By Elmer Ploetz
(Image above: Friday night’s view from behind)

Going to a show at the Darien Lake Amphitheater can be a study in frustration.

You know it’s likely to take you 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot and the amphitheater itself has only a slight slope, so your sightlines might be blocked by tall people or big hats through no individual’s fault.

But it doesn’t help when people don’t understand concert etiquette. That was fairly clear for a small group of people Friday night when the opening bands of the Outlaw Music Festival — the Red Clay Strays and the Turnpike Troubadours — were performing.

Given the slight slope of the amphitheater, all it takes is a couple of people standing to block the view of a dozen or more people behind them.

The Red Clay Strays sounded like a band that I could really like a lot: country, southern rock and little bit of old rock ‘n’ roll. But a family of three was standing directly in front of myself and those dozen or more other concert attendees FOR THE ENTIRE SET. AT 5 P.M. So it was hard to actually see the band.

Then the same thing happened with the Turnpike Troubadours, who many people know through heavy play on Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Country station.

The question isn’t whether the people had a right to stand. They do. Somebody checked with one of the ushers, who checked with a manager. The question is should they?

People are expected to stand at rock and country shows. They stood for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson when they made their respective entries later in the night. They stood for some of their more popular songs (such as Nelson’s “On the Road Again”). One couple even slow-danced in the aisle next to me for Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” which seemed totally appropriate.

But when does it become a problem? Probably when people don’t read the room. Nobody minds if you stand up to take some cell phone photos or for a song you’re particularly excited for.

But when you look behind you and you see a bunch of older people, or really people of any age, sitting … Well, it might be a clue to sit down too. One of the people blocked right behind me said they have a heart condition. A couple from Germany sitting next to me commented that they hoped they hadn’t paid their money to “watch people’s asses.”

Most people are sensitive enough to pick up the vibe and do the right thing. But some people don’t care and make the entire evening less enjoyable for others around them. There’s probably not a lot of hope for them.

But for most people, it’s just a matter of being nice to others. Thankfully most are.

So yes, the Red Clay Strays and Turnpike Troubadours were enjoyable. I hope to SEE more of them in the future.

But meanwhile, here are some examples of what they sound — and look — like:

THE RED CLAY STRAYS

THE TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS

Elmer Ploetz is editor-in-chief of The Buffalo Hive