Could It Be Frontrowitis?
It’s good to know I’m not alone. I have this affliction, and I just found out that Reba McEntire’s mom had it, too. The condition probably has a clinical name, but I call it Frontrowitis. It starts by sitting in the front row at a country concert. Regardless of how you get the seats (win them, mortgage your house to pay for them, or get them the way Reba’s mom did at the Grand Ole Opry with good old-fashioned seat hopping), it comes on quickly after that.
If you’ve never sat in the front row, let me paint you a picture. The artist comes on stage, and immediately makes eye contact with you. Then Dierks / Kenny / Martina / Toby /Miranda starts to sing, right in front of you. You sing along, faking it when you have to, because how awkward would that be to not know the words? You leave the show thinking it can’t get any better than that. And to be honest, it never ever does. Hence, the illness.
Symptoms include post-concert euphoria and repeated story telling. (“Did I tell you I had my elbows on the stage?”) But the pain starts to kick in the next time a concert comes to town and you can’t get front row. You can get tenth row, but to you that’s like nosebleeds. A friend has a friend who can get you a box, where you’ll be forced to watch the show through binoculars. That is so beneath you. This is when you know you have it bad, when the front row has spoiled you for anything else.
The sad part is, there’s no cure. You can sit in the second through 135th rows and the artist can put on a fabulous show but your heart will still ache. I’ve had Frontrowitis for about five years, ever since I seat-hopped my way to the front row of a Kenny Chesney show at Milwaukee’s Summerfest. Now if I wanted to get one front row seat for his show in Indiana next week, I’d have to pay a broker $1448. That’s a pretty steep price to pay for what would really only provide temporary relief of my symptoms. Unless I could claim it on my medical insurance. Anyone know where I could get coverage like that?
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Ronna says:
“Symptoms include post-concert euphoria and repeated story telling. (“Did I tell you I had my elbows on the stage?”)” I literally said that to everyone I knew and even those I just met, for 3 weeks after seeing Dierks Bentley in concert in “the pit”! I definitely have frontrowitis!
Jennifer says:
I wound up front row seeing Kenny in a bar last year with just 349 others (than me). I was so in awe when he came to me and took the lei I’d just had on, took it right out of my hand with both of us looking in each others’ eyes and putting it on himself. He left his flu-like bug germs on my hand from 3 total touches, but I didn’t care since I had a guitar pick and finally got my life size stand up of him signed. I have section 201 row QQ for his last show in Atlanta, it might as well be the lawn to me.
MiaT says:
Hello My name is Mia and I suffer from Frontrowitis…….
What a great article! Yes, I too am afflicted by this disease. I get all excited with 5th row tickets and then when I get there I spend my time wishing I was in the front row and picking out people who should not be in the front row. I hate that. But I feel that I should be there. Sometimes I think that like Tim McGraw wants to see my face and wonders why I am not there. HaHa. I guess I will have to bring this up at my next therapy appointment!. HaHa.. It’s comforting to know I am not alone with this condition.
Great Article Alison! Can’t wait for the next one!
Heidi says:
Finally! There’s a name for my ailment LOL I totally suffer from this. And why can you actually MEET the artist (Dierks Bentley in my case), get your picture taken and get a hug but touching them on stage for three seconds gives you a bigger thrill?
Scott says:
I like to use my insider connections to get into the front row. Not because I love Dierks so much, but because I love all the babes that love Dierks so much. However, this one time I think some of Dierks sweat flew off the stage landed on me. After the set, some hot blonde chick was all over me. Then, all her friends pretty much mauled me too. My new shirt was torn, and I think I accidentally made out with like four babes. It was so awesome. My frontrowitis will cause me to be in the front row, like every single time from now on.
abby says:
I too have this condition! It all started with Joes Bar in Chicago and Blake Shelton. First came the eye contact, then the bassist gave me a guitar pick before the show, then he held my hand, then he kept coming over etcetc……ugh and then the condition just progressed. With the help of Jason Michael Carrol, John Corbett, Eric Church, and Billy Currington and a lot of hand holding etcetc my frontrowitis has become very serious haha! I love country music concerts and the front row soooo much!!
Great article!
maureen says:
Thanks for placing a name on this condition. I know I have it. My problem is that I have now passed it on to my 14 year old daughter and 5 of her closest 14 year old girlfriends. It all happened at a Rascal Flatts concert when we were in the front row. My daughter felt bad because her friends were “many” rows back. Let’s face it to people with our condition they could have been 10 rows back and they might as well have been on the lawn. Never the less my keen frontrowitis kicked in and I got all of these little girls lined up (elbows on the stage) for a concert experience I know they will never forget….or should I say, will spend the rest of their young lives trying to duplicate!
Cory says:
I am going to see Kenny Chesney in August. I have front row seats. The concert is at the grandstand at the New York State Fair. I love his music and I have every single cd of his. I have done biographies on him and know so much about him. I like his songs because they make you want to go to somewhere it is hot and in the sun. My dad told me that we were going to see him and I was so glad.
Pete M. says:
I’ve suffered from frontrowitis since a Toby concert many years ago. But, doesn’t the reality that many country music concerts have become much more of an audio/visual show, than a pure music concert, make
sitting further back a bitter pill that’s a little easier to swallow? Agree with me or not, that’s my cure for frontrowitis, along with growing older and a little rationalization. And it’s easier to get a beer.
Thanks for a great article.
AHMoore says:
Never been to a concert in my life…..CAnt afford it.
Gina says:
Love this writer! Very funny,but oh so true!
Carly says:
This article is exactly me!! I sat near the front for Tim McGraw’s Soul 2 Soul Tour and I was flipping out … I almost touched him, too!! Then, I got even better seats for Kenny Chesney’s Flip Flop Summer Tour in Pittsburgh, where I in fact leaned on the stage the entire time; he even touched my hand!!! I can’t handle being farther away or I get antsy. i have had this condition for too long and it only gets worse … for the ticket buyers’ wallets!! And Cory, I saw that you are going to see Kenny … You are in for an amazing show!!! Have fun!!
Amanda says:
I am from Edmonton, Alberta so we don’t get to see the bigger acts very often but I have seen Paul Brandt and Terri Clark in the front row and there is no better place to be. I write concert reviews for my college newspaper and I refuse to sit in the press box. The only way to experience a concert is to actually be in the crowd, even if that means that I have to dish out the extra money for front row seats. I most certainly have frontrowitis and it is putting a serious dent in my already thin wallet.
Jeremy says:
I realize the impact of seeing and spending minor momentous time with stars such as Kenny Chesney and Flynnville Train.. Which brings another subject to light what of this open battle between Kenny and Flynnville Train.. It seems that Tommy Bales of Flynnville Train has told Nashville Press that due to Kenny’s comment on urban competitions when he feels he doesn’t get the recognition necessary when he feels his accomplishments have outdone most others out there…
So Tommy Bales (drummer to Flynnville Train) issued and open competition of his own because the talent of Flynnville Train is there and the band feels Kenny Chesney might come close but they believe Kenny’s talent just isn’t enough to outsell his album vs. theirs..
Jeremy says:
Comments anyone? Didn’t think so…..
linda lou says:
a lot of people think kenny is gay i dont think so but even if he was i whould still love him and i know all of you kenny lovers whould have mad love for him if he was gay i hope all kenny lovers think hes not gay and to love him no matter what cus if you where gay he whould love you to and rockabilly on and live forever
Elisabeth says:
Keith Urban… 3 years ago, my roommate won a pair of front row seats and backstage passes to see Keith… It was AMAZING! My mom and another friend ended up buying front row tickets in a lucky miracle. We were right in front of Keith the whole time! Eye contact, guitar picks… Ahhh… So awesome! And it’s true, even though I got to meet Keith and get a hug and a picture, it was even more thrilling to grab his hand while he was on stage! Oh I love it! I’m too poor to afford floor seats now, so I’m suffering way up in nose bleed… But it’s Keith, so I don’t care! :D
Katie says:
I can’t believe what I’m reading. I just saw Kenny Chesney for the first time Saturday Night 4/19/08 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. I had a 7th row seat that cost me a total of $568, this was plus the taxes and fees. I thought this price was way too expensive BUT Kenny ended up being worth every penny. I was so excited to be so close to him and to see him with my own eyes. All I could think was that I wasn’t close enough, I wanted front row seats, I wanted to touch him, I wanted our eyes to lock, I wanted him to see me. The next time Kenny comes around these parts I’m getting a front row seat come Hell or High water. I must be able to touch him, I must.