[Ads-l] Slang: chomper (annoying audience member)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The New Yorker has a piece about the current series of concerts by
Dead & Company at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The article defines
"chompers" as concertgoers who talk during performances.

Website: The New Yorker
Date: July 22, 2024
Article: Reckoning with the Dead at the Sphere
Author: Nick Paumgarten
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/07/29/reckoning-with-the-dead-at-the-sphere

[Begin excerpt]
Recently, Nick Paumgarten journeyed there to take in two shows by Dead
& Company, the current permutation of the Grateful Dead, who are in
the midst of a months-long Sphere residency. During his visit,
Paumgarten navigates garish commercialism, fellow-concertgoers who
talk through the performances (a.k.a. "chompers"), a heat wave, and
mixed feelings about his own place within the wider Deadhead economy.
[End excerpt]

The term appears to be connected to the musical groups Phish and the
Grateful Dead. A youtuber using the handle FZappa20 has used
"chompers" extensively, but the label was applied to concertgoers he
found annoying for a variety of reasons. Here is a 2015 video
containing the phrase "Phish chompers".

Website: YouTube
Date: February 7, 2015
Video Title: Chomper friendly Phish 7/22/03 Deer Creek
Posted by: FZappa20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r7saAW23e8

[Begin excerpt from video description]
Phish chompers. Deer Creek 1999 in July were some of the best shows of
1999. Free Phish live. Live free Phish. Live Phish. Phish live. Phish
Free. Free live Phish.
[End excerpt]

A 2017 thread on phish.net was titled "Define CHOMPER in your own
words....." The word "loud" was spelled as "lound" in the following
excerpt.

Website: Phish Net Forum
Topic: Define CHOMPER in your own words.....
Date: August 6, 2017
https://forum.phish.net/forum/show/1377480178

[Begin excerpt from Drewthedevilstickinglawnboy]
Someone who talks very lound the whole show about nothing releated to
the band or even music. People that stick their phone up taking
pictures the whole damn time when the band is playing. I mean i think
its okay for people to take pictures but not the whole damn time. And
talking very lound about random shit during a song is a big no no to
me. You have hours before show, setbreak and after show to talk, but
during a jam or song i feel its best to be part of the music.
[End excerpt]

[Begin excerpt from User_21049]
A non stop talker who interferes w your listening experience beyond an
acceptable level.
[End excerpt]

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