To the Tall Man in Front of Me,
I accept 3 things in our short-live music festival relationship. You can’t help you have been born to be 6’ 5”. You have the right to enjoy music— just as much as I do. And you’re definitely blocking my view to my favorite artist.
Now, I am not a short woman. I’m a happy 5’7”, often tower over my friends even at this height, and appreciate my size. But all of that goes out of the window at any music festival I’ve ever attended, as soon as I’m missing the entire Japanese Breakfast set inside Neptune’s because there is a lumbering human flesh pillar blocking every possible angle at which I could view the stage. At this point, I wish I had your height.
Sigh.
I’m not the only one. It’s not an isolated event. I recently watched ⅓ of a Beach House concert staring directly into the back of a string bean man, before leaving in frustration. I have friends and colleagues that arrive at shows sometimes hours before just so they can get some sort of visibility of the stage.
I plead with you.
If you are a tall, white, CIS man, please take a moment to look around you. Notice if there’s a tiny peanut of a person with their face smashed into your sweaty back. Take the time to ask them if they’d like to step in front of you to see better. Please. For the love of music. At the very least, don’t give me or anyone else a disgusted look when we elbow past you to get a better look.
Sincerely,
Double Duchess