June 25, 2012
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Lessons
Here are some things I learned from the audience at a concert I attended with our daughter last night. The average age of the concert attendees was probably about 12 and 95% were female.
- It’s ok to wear a thin white t-shirt over a neon pink bra.
- Black lace is always appropriate.
- Forming a heart by curving the fingers on your hands and holding your thumbs together over your head is now a culturally relevant concert phenomenon.
- Few people just enjoy the concert for what it is – everyone is so desperate to record and photograph the event on their cameras and phones.
- There are four types of moms at a tweeny bopper concert: a) those who sit amidst a standing/jumping/dancing audience and check their work e-mails; b) those who dance/sing/party JUST like the tweens – she’s just one of the girls!! c) those who drop their kids at the curb with instructions to text for a pick-up [*note - this only works if kids are old enough for the drop off] d) those who try to experience the concert with their kids but recognize they are there as the parent and not as one of the gang. (I was mostly a (d) but may have slipped a little into (b) territory on the dancier songs – damn those swaying hips! But I did text several times during the show, so maybe a little of (a) to balance off my (b)?)
- People buy single seats to a concert and come alone. Including people who completely blow the stereotypical demographic for a Demi Lovato concert. I mean completely.
- Girls screech loudly. (Technically, I already knew this one. But they’re even louder in big masses.)
- This type of audience thrives on the performer telling them what to do. For example, the opening act suggested that they hold up three fingers and pump their arms to signify “whatever” – a frequent lyric in a song. They just did it and didn’t even realize how lame it was. (But I did realize, of course, and pointed it out to our daughter, who may or may not have appreciated my commentary.)
- The teenage girl behind me was very angry that her mom wouldn’t let her go somewhere (clearly not this concert, because she was there without supervision, lucky for me). As Teen Girl said, “I mean, she’s a 48 year old with a college degree who sits on her ass all day – what does she have to be stressed about?!?” [SPOILER ALERT - the answer is YOU, Teen Girl.]
- It’s great to spend time one on one with our daughter, doing fun things, even in the midst of other people’s questionable behavior, poor fashion choices, and loudness.
Comments (8)
Good for you! I cringed at the things my daughters loved when they were that age, and the tweens were tough! I wish I would have tried harder sometimes, to see things the way they did, but definitely not the music!
I bet it was worth the hearing loss and migraine! hehehe! Glad you could be there for that with her… I bet the angry teen behind you was just a little jealous that you two were having fun.
@BoulderChristina - At least this performer sounded good live – unlike the last time we saw a tween concert and it sounded like nails on a chalkboard! Thanks for the rec.
@murisopsis - I think this was the first concert I attended where the crowd noise was louder than the music itself!
Wow, you are a nice mom to go to that concert! I HATE the Disney-Nickelodeon created tweenie bopper pop sensations trend. Why does everyone in a TV show/movie have to sing now? And does acting in a TV show make them actual… SINGERS?? The answer is No. I still maintain that *my* teenie bopper concerts were at least actual musicians/talent (WHAM or A-Ha were about as cheesy as it got… am I right? Of course, I guess, if we go back earlier, my generation had the Bradys and the Patridge Family, etc., but I never got into them.).
I am a 43 year old woman with a college degree, so what do I have to be stressed out about? That state of popular music today, that’s what.
Also, #6… creepy middle-aged male stalkers?
I guess “fun” is relative, huh?
Ah, the day one of my kids says I’m a 48 year old woman with a college degree who sits on her ass all day…………ah, no. No, that won’t be good. Let’s hope she says it as a concert when I’m not around to hear it.
@ordinarybutloud - I kind of wanted to put her in her place on behalf of all college educated moms, but I restrained myself.
@DrTiff – re: #6….no. Saw several interesting concertgoers, but the one that really threw me was an early 20-something African American male, complete with low-riding pants and the whole hip hop look. He knew the words, danced, came alone, and sat next to us. Huh.