If you’re someone who knows me, it’s likely that one of the first things you realized about me was that I love concerts. I probably romanticize concerts more than I should. I make an event out of going to one — curate a cute outfit, take pictures in the outfit as soon as I arrive, meet up with friends, scream every lyric, buy a hot dog from one of the many vendors outside the venue — the whole shebang. That being said, I have noticed certain things throughout my concert-going years that made me realize that not everyone experiences concerts the way that I do — things that have morphed the atmosphere of live music into something more toxic than it once was. And no matter which angle I view it from, all of these toxicities have been curated by one thing: stan culture.
For those unfamiliar, the word “stan” is slang that is used to describe an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan. Stans often develop one-sided relationships with celebrities and will do anything to meet their idols. There are numerous issues with stan culture, but I will only be focusing on the effect it has had on concerts in the digital age.
If you attend a concert today, one of the first things you will notice is that almost every single person in the audience has their phone out the entire time. Of course, filming a concert is not inherently a bad thing. I admit that I do film the majority of the shows I go to. However, when I film, it is so that I can look back on the performances later on, especially since my mind often goes blank in the adrenaline of the moment. I also always enjoy myself while filming — I sing along, I dance, I don’t look through my phone screen to watch the show. This is not the case for everyone at concerts.
There are many people who will attend a concert with the sole purpose of filming videos that they can later post on social media for others to see. They are not doing it for themselves, they are often not even moving a muscle to sing or dance, because they don’t want to ruin their video.
The burning desire to have a viral video has influenced so much of what is wrong with concerts in this day and age. The need to be viral manifests itself in several ways, the most prominent being the ability to obtain an interaction with the artist.
Concert-goers will do just about anything to get noticed by the artist on stage. The easiest choice is, of course, to shout obnoxiously when the crowd is relatively quiet, which just annoys everyone in the vicinity. Another popular tactic is creating posters, ideally the funniest, weirdest, most insane thing you can think of so that you stick out. This is even more annoying than the shouting because the posters will block the view of many people behind the person holding it, ruining their experience.
Recently, there has been a trend at pop concerts where audience members will throw items at the artist on the stage. This has always been a thing — fans love to throw bras at their favorite male pop star — but in the past year or so, it has become more dangerous. People have thrown phones, water bottles, or other heavy items that could potentially injure the artist. This behavior is not only affecting other audience members, but the performers as well. Pop singer Bebe Rexha had to pause one of her performances and leave the stage after being hit by a cellphone in 2023.
If an audience member wants to have the highest probability of getting noticed by the artist, they must be as close to the stage as possible. This has created one of the worst aspects of modern day concerts — camping out.
Many concert-goers have decided that they must arrive at the venue hours, sometimes even days, before the doors open so that they have the best view possible. They will set up chairs and occasionally tents outside the venue to secure their front row spot. This causes multiple problems, including anxiety in those who do not arrive as early and an undesirable smell from fans who station themselves outside all day.
Venues will sometimes take notice of this camping issue and put out warnings for fans, cautioning them against it. This happened during Harry Styles’ “Love on Tour” and many fans defied the warnings that were given to them, camping out anyway.
All of these issues, which are the direct result of social media and stan culture, have turned the concert experience into something less enjoyable than what it once was. People no longer attend concerts to have fun, enjoy live music and create new memories. It is now centered around whoever can get the best interaction or the best video with the most likes. It has shifted from something communal to something individualistic, and that is unfortunate.
When I go to a concert, I want to listen to my favorite songs, meet new people, lose my voice while screaming and look cute while doing so. Music should connect us, not separate us.
Contact Izzy Shotwell at shotwell@oxy.edu
