Monday Manners: Supporting the Support

Last month's Ben Folds concert at the Electric Factory wasn't just disappointing because of how late the concert ran, or how uncharacteristically unenergetic Folds was. It was also disappointing because of just how rude several audience members standing near us were. The people in question—including one who reminded us more than a little of Danny Bonaduce—had apparently never been to a concert before. Or at least, they'd never shown up on time to a concert before. How else to explain the confused murmurs of "Who are these people? Where's Ben?" as the Miniature Tigers came onstage, followed by a very loud "Get off the stage!" from Bonaduce before the band even started their first song.

Here's the deal, folks: very, very few bands tour without at least one supporting act. Many travel with two or three. The show time listed on your ticket and on a venue's website—if there is more than one band on the schedule—is the time the first band takes the stage. Not sure if there's an opening act on the bill? Do five minutes of Googling and find out.

So, now that you've done your research and you see that there are two bands playing before the band you actually plan to see, you have four options that we can think of off the tops of our heads:

1. Go to the opening acts' MySpace pages and check them out. Like what you hear? Get to the venue on time and catch them live. Who knows? The opening act you see today could be a sell-out headliner next year. And hey, if you really like the openers, buy a shirt or a CD. The band could use your support.
2. Arrive at the venue early even if you don't know anything about the bands—but shut the hell up. You know that there are a few bands playing that you don't care much about, but you wanted to make sure you got a prime spot to catch your favorite act. And I'm all for staking out the best barstools—somewhere inside me there's an 80-year-old lady who doesn't like standing-room only shows—but arriving early for your view of the stage means you can't pass on the openers. There's always a chance that they're going to be bad, but bad or not, they're trying their hardest out there. Yelling "Get off the stage!" during their set will make them more nervous—which could make the performance even worse. Intead, why not take this opportunity to grab a beer and use the bathroom? As long as you're at the venue with a few friends, you won't lose your spot.
3. Show up late. This should be common sense, but many people show up early at concerts, don't stake out the good spots at the venue, and proceed to complain about the non-headlining bands. To those people. I offer this formula: most opening bands will play for 30-40 minutes. Bands that have been around for a few years or have a hit single may play a little longer than that. After their set, plan for 15-20 minutes for the roadies to break down and set up the stage. All in all, you can show up at least an hour past the show's announced start time and not miss much, if any, of the opening act.
4. Check on set times. Larger venues may not make this information available, but if you're seeing a show at a bar or small club, you can usually get someone on the phone who can tell you exactly what time each band takes the stage. Plan on everything running a few minutes later than the schedule says it will, but barring major technical difficulties or a band's dangerous coke habit, it's usually pretty exact.

Image Credit: Flickr user timsnell.