On Easter Sunday this past Spring, I celebrated with my family and friends by seeing Phish at the Moda Center in Portland. Natch. It was the first home town Phish show I had seen since 1999. The show was super fun, especially because I could sleep in my own bed afterwards and because I got to hang with a lot of my crew.

One of my buddies wore a shirt admonishing ‘chompers’ to be quiet during the concert. Someone behind us snapped a picture at set break and posted it on Facebook and it kind of went viral. A month later when we saw the Dead & Co. in Vegas, he wore the shirt again and people commented on it, making it clear to use that they’d seen the post from April. The usual reaction to the shirt is ‘right on, cool shirt!’ Two days ago, scrolling the Phish subreddit, I saw the picture again: More than 6 months later the message is still making the rounds.

The message on the shirt resonates because there are often so many people at concerts who basically talk through the show. Now, I get it. People are often out friends who they maybe don’t get to hang out with a lot, they are probably drinking, and the music is loud. They figure no one can hear them, that it’s no big deal–it’s a party, right?! However, the fans of the bands I tend to see are often obsessed with the band and the music. Jambands also play different shows every night, so the songs are often not always played and people who can only see a few shows a year want to hear the music. Some people are chasing particular tunes that are not often played. Phish, for instance, is not like a typical Top 40 band, rolling out the same set list every night.

In the end, I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments on my friend’s shirt. If you want to yap, go into the hallway and have at it. Let those who want to hear the music, hear the music. Tickets aren’t cheap these days, you know?