Sharon Van Etten. I first heard her voice on The Antlers’ track, “Thirteen”, and I fell in love immediately. I had to hear more of her smooth, full croon. So in May, when Van Etten released her fourth solo album, “Are We There” and subsequently went on tour, I was determined to catch her in person.

Eventually, she extended the “Are We There” tour to include a date right in Baltimore. It was the night of Oct. 25 at the Ottobar. I bought myself a ticket, got a ride for the night, and was absolutely thrilled that I was getting to see my new favorite singer-songwriter right in front of me. She even favorited my tweet asking her if she would sign my vinyl copy of “Are We There!” That doesn’t exactly say anything, but it’s closer to a yes than nothing at all. Oh, how the thunderclouds had lifted over my slow, gloomy week.

When I printed my ticket, there was a message at the bottom. “Ticket holders under 21 years of age may be required to pay a $2 surcharge at the door.” That was understandable. I mean, it’s a bar. They need to make sure a kid like me doesn’t hide in the corner of the venue, drinking away. I’d gladly pay an extra few dollars if it meant I got to attend the show. But the warning got me thinking, and I decided to check the official Ottobar website. There, on the schedule, was Sharon Van Etten’s show; with a parenthetical marking next to it that read “18+.”

I was outraged. According to the ticket site, the show was all ages! Not to mention, so was just about every other show on the Ottobar schedule. Besides the occasional 21+ show, everyone and their newborn child could attend the venue’s concerts. But I had wasted $21 on a show I’m “not old enough to attend” for…what reason?

This is my issue with age-restricted concerts. I cannot think of one good reason why Sharon Van Etten’s show specifically would be 18 and over. Drinking? Obviously not. If that was really a concern with the venue, it would be restricted to 21 and over! Besides, I’ve been to many all ages shows, and in every one, the people that could drink were drinking. If alcohol is your concern, simply ID anyone trying to buy a beer! That’s the simple solution, and I don’t see why a bar, especially one moonlit as a concert venue, doesn’t already abide solely by that.

18+ is a ridiculous restriction. The only other thing I can think of is that they believe Sharon Van Etten is too inappropriate for minors, which would be honestly laughable if that were the case. Throughout “Are We There”, Van Etten curses a grand total of…once. And who, at the age of 16, hasn’t heard or said the same words before? Plus, as far as I know, Van Etten’s shows don’t get macabre or risque in any way, shape, or form.

Then, to add insult to injury, I decided to call the Ottobar and try to work out this issue. Three times. Every time, the phone rang and rang for about two minutes, before automatically hanging up. So today, two weeks before the concert, I sit with no answers, and a ticket with about as much value to me as a shard of broken glass.

So in conclusion, I would like to exchange a giant, sarcastic “thank you” to the Ottobar in Baltimore for not making their age policies clear on the ticket website, offering zero customer service, and preventing me (and I’m sure many other fans) from seeing Sharon Van Etten for absolutely no reason.