Ahhh… it’s Thursday, and that means it’s vacuum day. Gotta hate that. But, at least this week, I don’t have to deal with barefoot handymen chillaxing in my backyard while listening to shitty German techno music, right? 😉

Bill spoke to the landlord yesterday and explained what happened. I think the landlord was kind of prepared to defend the handymen, until Bill showed him the photos of them with their feet up on my chairs. To his credit, he realized that behavior was very obnoxious and unprofessional. I doubt he’ll do anything about it, but it feels good to make the complaint, anyway. It’s not just me being difficult. Those guys were disrespectful and rude.

Bill also explained why we want the front door closed when Noyzi is present. He said the landlord’s eyes widened when he saw the photos of the men’s feet propped up on my chairs. To our ex landlady’s credit, I’m sure if it had been her house, she would have gone absolutely ballistic and told those guys off as she demanded a credit for their loafing. Our current landlord is a lot calmer. Anyway, the landlord gave Bill a big sack of tomatoes he’d grown in his backyard, and there’s no hard feelings.

So, all’s well that ends well on that chapter of life in Germany. Now, on to the next topic…

Country star Miranda Lambert is currently in the news. Evidently, she got upset when she was performing at a recent concert in Las Vegas, because some women were taking selfies. She stopped the song and called them out for being rude and “pissing her off”.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about this. It seems like the general consensus is that Miranda shouldn’t have been “pissed”, nor should she have stopped the show. Some people apparently tore up their tickets. Others left the show and swore they were “done” with Miranda. I’m pretty puzzled by this reaction. You came to see an artist perform and listen to the music. Why be on your phone, even if it’s just to take selfies?

I guess I’m in the minority… or maybe I’m not in the minority, but I’m one of the few who is on Miranda’s side. I think she had every right to ask those women to stop taking selfies during her performance. If asking them not to be so inconsiderate means they aren’t fans anymore, so much the better.

I am myself a singer. No, I don’t entertain on the level that Miranda does, but I have experienced singing on stage in front of a crowd. It’s distracting when people are doing things like taking selfies during a performance. Moreover, while those women paid to be at the show, so did everyone else in the audience. Being on your phone, standing up and laughing, yelling and moving around while the artist is singing– especially when it’s a slow song– is just very rude, self-centered behavior that takes away from everyone’s experience. I don’t care how much someone paid for their tickets. It doesn’t entitle them to act like that.

Although I don’t follow Miranda Lambert’s career, I have heard her sing, and she has a very nice voice. There’s no doubt she’s talented. I’m sure she puts a lot into planning her concerts and I know she puts a lot into her performances. I have no doubt that it’s frustrating when people act like their photos and videos are more important than the reason for the event. She was right to speak up about it, even if it appears that a lot of people think Miranda should be “grateful” that people pay for tickets to her shows.

I think about years ago, when cell phones weren’t as ubiquitous as they are today. Bill and I were at a military concert at what was then Mary Washington College, in Fredericksburg, Virginia (It’s now the University of Mary Washington). There we were, listening to this beautiful rendition of a piece by Mussorgsky, when someone’s phone rang. I’ll never forget the conductor’s body language. It was one of disgust. He and his band had worked so hard to prepare the program, only to have it interrupted by someone’s ringing phone.

While Miranda Lambert’s shows don’t feature classical music, she is still a performer on a stage. It’s not easy to do what she does. If it was easy, a lot more people would be singers. I think the behavior of those selfie taking women was tacky and thoughtless, and I offer kudos to Miranda Lambert for calling it out for what it is. Just my opinion, folks. If you want to be on your phone, stay home and listen to the album. Spare the rest of us your boorish behavior.

Generally speaking, I much prefer attending concerts in Germany. I have found that German audiences are a lot more respectful than American audiences are, even though people are allowed to drink as much beer as they want to, and at much more reasonable prices. The one exception was when we saw Mark Knopfler in Leipzig. The woman in front of me climbed up on her chair in her bare feet and started dancing. Not only could I not see through her, but I worried she might fall and land on top of me. But she was the only person I remember acting like a complete fool… and only a few others have acted like partial fools during shows. Germans seem to have had better home training than some of my countrymen have.

I don’t think Miranda Lambert is the only performer who finds the constant obsession with cell phones and selfies during concerts offensive. I seem to remember hearing other performers speak out about it. Bill and I saw the Eagles in Cologne, back in 2019, and there was a lengthy announcement at the beginning of the show about cell phone etiquette. I was surprised they even allowed phones into the venue, knowing how protective they are of their music. That show, by the way, was one of the best I’ve ever been to. I had fifth row seats, and everyone behaved themselves, so I could see and hear the concert well. The end result was that we had a really good time.

Miranda Lambert doesn’t owe anyone the right to act stupid and rude during her shows. Most of us are adults, and we learned in elementary school how to behave in public places. Yes, performers are able to do their jobs because they have fans who support them, but that doesn’t mean that they should be expected to accept rude behavior. What those women were doing was affecting everyone around them, not just Miranda herself. So, I’m on “Team Miranda” for this one.

Well, I guess I’ll close this post and get on with the day. I’ve got a dog to walk, guitar to practice, and floors to vacuum. Enjoy your Thursday!