In The Abstract

Every band has what is called a fan base, the group of wild crazy people who worship them as if they are gods and their music is the elixir of eternal youth. A lot of people say they are all the same; just one screaming mob of strange, obsessive people, but I think different. In my opinion, there are three types of music fans. There are the "crazies", the ones who are so infested with obsession that they can't see the band without screaming, and the "listeners", who casually like the band's music at their own convenience. Then there are the in-betweens, the "Band-Aids", who go to the concerts, respect the musicians... they basically do their best to support the band without going to the extreme. They're all fans, but each adds their own personal touch to the crowd. I've been through all three of these stages, and it's a long and mostly enjoyable journey to take through, if you love music as much as I do.

The "crazies" are the wildest of the bunch. They are also known as "Teenies", "teenyboppers", or just plain "obsessed". These fans do such nonsense things like name their pets and stuffed animals after each member, and then proceed to use #2's, #3's, etc when they run out of names to use. They also like to write "I love {insert band name here}" all over their notebooks, and cover every inch of their walls with pictures. At concerts, they scream and chant the band's name over and over, making it very difficult for others to hear the music. They tattoo themselves with the band's logo, they write all over their faces and arms and clothes, they do everything they can possibly think of to let the whole world known that they love that band. They're insane. At one point of my life, I was part of the "crazy" fan base. I did name my pets and stuffed animals after the members of the band, and when I ran out of names, I would resort to the #2's and #3's, etc. I bought all of those girly teen magazines and had every inch of my wall and ceiling covered in posters and pictures, and I even celebrated the members' birthdays with fellow "crazies". It was fun, but tiresome. It's a lot of work to be a crazy.

On the other side of the fan base spectrum, is the group that I like to call the "listeners". The listeners are just the fans of the music, period. They don't worship the band, they don't celebrate their birthdays, and they don't attend the concerts very often. The "listeners" are, in most cases, a product of being a "crazy" for far too long. A "crazy" becomes a "listener" when he or she gets a life. They forget everything they were obsessed about, and may even forget why they even like the band. Most of the time, a "listener" is the older fan, the more mature. As of right now, I'm leaning more towards the "listener" side. I'm much too busy to take all of this time to be obsessed. I've grown up; I don't feel the need to be that supportive. I listen to this band's music once in a while, when I can get the time. I still have that fondness towards them, but no longer feel the compulsive need to know everything about them down to the color of their toothbrush.

In between the "crazies" and the "listeners", is the group known as the "Band-Aids". A "Band-Aid" is exactly that. They aid, or help the band, in whatever sane way they can. They are often members of what is called the "street team" where they help to promote the band's music by posting flyers and giving out music samples whenever they can. The "Band-Aids" attend the concerts, maybe have a website devoted to the band, and still have a poster or two up on their walls. When I was a Band-Aid, I had a website for my favorite band; In fact, I had several. I was part of the street team, and I actually got to meet them. I felt official. Being a "Band-Aid" is the stage where a fan is a little confused, and is in the process of converting to either side of the fan base spectrum. It's a comfortable position, but still, it takes a considerable amount of time, which I ran out of.

Now, I’m stuck somewhere in that spectrum, and, like I said, leaning more towards the “listener” side. I still have a strong admiration for the band, and I will, once in a while, wear their t-shirts. I still listen to their music obnoxiously loud, and yes, my stuffed animals are still named after them, (after all, once it’s got a name, I can’t change it), but I have changed. I’ve realized through all of these stages of fandom, that I’ve matured. My musical tastes have matured, and also my sense of self. Being a crazy was a lot of fun, and I’d go through it again if I had the choice, because it was a great part of my life; I was blissfully obsessive. Being a Band-Aid was a bit more stressful because I couldn’t devote all of my time to that band anymore, only some of it. I still felt quite important; I had a purpose. Today I am a listener! Now, I can fondly look back at all of these memories, and say… I’ve seen it all.