NEW ROMAN CIRCUS

I sympathize with the reader who was appalled at the lack of decorum at the Remembrance Day ceremony.

Similarly, other venues, too, seem to have morphed into a Roman Circus replete with hooting, hollering, wolf whistles, shouting out comments mid-song, interrupting commentaries by the artist, beer chugging, rowdiness, late arrivals and standing ovations for unmerited presentations. It doesn’t seem to matter where one is or what is the event.

The experience is making me rethink attending various events.

At the recent Sarah McLachlan concert. I expected a wonderful relaxing evening of listening to her in all her eclectic excellence. Instead, I suffered late arrivals (at curtain rise and intermission), seatmates chugging five pints of beer (I wonder if they drove home), hooting and hollering during songs, several interruptions while she attempted to converse with the audience, every second song interrupted by whistling or clapping — sometimes after the first few notes and often before the song actually ended — singing out loud, flash photography and obvious unabashed digital recording of the concert.

I find it hard to understand such boorish, self-centred behaviour. And why do these venues tolerate it? The answer is “bums in the seats.” Why do these venues allow beer, wine and munchies during a 90-minute show? The obvious answer is “the bottom line.”

I am reconsidering attending several upcoming concerts. I might just stay home and enjoy their music on CDs, undistracted by the boorish and inappropriate behaviour of our 21st century Roman Circus. Paul Heppelle Saskatoon