Common Courtesy-not so common anymore

Last night at a songwriter round, we sat politely through the first group—listened to every song, clapped after each one, and did our best to be supportive audience members. Honestly, most of it wasn’t exactly Grammy-worthy (just my opinion!), but hey, that’s not the point. We showed up, we listened, we clapped. It’s what you do.
One performer from that group finished their set, went back to their table, and that’s when things took a turn. As the next round of songwriters took the stage, this person suddenly forgot they were still in a live music venue and not, say, at a backyard BBQ. The loud talking kicked off, the laughter grew, and any hint of attention to the next artists was completely out the window. No clapping, no polite nods—just full-on, table-shaking chatter. I found myself wondering: Why did I just give you 30 minutes of my evening, when you couldn’t spare five for the next group?
And it didn’t stop there. Someone at that same table actually made a loud phone call—in the middle of the dining room. I mean…why? Were they calling to vote someone off the island?
Now, look—I get it. Some folks come for dinner, maybe not realizing there’s live music. If they’re quietly chatting over appetizers, I can deal with that. But when a fellow performer can’t be bothered to give others the same attention they just received? That’s not just bad manners—that’s ironic.
When did we collectively misplace our etiquette? Our manners? Our good old-fashioned common courtesy? I left the show feeling a little baffled, a little grumpy, and a lot disheartened. Have we all become so self-centered that we can't even clap for someone else's three-minute song?
Come on, people. Be better. Or at the very least…take your phone calls outside.