Dallas, Lalah Hathaway has had enough of your shenanigans.
The R&B singer and scion of soul legend Donny Hathaway performed at Dallas' House of Blues on Feb. 20. And, if she had been a paying customer, it seems she may have wanted her money back.
She took to Facebook to express her dismay about the use of cellphones at her show. She noted that "most of the audience was indeed respectful ... and super engaged." But she did not mince words for others:
"You are not at the zoo," she wrote. "You are not the paparazzi. Put your phone down at my show."
It seems it may be the last time she'll say it. She continued by writing that from now on, she would "have a zero tolerance policy toward phones" and "If you do NOT get it - please stay home.
"Your energy is not welcomed and you will be asked to leave ... I am truly over it at this point."
No one can disagree that her talent should be respected. Hathaway won two Grammys this year: best R&B album for Lalah Hathaway Live and best traditional R&B performance for her remake of "Angel," an Anita Baker standard. She's a five-time Grammy Award winner, even winning one with Denton's Snarky Puppy in 2014 for best R&B performance for "Something."
Hathaway's demand joins a growing chorus of performers against the use of cellphones at their respective shows. Most haven't gone so far as to ban them completely, but are locking them up instead. Those who plan to go to Jack White's concerts in April at the Bomb Factory will have to lock up their phones, as did fans at Chris Rock's show at Toyota Music Factory.
