfelt story about her own best friend, but they drowned her out. Most of it was incoherent, says Ms. Dale, but at one point they yelled, “Maggie!” and asked to come on stage.
Finally, the exasperated singer stopped. She reminded audience members that they were there to hear her and that nobody was getting on stage. The two shrieking fans, feeling seen by the artist, freaked out even more, says Ms. Dale. She said a couple nearby appeared to give the pair a souvenir video of the incident. But the antics were a distraction for many ticket holders.
Maggie Dale said she had a tainted experience at a Maggie Rogers concert in March.
Photo:
Maggie Dale
“That’s not everyone’s way of enjoying entertainment,” says the 26-year-old Ms. Dale.
Social media is messing with other parts of the concert experience, too. Sometimes, viral hit songs and artists are so popular they’re the only reason people show up at the venue. Last year, videos surfaced showing fans at R&B singer Steve Lacy’s concert, singing along to his song “Bad Habit” but only knowing the words to the snippets that appeared in TikToks.
The debate boils down to this: Are you attending the concert to enjoy live music with like-minded fans, or are you just there to get something for your TikTok channel?
Obstructed views
Joey Rathburn, a Lizzo fan since way back in 2015, was excited for her concert last September in Boston. But the 23-year-old political consultant found his view of the superstar obstructed by a giant poster—a desk-sized one like those seen at science fairs and school presentations. The sign’s bearer, standing in front of Mr. Rathburn, held it up as a plea to go on stage, saying she was Lizzo’s biggest fan.
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The fan held it aloft for much of the show, until Mr. Rathburn and his friends asked her politely if she could put it down. She appeared shocked, but consented.
People view concerts as a chance to build a personal brand and get exposure, Mr. Rathburn says. “It’s more like they’re there to make an experience to be viewed by others.”
Early exits
Opening acts are used to playing to thin crowds who shuffle in late, since most people pay to see the main attraction. Lately, the opposite has been happening.
Chloe DeMello bought tickets to see the hard rock True Power tour, headlined by I Prevail, last November. A bonus: One of the opening acts, Pierce the Veil, had just gone viral on TikTok with its song “King for a Day.” Even Lizzo herself had done a riff on it.
Ms. DeMello had heard rumors about people supposedly leaving the earlier tour dates after Pierce the Veil performed, but didn’t think much of it. Then, during the show the 24-year-old attended, it happened.
She recorded a TikTok showing a sea of people exiting before the main act. Some may have been heading for bathrooms or concession stands, but she noticed significantly fewer people in her own section from that point on.
Unruly audiences
Distracting rowdiness seems to be on the rise.
In Sydney, at the February concert of indie-rock artist Phoebe Bridgers, people heckled and made snide comments about opening performer Christian Lee Hutson, according to attendee Karni Woods.
Even when Ms. Bridgers began performing, the yelling continued, says Ms. Woods, a 22-year-old event manager. Some asked the singer to play Taylor Swift songs, since unexpected cover tunes have extra cachet on TikTok.
“This fear of missing out, the need to be first to post something, has changed the dynamic of concert culture,” says Ms. Woods. (Ms. Bridgers’s publicist said the singer wasn’t available to comment.)
The artists are starting to respond to the misbehavior they’re witnessing from the stage. Maggie Rogers—whose representation didn’t respond to requests for comment—posted a TikTok in February telling people who are drunk and yelling during quiet parts of her show to please stop.
“It’s my time to sing,” she said. “This is not your time to make sound—it’s not your space.”
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Write to Ann-Marie Alcántara at [email protected]
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