“One Asshole at a Time.” Sturgill Simpson Stops Concert Fight
“One asshole at a time, and right now it’s my turn.” — Sturgill Simpson
With those words, not only did Sturgill Simpson stop down a concert fight, he might have found himself a new tagline.
This week Sturgill Simpson embarked on a much-anticipated sold out American tour, and the third night of the tour saw him in his home state of Kentucky playing at the Madison Theater in Covington, just over the river from Cincinnati. The venue was filled to capacity, with little room for elbows or egos, and during Sturgill’s song “Sometimes Wine” a scuffle started in the crowd from folks pushing and shoving, spurning Sturgill to stop down the show to instill order.
Sturgill watches as the situation escalates, still trying to keep the song going, until it gets too out of hand. “Hold up, hold up, hold, up hold up,” Sturgill says to his band before shouting, “YOU!” And pointing out the culprit to security and the surrounding fans. “Hey hey hey. Come on now, everyone came to have a good time. It doesn’t matter who started it, all that matters is that it’s over … One asshole at a time and right now it’s my turn, so…”
Shortly thereafter the offending parties were dealt with, Sturgill Simpson and his band re-started the song, and all was forgotten in the midst of a good time. But Sturgill’s both authoritative and self-deprecating “One asshole at a time” moment might be one we’re remembering for a while.
Somebody make a T-shirt.
Brendan
February 1, 2015 @ 1:23 pm
I was there, it was pretty great.
One question Trigger, why doesn’t Sturgill play Life Ain’t Fair at his shows? I’ve seen him 4 times and he hasn’t played it. It’s my favorite Sturgill song.
Trigger
February 1, 2015 @ 2:21 pm
That’s a good question. “Sometimes Wine” is a Sunday Valley-era song so we know he’ll go back and play those songs, but I think he’s just trying to move on from all the bellicose language about the industry and just focus on more positive stuff.
Ben
February 1, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
@ Brendan:
Because Life Ain’t Fair.
Todd G
February 1, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
To quoted Paul Thorn
It’s a great day
To whoop somebody’s ass…
Bad asses are welcome back. Indeed.
hoptowntiger94
February 1, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
I’ve said it here before in the comments section and I’ll keep saying it (to be fair cause I am very partial to Simpson). I absolutely HATE when artists do this! I think they owe it to the other paying fans in attendance to keep the show moving and let security do their job. In my experience, it takes two to tango and there’s usually not a guilty party, so don’t pick sides. As for the people around them, move to the left or the right, it will be over before long.
Trigger
February 1, 2015 @ 2:27 pm
I think that all depends on the circumstances. A packed show like this, security may not even be able to see there’s an issue. Even if they can, they may not be able to get to it in a packed, sold-out house before it becomes an even bigger problem. If someone at that moment is getting their face rearranged, someone’s got to step in and do something. I understand what you’re saying, it does take away from the show, and some performers may even use these circumstances to prove how much of a badass they are when really it is a bunch of minor pushing and shoving. But I also think there’s too much of people waiting around for others to take action these days, pulling out their cell phones to call 911 instead of taking direct action to solve a problem. When you’re on stage all geeked up for a performance, the adrenaline is pumping. That’s why artists all react in virtually the same way when something like this happens. They want to see everyone having a good time, and when they aren’t it causes an immediate chemical aversion to the moment and they lash out.
Brandon F
February 2, 2015 @ 7:16 am
I was at the show and can tell you what happened as it involved my group. My girlfriend and I met two older couples from Indianapolis in line and hung out with them inside. We were about 20th in line so we ended up standing right at the stage. During Sturgill’s set, my girlfriend decided to try to head to the bathroom and the other two women went with her. Right when they made it back to our group a girl close to the wall threw a beer can, which hit one of our new friends in the shoulder and then hit my girlfriend in the back of the head. He went over to see who threw the can and a guy with that girl grabbed him. Security kicked the girl that threw the can and the guy that was with her out. There was a security guy sitting within 5 feet of the girl that threw the can. Sturgill saw that something was going on and people were looking to see what was happening so he stopped the song. After it was under control — which only took a minute or so — he restarted the song. We talked to the security guy after everyone left and he said he knew right away who threw it. He thought it was a water bottle and didn’t realize it was a beer can.
As someone else said, that venue was way overbooked. It was a “hundreds of people die in a fire at a concert” waiting to happen. The stairway area that should have been a walk way was covered with people. It was nearly impossible just to make it to the back to the bathrooms.
Spoony
February 2, 2015 @ 8:34 am
I think you mean pulling out their cell phone to use it as a video camera. That’s our culture now. Sad.
Sam Jimenez
February 1, 2015 @ 2:37 pm
Looking at the crowd in that video, I’m guessing the fight broke out because someone bobbed their head or acted like they were enjoying the music. Someone probably took it as an act of violence.
I’m with HopTownTiger on stopping the show. If no one was diligent enough to have their parents spayed or neutered – at least let one of them take out the other to cut down the pet population a bit. If you really wanna yell at them – wait until the song’s over.
Love the quote though! 😀
Phil
February 1, 2015 @ 3:57 pm
Here you go Trig. Ask and you shall receive. T-shirt at http://teespring.com/oneasshole
Gene Anderson
February 1, 2015 @ 4:22 pm
“Stop down” the concert? WTF does that mean. Does anyone speak or write proper English anymore?
It would either be “shut down” or “stop”. I sure hope you don’t claim to have a Journalism degree …. or a high school diploma for that matter. This is 6th grade English. You failed.
Trigger
February 1, 2015 @ 4:40 pm
Are you serious Gene? In the nearly eight years of running this website, this has got to be the the most namby pamby criticism I have ever received.
Mike
February 1, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
Hey Trigger….
You ought to just tell him, “It’z just what you do!”
Gene
February 2, 2015 @ 9:56 am
Mamby pamby or not, “stop down” is a failure of 6th grade English. Where did you go to school to think that was acceptable?
Trigger
February 2, 2015 @ 10:07 am
It’s a colloquialism. I reserve the right to take liberties with the English language if I feel it emphasizes and expresses the passion I feel for certain subjects. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. 24 hours and multiple comments later and you’re still here, so I must be doing something right.
Charlie
February 2, 2015 @ 11:17 am
I like it, colloquialism or not!
It is a term borrowed from the world of photography, and it kinda works pretty well as used.
‘The light went crazy, so I stopped down to f/4 and the resulting image looked much better.’
So, you are reducing the aperture to control the light.
(Everything’s sharper stopped down!)
FWIW
Jessica
February 11, 2015 @ 9:55 am
It’s “namby” pamby, not “mamby” pamby. Sheesh. Pot? This is kettle. You’re black
Sam Jimenez
February 1, 2015 @ 5:08 pm
The period goes inside the quotations. It’s not “stop”., it’s “stop.” – unless you’re British, but I don’t hear an accent…
Pretty elementary stuff there professor.
Jack Williams
February 2, 2015 @ 7:29 am
He sniffed.
JLM
February 2, 2015 @ 9:33 am
dude, one asshole at a time….and right now, it’s Trig’s turn!
Gene
February 2, 2015 @ 9:59 am
Looks like your pushing to take the crown for the King Turd of Shit Mountain.
Trigger
February 2, 2015 @ 10:05 am
*you’re
Gene
February 2, 2015 @ 10:27 am
You are correct, Trigger. BTW – how is Roy and Dale these days?
Jack Williams
February 2, 2015 @ 11:05 am
BTW ”“ how is Roy and Dale these days?
Ooh! Such wit!
To paraphrase Roger McGuinn when Ralph Emery asked how Ol’ Gram was doing:
They’re still dead.
Jessica
February 11, 2015 @ 9:59 am
Proper English would also be, “How are Roy and Dale?” not, “How is Roy and Dale?” Plural subject. Pre 6th grade lessons
Sonas
February 5, 2015 @ 5:29 pm
Wow Gene, sounds personal.
Glen Benton
February 1, 2015 @ 6:18 pm
Now this is how you handle a crowd. They almost shut this show down in Sweden in 1992 but I got them straight!!!! Check it out!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U1yi7BiFM0
Jaimito
February 1, 2015 @ 6:20 pm
Must be the guy who got called out at the show…
Cayts
February 1, 2015 @ 6:34 pm
i was there last night also. I haven’t enjoyed myself less ever in my life, when I’ve paid to enjoy myself that is. The venue was WAY too packed. We got there an hour early and never had a chance. We couldn’t even get into the theater area as there were so many people. We stood by the bar basically in the concourse level for two hours. I’m 6’2 and I got a glimpse of Sturgill a handful of times when I would stand on tippy toes and the people in front of me would sway just right. We couldn’t even really hear either, as the concourse had a low ceiling above it so the sound wouldn’t travel. Definitely not Sturgill a fault, but overall I’m bummed. Been looking forward to this for a long time and couldn’t wait to hear him live, and it was an absolute waste of time and money. He’s coming to Louisville this summer, so hopefully I can actually get a glimpse then.
eli locke
February 1, 2015 @ 11:28 pm
Reminds me of Cash. He knew how to shut an asshole down and didn’t care who it was. On either San Quentin or Folsom, he shut some guy down for talking back or something. Its been a while since I listened to that one…
Albert
February 1, 2015 @ 11:50 pm
This is the first person I’ve ever heard of named Sturgill . Have I been living under a rock ?
BTW , Trigger ..I haven’t heard the expression ” namby pamby ” in a LONG time ; I enjoyed it and didn’t realized how much I’d missed it . Took a lot of guts to use that in 2015 , I thought . Hope Gene feels special .
Mike
February 2, 2015 @ 6:52 am
If this had been a Luke Bryan “concert,” Luke would have threatened to do “the move” up on stage….LOL
James
February 12, 2015 @ 12:42 am
http://youtu.be/-JqT3NAVyHc?t=16m51s
Jimmy Martin said something very similar