Talk Is Cheap

The last time I went to Red Butte for a concert, I couldn’t hear Lyle Lovett over the Great Bathroom Remodel Saga of the woman behind me. I had hoped that one day I would return when I was able to get tickets for the reserved area. According to John Saltas [“Whiney Winers,” Sept. 8, City Weekly], poor audience behavior there is as bad as in the cheap seats. Sigh.

Unfortunately for me and other live music fans, this problem is not unique to Red Butte. At the Gallivan Center a while back, I could barely hear Rodney Crowell over the crowd chatter. When he was finished with his set, the roar went up for more. I was shocked that he came back as, in my view, that crowd deserved nothing more from him than the finger.

Granted, a free concert will draw all sorts, but Kingsbury Hall isn’t free. I ended up leaving Gillian Welch recently because the man behind me kept bellowing “Whoo-hoooo!” in my ear. Save it for the Utes, pal.

I just don’t get it. Why go to a listening event when all you want to do is talk? When did we become oblivious to the fact that there was something going on in the room before we got there?

Brenda Lewis
Salt Lake City