Jacket Fans: Stoned, Drunk, Rude, & Stupid?

[Anu]

I know that the Bon Jovi show was down the road at the Bridgestone Arena. But I wonder if they had more intelligent & respectful fans there than we did at the half-empty Municipal Auditorium last night.

There's very little that I can attribute the rude and rowdy mess I experienced down front by stage other than to the abuse of drugs and alcohol. It was sick, and not in the good way that Dondante, Smokin from Shootin, OTR, or Run Thru was.

I have loved this band more than any other in recent years.

And I cannot complain that the set last night was not one of the best. And I cannot complain that the fans I stood near didn't know the songs; in fact, folks knew all the words to every song, even to some of the covers I did not recognize.

The thick and sticky ganja smoke was bad enough, but the cigarette smoke was excessive and puke worthy. Does MMJ attract that many people addicted to nicotine, with no respect for their neighbors, or the indoor smoking ban in our fine state of Tennessee?

For too many years, I went to Jacket shows wasted. I imagine what I saw last night was probably karmic payback for my own stupidity on previous MMJ benders. But the experience of seeing the jacket sober was seriously diminished by the antics of my drunken peers.

Not once, but multiple times, Yim was pelted with glowsticks. Many frontfolk would not have his grace and professionalism and would have walked off stage.

Lots of people who are not drug addicts or alcoholics can handle their buzz and respect their neighbors. However, in the crowd at the Jacket last night, I saw far too many people too fucked up to care that some people do not want to be groped, bumped, ass-grabbed, screamed at, or have giant wafts of nasty tobacco smoke blown in their faces for the sake of *your* good time.

I know that if I want to be sober and still go to shows, I need to put up with stuff like this. However, I hope better for the Jacket and their incredibly dedicated fanbase. Please, handle your buzz & respect your neighbor or get the help that I needed to get & get clean & sober.

Rant over. Forgive me my rant as I forgive y'all for what I saw last night.

Peace,
A

[johnnYYac]

I was going to post something about the glow sticks, but couln't find the thread where someone suggested a glow stick fest.

I just have to say, the band handled being pelted with glow sticks with true CLASS.  Jim was hit in the face twice but kept composure.  He didn't seem to mind, but I actually had some dreadlocked fuck in front of me throw one that landed right in Jim's face, then high-fived his buddy!  What a dick!

Keep the glow sticks at home, or at least off the stage.  Otherwise, they'll be putting up chickenwire!

[manicfanatic]

Sorry man that you had a bad time crowd wise.  I was going to ask how the crowds were this time out.  Those fucking glowsticks have got to go.  They only cause trouble.  Sounds like Jim handled it with total class though.  I don't think I would have .  I've really started to notice the problems with the crowds over the last few yrs, and not just with MMJ.  It seems that nowadays its almost like a night out at the bars for some folks.  Who cares what band is playing.   At the Philly show in 08, I had to move 4 times till I actually found an area where there were fans actually listening to the music.  Not talking on their fucking cellphones or to their stupid friends or getting all fucked up and falling down.  Some of these clown defintely spent more money on beer than the show itself and then probably didn't remember a minute of it.  Sorry I love music and this band too much to get  all fucked up and then forget what I just listened to.  I have no problem with people getting a buzz on if they just respect the people around them.  I guess a lot of them around you did not.  And that sucks.    

[tdb810]

Seriously frustrating stuff....sorry to hear it!  

As an elder (39 yo) fan, I do hope not to have to deal with these sorts of fools at MPP.  Don't get me wrong...I like to have a few beers at a show, but I get totally CRAZY when an audience is sloppy and particularly disrespectful like that.  

And don't mess with JJ.....what a class act he is - as ever.  

[el_chode]

You know, I can agree with everything except the smoke. I don't even do it (anymore) but if there's one place I think it's more than appropriate, it's a concert. If there was a time I would do it again, it'd be at a show. It'd feel wrong not having a little skunk in the air at a show.

There's a give and a take...while it's one thing to have someone blowing it directly on you, it's another to complain about the general presence of it. I know they don't have a legal right, but morally...I think they have a right to enhance their experience as well.

[el_chode]

Also, I'm somewhat surprised by the prevalence of asshats. I've heard the horror stories from my last show (NYE '08), but I always expect a more mellowed out, communal crowd at a Jacket show.

Now a Ween show, that's where I debate bringing my fiancee because she constantly gets groped.

[capt. scotty]

Although some might expect a Jacket crowd to be a little more respectful, youre going to run into this stuff at any show with more than a few hundred people. Kind of naive not to expect it, especially how big the crowds have gotten more recently for MMJ

[manicfanatic]

You know, I can agree with everything except the smoke. I don't even do it (anymore) but if there's one place I think it's more than appropriate, it's a concert. If there was a time I would do it again, it'd be at a show. It'd feel wrong not having a little skunk in the air at a show.

There's a give and a take...while it's one thing to have someone blowing it directly on you, it's another to complain about the general presence of it. I know they don't have a legal right, but morally...I think they have a right to enhance their experience as well.

Yeah, the smoke has never bothered me either.  Disrespectful fans though, that is another story.

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

why did you have to lump the stoners in with your groveling? we aren't all disrespectful idiots.  Although I will say underage drinking is probably the most likely cause for any douchebaggery at a show.  Some lil dudes and chicks just do not know how to hold their alcohol.

as for the cigarette smoke... get over it.

[ALady]

I have to say that a big part of the reason I enjoyed the B'ham show more than the Nashville show was the crowd.  The Nashville crowd was really pretty disrespectful, both to the band and to their fellow fans.

It almost made we want to avoid future GA shows, but I'm not skipping MPP  ;D  The only solution I can see is that we forum folk have to take over the pit...   ;D

[liverustdave]

Seriously, the stoned ones are typically the most respectful and zoned into the music.  The alcohol is the powderkeg for the rest.  And seriously, if you want to chill and watch MMJ, sit toward the back.  Let the kids f%cking rock for chrissake.   We all were 17-21 once and it ruled getting f'd up and going to shows, making out with girls, etc, etc.  Concerts are a right of passage and good for them for passing through that time of life with a great band like MMJ.   I'm 34 now and stay out of the mellee for the most part... however not once do I look down upon the kids rocking their faces off.    Now if its a 30+ "adult" who is being an a$$, that's a different story.  

[ericm]

Seriously, the stoned ones are typically the most respectful and zoned into the music.  The alcohol is the powderkeg for the rest.  And seriously, if you want to chill and watch MMJ, sit toward the back.  Let the kids f%cking rock for chrissake.   We all were 17-21 once and it ruled getting f'd up and going to shows, making out with girls, etc, etc.  Concerts are a right of passage and good for them for passing through that time of life with a great band like MMJ.   I'm 34 now and stay out of the mellee for the most part... however not once do I look down upon the kids rocking their faces off.    Now if its a 30+ "adult" who is being an a$$, that's a different story.  

Just to be clear...you're ok with the glow sticks  to Jim's face, groping, falling down drunks and ass grabbing?

That's to be expected and accepted at shows now?  That's all ok in the name of "let the kids rock"?

I'm all  for partying,& rocking faces off, but I'm with the op,there has to be a line that's drawn at some point.

Have all the fun you want, just don't f-up someone elses.

[Ghosts_on_TV]

I agree with most of this, however, I'm 28 and I still enjoy getting fucked up and making out with girls.

[Tracy 3000]

Anu, I definently see your point and I have been on both sides.

Last time I saw Jacket in 08 at Nashville Riverfront, I stayed in the back and watched. I did not want to get in the Krunk, and watching the Krunk in front of the stage, I was GLAD that I had chosen wisely.

But last night, I had to be up in it; up in all that Krunk. And 20 seconds into the cymbal ride of OBH, I was covered in beer; and I don't drink. And the guy next to me, losing his ever loving freaking mind? Well, it was either sink or swim and there was absolutely no way in hell I was going to get that guy to "calm down". So, I bounced, I went with his energy, I accpeted the other guys apologies for falling into me (over and over and over again) and just said, "It's cool. We are all right here! Just watch the elbows". I've been in much smokier venues and didn't notice the smoke. And, by God, this 47 year old did happen to bump a few folks, I accidently grinded up on some folks, I blocked a view or 2 and landed on some feet, but it's all in the name of rock and roll.

It's a young man's game and if I want to be up in the Krunk, I got to know the "rules". Now I can't figure out for the life of me why people would throw glow sticks at the artists (and my 15 year old nephew even had enough common sense to throw them away from the guy on stage with the guitar) but watching yy get through it with grace helped me not to worry about it so much.

I sort of wish it were different, back 7 years ago when you could see the Jacket with about 60 people, but watching them last night work the crowd into a frenzy made me happy.

Somethimes the Krunk calls me and I throw caution to the wind; other times it doesn't and I sit back. And a time, for every purpose under heaven.

[RockNRollJunkie]

My first show was at the Fox in ATL on the last tour. My experience wasn't so much smoking but the drinnking. The girl behind me was sloshing her drink all over me all night to finally spill the whole thing on me. She apologized but I was livid that she had been doing that all night.  I do not smoke, but I found it funny that people actually lit up in the Fox, risking getting kicked out. I was also annoyed with people talking through really moving parts of the music like none of it really mattered. I understand having a good time but do you even REALIZE theres a connection being made between fans and the band that you're interrupting?

[el_chode]

I also have to say the only true hanging offense is pelting the band with glow sticks. I would support a posse of individuals to go find the d-bags, who probably all pop their collars, and every time they launch a glowstick at the band, they get 20 cockpunches.

[kymomandstuff]

I wrote a few words on the Nashville thread about the show and tried to stay positive but sadly this thread is true.Apparently a pack of wolves got a copy of "Evil Urges" and the young men they were raising took a liking to it.Clearly they learned the words to the songs by repetition because they were unable to read the giant orange NO SMOKING sign hanging on the wall.While these wolves didn't teach the young male humans to read they certainly spent some time fine tuning their cannibis growing skills.I'm 44 yrs old and also realize we were at a rock concert and not church so I'm not offended when I catch a whiff.However,an indoor venue with a non smoking policy is probably not the most respectful place to fire up.Now on to the glowsticks.
I fully expected Jim to stop playing and dare another person to smack him in the face with a glowstick but that's not really Jim.He had actual parents that taught him basic rules and manners from an early age.Perhaps the glowstick fanatics would like it if we arranged to have them pelted in the face with neon weapons at their jobs.Nothing says lovin' like having solid objects thrown at you while you're in the zone,rocking out with you eyes half closed,near the edge of a five foot drop off.I'm sure Jim's just itching to take another fall from a stage since he survived the last one.IDIOTS! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME NOW!When someone is giving you the wonderful gift of song you can thank them in many ways such as applause,waving arms in the air and even the occasional,"WE LOVE YOU JIM".These are all perfectly acceptable and appropriate ways to convey your thank you.Throwing objects at him is always BAD.If you can't resist the urge to smuggle cases of glowsticks into the show with total disregard for the other fans and band members then please do us all a favor and stay home.I don't want to know what's going on in the head of anyone who thinks it's ok to throw objects at the band.Throwing them around the crowd at other fans is bad enough but hitting Jim in the face countless times is just purely embarrassing for those of us raised by actual human parents.Jim has too much class to react to this but maybe it's time the "Jacketeers Against Glowsticks" unite and show them how much fun a stun gun can be.

[royalwithcheese]

Blatant thread-jack:

Anu? Did you bring the new issue of Rolling Stone with you to the show??

if that is your picture in your avatar you look awfully familiar...



back on topic:

yes I was in the thick of it about 4 and 1/2 people from the rail in front of Yim's mic and I witnessed plenty of the behavior Anu was referring to. tons of it. It was for sure plenty of people's first time at a rock show... but that's the thing; it's a rock show and people will drink and smoke and act rowdy.

BUUUUT how about people screaming and hooting during the quiet songs. 4 sweaty long haired piss ass drunk 18-19 yearolds pushed their way up to my happy little good vibes area and started screaming their heads off during Golden... I hope one day they will realize that it is OK to BE QUIET during quiet songs.

*funny side note* one of the drunk dudes took off his tennis shoe and started holding it up in the air like the statue of liberty's torch. when I saw this I looked at him and smiled and he said to me "what? I'm just trying to show my love"

...can't blame a guy for trying I guess

[Tracy 3000]

*funny side note* one of the drunk dudes took off his tennis shoe and started holding it up in the air like the statue of liberty's torch. when I saw this I looked at him and smiled and he said to me "what? I'm just trying to show my love"

...can't blame a guy for trying I guess

Yep, that's the guy who apologized to me at least 6 times during the show for stumbling in to me and then tried to explain to me in the middle of I'm Amazed how cool I was for bringing my nephew and then tried to explain to my nephew how cool an uncle I was during Smokin From Shootin'.

I must have been right next to you.  

[johnnYYac]

I also have to say the only true hanging offense is pelting the band with glow sticks. I would support a posse of individuals to go find the d-bags, who probably all pop their collars, and every time they launch a glowstick at the band, they get 20 cockpunches.

Amen brother!