Residents Talking Light 2011
The Residents are in the final stretch of a North American tour, and for the past week I have been following them. The shows I attended this week bring my total to 17. Now, why would somebody see a band perform 17 times?
The shows are great, let's not let that be a question. They are not for everyone, I agree, but are remarkable for somebody with my tastes and disposition. But still... 17 times? Follow a tour from Boston to Atlanta? Can a show really be good enough to warrant that kind of dedication from somebody like me?
No, not really. But it's not the show that compelled me to follow the group. It's the people. At every show I met with other fans, most of whom are people I know only from online chat. The Residents, being a band with a cult following, automatically provide a common ground for people to form friendships. Liking this kind of music implies a number of personality traits - it's a shortcut of a compatibility test. Allow me to demonstrate.
These sentences are reasonably uttered in the world: "You like The Residents? Me too! Let's be friends!" Replace "The Residents" with "The Beatles" or "Led Zeppelin" or "Pink Floyd" and you'll find a group of sentences that have never, and will never, be uttered. That's not to say that everybody who likes the Residents is a potential friend of mine; I in fact despise many people I see at shows. But I am guaranteed to find a much higher percentage of lovely people at these shows than at others.
Through being a fan, I have made many good friends. We live all over the country (and around the world), and usually only see each other at Residents shows. So each performance happens to be the cornerstone of a reunion. How have you been, how are the kids - that kind of stuff.
This time around, I reconnected with several people I hadn't seen for the better part of a decade. The opportunity to catch up with so many people you want to, and not have to endure life stories from those you don't, is a remarkable thing. It is like a high school reunion, but without the anxiety. Of course it seemed far too short, but it was pure joy, and that is why I will always attend as many Residents shows as time and money will allow.
The shows are great, let's not let that be a question. They are not for everyone, I agree, but are remarkable for somebody with my tastes and disposition. But still... 17 times? Follow a tour from Boston to Atlanta? Can a show really be good enough to warrant that kind of dedication from somebody like me?
No, not really. But it's not the show that compelled me to follow the group. It's the people. At every show I met with other fans, most of whom are people I know only from online chat. The Residents, being a band with a cult following, automatically provide a common ground for people to form friendships. Liking this kind of music implies a number of personality traits - it's a shortcut of a compatibility test. Allow me to demonstrate.
These sentences are reasonably uttered in the world: "You like The Residents? Me too! Let's be friends!" Replace "The Residents" with "The Beatles" or "Led Zeppelin" or "Pink Floyd" and you'll find a group of sentences that have never, and will never, be uttered. That's not to say that everybody who likes the Residents is a potential friend of mine; I in fact despise many people I see at shows. But I am guaranteed to find a much higher percentage of lovely people at these shows than at others.
Through being a fan, I have made many good friends. We live all over the country (and around the world), and usually only see each other at Residents shows. So each performance happens to be the cornerstone of a reunion. How have you been, how are the kids - that kind of stuff.
This time around, I reconnected with several people I hadn't seen for the better part of a decade. The opportunity to catch up with so many people you want to, and not have to endure life stories from those you don't, is a remarkable thing. It is like a high school reunion, but without the anxiety. Of course it seemed far too short, but it was pure joy, and that is why I will always attend as many Residents shows as time and money will allow.