When concert security told a fan to sit down, Adele told them to leave him alone: NPR
At an Adele concert, a fan stood up, sang, and filmed herself during her performance, even though many people in her section were seated. A security guard – and Adele herself – are involved.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
All right. You are at a concert. Do you stand up or sit down? This debate reignited this week after a fan of an Adele show in Las Vegas stood up, sang and filmed himself during his show, even though many people from his section were seated. A security guard intervened. Adele too. And as NPR’s Elizabeth Blair reports, making everyone happy at a concert isn’t always easy.
ELIZABETH BLAIR, BYLINE: In a video, Juan Lastra passionately performs every word of Adele’s songs.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JUAN LASTRA: (singing) I wanted to love you. You left me…
BLAIR: A woman comes in and tells him people are upset.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Look behind you. Everyone is upset – everyone.
BLAIR: When a security guard approaches him, Adele shuts down the show.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ADÈLE: What’s going on with that young fan over there? He’s been so bothered since I replaced him for getting up.
BLAIR: Another fan responds.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: They won’t let him get up.
BLAIR: Adele had none.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ADELE: Could you please leave him alone?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yes.
ADELE: They won’t bother you anymore, darling.
SAM SWERSKY: It’s sort of our worst nightmare.
BLAIR: Sam Swersky is the house manager of the Wolf Trap National Performing Arts Park in Virginia.
SWERSKY: It’s one of the worst situations you can have when the show stops and the artist talks to my team about how we should do our job.
BLAIR: It may seem like a personal decision. You want to get up and sing, or you want or have to sit still. There are regular debates about this. Swersky says what his place imposes depends on the artist.
SWERSKY: You know, do you want us to have a hands-off attitude? And a lot of artists thrive on that. They want to see their fans standing up, dancing, singing. It’s part of what gives them the energy to put on a great performance.
BLAIR: At Adele’s concert, fans say there were signs encouraging them to stand up. But when there is no direction from the place, what should you do? Audrey Fix Schaefer is a spokesperson for IMP, which owns music venues in the Washington DC area.
AUDREY FIX SCHAEFER: It’s really a bit of a social contract with other viewers where people can benefit from being conscientious to each other, but also knowing that everyone appreciates it in a different way.
BLAIR: As for Juan Lastra, the headline-grabbing fan, he told TMZ that he was sorry that others complained.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LASTRA: But I only had one chance to see her, and I took it. I took it as I wanted.
BLAIR: Lastra thanked Adele for a breathtaking evening and for standing up for me. Elizabeth Blair, NPR News.
(SOUND EXCERPT FROM ADÈLE’S SONG, “LA RUMEUR L’A”)
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