Standing, On Principle

So, I have for you a story that needs addressing.

Last night, while at the Keith Urban / Sugarland Concert at Madison Square Garden, I found myself enraged and nearly kicked out of the venue by security. Though your thoughts may immediately run to your own familiar memories of engaging in inappropriate behavior at just such an event, let me clarify immediately, as it was quite the contrary.

As avid country music fans, my roommate and I have a tendency to grasp at the chance of attending country concerts every opportunity we have. So when Keith announced that he’d be playing the Garden with the incredibly talented Sugarland, we had to be there (and of course drag our boyfriends along as well).

From the start, the night looked promising. We were clad in ripped jeans, cowboy boots, plaid shirts, and oversized belt buckles – undoubtedly an unlikely sight for the average New Yorker. After a few drinks at Stout, we made our way to our Recession-Special 300-Level Seats at MSG. Sugarland had just started and we were ready to turn that place into an urban honky tonk.

Much to our dismay, those seated in the rows behind us had in mind a very different kind of night. As we stood there singing along with Jennifer Nettles, a voice from behind us (quite unlike the lovely Jennifer’s) beseeched us to…wait for it…SIT. DOWN.

I glanced around quickly, to be sure I was actually where I thought I was (you know, the arena at MSG – home of the NY Knicks, the NY Rangers, and hundreds upon hundreds of rock concerts) and then turned around to face those requesting such an absurd departure from normative behavior.

Certainly a few decades our senior, the individuals seated in the rows behind us looked…to put it lightly…displeased. Despite our best efforts to insist that, in fact, this is how people behave at concerts, (we even had visual aids – Exhibit A: The section to our left; Exhibit B: The section to our right; etc. etc.) we were approached by a “supervising” Security Guard, after having been referred to by these elders in terms unfit for this blog. (Hypocrisy = using aggressive profanity towards an individual while simultaneously referring to the well-being of the children in the section as your reason for complaining...hmmm).

Now, you must understand that I am not one to challenge authority purely for the sake of rebellion – nor is the ManBoy, I might add. But, hypocrisy and discrimination towards innocent, undeserving 20-somethings, I simply will not stand for. (I did try to make a “standing” pun here, but failed miserably…suggestions welcome).

Long story short – we lost the battle but won the war. Russ, the “Supervisor” (who will be named in the angry letter we will be writing) sided with the old folks and told us that if we stood up one more time, we would be kicked out of the concert. Yes, KICKED. OUT. Consider the parallel universe entered. (I might add here that nothing was done to address the man who so offensively addressed my roommate).

At the end of the day though, despite the Sugarland portion of the concert being nearly ruined, as soon as Keith hit the stage, the whole arena was on their feet (shocker). The whole arena, that is, except for Ms. Grumpy Gills who filed the initial complaint. We did catch her dancing and enjoying herself a few times, at which point she would immediately sit down and give us a dirty look. (And they say we’re immature).

The concert, all in all, was out-standing (See, tried it again). Keith and Sugarland are both incredibly talented, and we were there to witness the greatness, along with the rest of the New York City country-lovin-rednecks who keep them comin’ back to our fair city. Yeehaw!