Short Guy at a Concert

Short people out there--you can feel my pain on this one. And tall people--listen closely. Last night I went to a concert in Northampton to see one of my favorite bands, Minus the Bear. The show was great, but as usual I had to deal with being a short guy getting thrown around and blocked by tall people who just don't care.

I'm only 5'5, maybe 5'6 on a good day. So when I go to concerts I have to deal with people always being in my way and obscuring the stage. I also have to deal with people just pushing me around and blocking me out. My friend who works at the Mullins Center said the number one complaint of patrons during concerts is that people are blocking their vision or pushing them around. It's a pretty common experience for most people.

Normally I can find at least some other short people around me, but for some reason last night it seemed like my friend and I were two of the shortest people there. We got to the venue pretty early and got a good position on the left side, just a few feet back from the stage. After being deafened by the first two opening acts and standing in the same spot for an hour and a half, we were ready for Minus the Bear to come out.

But while we were standing there waiting, somehow a crowd of tall guys starting pushing themselves into us, nudging us out of our spots. This sort of thing probably happens all the time, but it's damn rude. Some of these tall people were jumping around literally right on top of me, others forcing me to move back and over.

Now, if you want to jump around and get crazy at a concert, that's fine. I totally understand that. But try to keep in mind that you're pissing off everyone else around you who also paid to not only hear but see that band. Part of the experience of going to a concert is getting to see the musicians. Otherwise you could just buy a live CD, blast your headphones and close your eyes.

I can't get mad at someone for being tall, no more than I would expect someone to be mad at me for being short. But keep in mind that when you're 6'5 and you're standing in the front, directly in front of a short person, jumping around and pushing everyone, you're being a jerk. It'd be nice if there was priority spotting for short people in the front, and taller people further back, according to height, but that would never happen.

In the meantime, there's no way I'm going to be growing exponentially anytime soon, and I doubt tall people everywhere will read this and think about it at the next concert they go to. But try to keep in mind that everyone there is trying to have a good time. So think about what you're doing.