by Sam H.
In a now-deleted Twitter thread, Mitski asked that people attending her concerts refrain from constantly recording her performances because she wanted to connect with the audience, a fair point as nowadays, concerts are often a sea of phones obscuring faces. Although many people were upset with these tweets (hence why she deleted them), I personally agreed. I know I’m not the first person to have this take, but I’m particularly passionate about this now that COVID-19 regulations are growing lax, marking the return of live, in-person performances.
Even if I don’t consider myself an avid concert attendee, though my friends may disagree, I have been attending live events, especially concerts, at least twice every year for the past several years. At many of these events, if allowed, I recorded videos and took photos, assuming I would browse through them constantly afterward in an attempt to relive the moments. However, I discovered that I hardly rewatched them. Honestly, I probably spent more time reviewing videos I took to see which ones would be best to post on social media compared to the time I spent watching the videos for my own enjoyment. This doesn’t mean that my memories of all the concerts I’ve attended are crystal clear – in fact, part of the reason I took photos was the fear that I wouldn’t remember anything because of my spotty memory.
But even though I struggle to recollect all the details, I can still vividly recall how viscerally cathartic it felt to scream along to “Crazy = Genius” at the Panic! At the Disco concert (yes, I was in my “alt phase” then) four years ago. I may only have blurry videos of Glass Animals performing at Outside Lands but I can remember being the only one singing along with all the lyrics and how my heart almost burst out of my chest after I waved to the lead singer of the band, who waved back as he walked past me at the barricade, a moment I didn’t record. As much as we might attempt to capture experiences with technology, it’s difficult to pack a full range of raw emotions felt during live events into shaky videos.
Some performers and comedians, such as John Mulaney, have been combating the prevalence of recording at their shows with stricter means than writing Twitter threads by using systems like Yondr, a program in which attendees lock their phones in pouches that can be opened and returned after the event. Many people may panic at the thought of being disconnected and unable to share their experiences on social media with carefully edited and curated photos taken at the moment, but live events are the best times to disconnect if ever.
Per Mitski’s request, I didn’t try to take many videos or photos during the concert of hers I attended (all the ones I have on my phone are those taken by my friend whose phone broke and they desperately wanted to record snippets of the live version of their favorite songs), and I’m infinitely glad I decided to do so, especially since Mitski often performs captivating interpretive choreography while she sings. I remember watching her perform in front of my eyes, her features sharper than any camera could capture, and thinking to myself, “Oh my god, she looks so real.” Of course, that’s a pretty obvious fact, but I was still in awe of the performance, and I will never forget the atmosphere of an entire tightly packed crowd crooning along to “I Bet on Losing Dogs.”
During her performance of “Nobody,” she stretched her arms out as she sang, “My god I’m so lonely so I open the window to hear sounds of people.” At that moment, I realized that this depicted exactly how I was feeling right then and there. I was overjoyed not only because I was watching one of my favorite artists perform but also because I was surrounded by cheering fans who shared a common love for music with me. And with them and Mitski, I shared that special night, a one-of-a-kind evening that will never be replicated. That show will always be uniquely ours.
As mentioned in Mitski’s tweets, it’s fantastic that concerts and live events are returning in-person, and that’s even more of a reason to limit or completely avoid using technology during these performances. We should cherish these opportunities by experiencing them without a phone between our eyes and the performer’s face. After all, they are called live events for a reason — we should allow ourselves to live in, not just capture, the moment.