It's long been a bugbear of mine, the way American TV portrays gigs, especially the gigs attended by the Young People. The crowd are always that bit more enthusiastic than perhaps they should be. They whoop and holler at random in the middle of songs. They seem to have far too much room in which to dance, and they seem to do so on tables, bars and evrywhere, even if the music is some un-dancable soft metal. Even the smallest venues seem to have go-go dancers in cages. If the band is part of the plot then they are greeted rapturously on their first ever performance, before they've even played a note.
One of two things must be true:
a) The programme makers have never actually been to a gig in their lives, or
b) Gigs in America really are a completely different experience to everywhere else - a wonderful place where even small-time indie bands are loved and appreciated by everyone.

I've wrestled with this for quite some time but salvation came last week in the unlikely form of the Gilmore Girls. My wife loves the Gilmore Girls. She records it every week-day and we watch it at tea-time. The other day, it featured a character going to a student gig. It was recognisable - an quite beleivable quiet indie band laying to an audience who swayed slightly in time and cheered half-heartedly at the end. This is what we want. (I think I'm starting to love the Gilmore Girls too)