Big Thief singer Adrianne Lenker this week urged people going to the band’s concerts to be more respectful of the warm-up act.
“When music is happening in a room and there’s a performer on stage playing and doing their craft, when you enter into that space, try to be mindful of what’s happening and pay attention and don’t talk,” she said in a video posted Tuesday on Instagram captioned as her "feelings re talking during openers annnd attention/creating respectful show environment in general.”
Big Thief had played the night before at L’Olympia in Montreal and was in Toronto for a show at Massey Hall.
Montreal’s Kara-Lis Coverdale is the opening act on the current leg of the Big Thief tour.
“If you want to talk and greet people and socialize, you can totally do that,” Lenker continued, “but just, when you do it in the room where a performance is going on, other people who are there to listen don’t have any say at all in what’s happening. And then suddenly the space is loud.”
Lenker said “real magic” happens when a room is silent while an artist is performing and “people are missing so much” by talking.
“When you come into this space where music is happening, even if you’re coming just to see a specific act play, be mindful if there is somebody performing and playing, to either listen or at least be quiet so that other people can listen,” she said. “Or go and put yourself elsewhere.”
Lenker urged music fans to “be as respectful as possible, and just mindful” of what’s going on. “Sometimes people walk in and aren’t aware of where they are. Their priority is to greet their friends or family who you’re seeing,” she said.
“But just look around and if there is somebody who’s on stage they’re probably, like, pouring their heart out, and it’s hard to sort of just be talked over.”
In the comments on the post, Zach Kindall shared: “I noticed this happening at your recent show while Kara-Lis Coverdale was performing. She was amazing but I wished that people weren't talking during the silent parts.” Lenker replied: “yes exactly … there is treasure to behold if there is true attentiveness.”
Coverdale has not addressed Lenker’s plea on social media.