Are Michigan Concert Goers Well-Behaved?

As a fan of heavy metal music, I love going to concerts. I don't get to go to nearly as many as I'd like to - thanks Ticketmaster fees and scalpers - but living in Michigan now I do see many more than I did in all my years in Alabama.

I've seen a few local shows over the past several months and one arena show with Papa Roach, Falling in Reverse and Hollywood Undead - not the heaviest show in the world mind you, but plenty loud. The crowd wasn't quite sold out, but I was pleasantly surprised to have a completely incident-free experience at a metal/hard-rock concert of that magnitude for the first time.

When I saw Metallica in Georgia - incident. When I saw Avenged Sevenfold in Mississippi - incident. When I saw Bad Wolves in Alabama - incident.

But I'm just one person, and that could all very well be a coincidence. After all, the more people occupying a space, the more likely they are to have miscommunication and likewise confrontation.

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Thankfully, a recent study on concertgoers by No Deposit Fan shed some light on which states actually do have the most well-behaved fans. Check out the map below.

Well, look at that. Mississippi and Georgia are pretty rude huh? Good ole Southern hospitality...

But, looking at Michigan, that shade of orange is pretty well on par with what appears to be most of the country. Though, looking at the map, the sparsely populated states that aren't frequented by nearly as many concerts seem to be the most yellow with the exception of surprising Louisiana and Kansas. In that case, Michigan doesn't look too over the top in poor concert behavior.

Now, for a concert I attend I expect just as much pushing and shoving in the mosh pit as I do kindly keeping an eye on each other for safety. There are many unwritten but strongly understood rules when it comes to metal concerts. Even still, there are many who attend these shows without that understanding, so I could expect some results to be skewed.

In the same vein, I expect a country, hip hop or pop concert to be more of a party atmosphere that sees a bit less interaction with those around you. Most people do just want to be left alone to enjoy the show they spent hundreds of dollars on after all. So to see the disruptive behavior spikes over the past year and since the pandemic is concerning.

The data may say one thing, but I have a hard time seeing concerts being in true danger. Most of the shows I want to go to later this year sold out extremely fast. And, at the end of the day, even 1,000 people across a bevy of genres will not see things the same or have the same number of experiences to weigh against.

That's not to say this study is bad, it's certainly not - but concerts are an integral part of our society and culture. So many of us find our peace through music and the bands and artists that give us that music sacrifice a ton to tour from city to city to play live for their fans. More often than not, those fans understand that with the utmost appreciation.

So the next time you're at a show, do your part in making sure those around you have as great a time as you. Be cautious when venturing into a new genre's concert. And above all else, support your favorite artists and local talents.

Thankfully, by the looks of this study, Michigan and much of the Midwest looks to be on the right track.