Why Would You Pay Money To Meet a Human Being?

(One bands take on longevity in the music business and trying to treat fans better)

Photo by Cole Kiburz

As we prepare to take off on our “Modern Nostalgia” tour later this month we have been reflecting on the last 11 years of our band, and thinking how things feel more exciting than ever. A lot of that feeling comes from the creative freedom to do whatever we want, knowing it will be supported by those who listen to our music. Our fans carry us from one album to the next. It’s surprisingly simple. We have built a relationship with our fans that has not only helped sustain our career but has been crucial in getting to the next level. It all stems from the idea that if you are a fan of something, you shouldn’t have to go broke supporting it.

Let’s take it way back to 2007. Our band left Phoenix to play some self-booked shows on the east coast. It was our first time away from home playing music, and some shows didn’t even happen due to shady promotion or just lack of tickets sold. We didn’t care. For us what was important was being out on the road and trying to get in front of as many people as possible, show or no show, we just wanted to play music and meet anyone who was interested in our band. I learned a lot on that tour.

I learned how to survive on gas station food, I learned how not to unhitch your trailer if you’re parked on a hill.

2007 — Our first tour!

I learned how to thank somebody for paying attention to our music. I guess my point is, we set out to meet people and we met people. Some shows I met 4 people. Other shows I met 40 people. It was the first time in my life someone ever approached me and asked me to sign my name on a piece of paper. Whether or not we knew it at the time, this was a very important step for our band. Up until this point, the only interaction we had with our fans was on the internet. We would spend hours every day responding to comments and interacting with fans, but in the end that could only take us so far. The tangible, in-person connections we made on some of those early tours made a difference. I can say that because even today I meet people every night who tell me in great detail what I said to them the last time I was in town. I might not remember every detail, but they do. I know that what we say is important to them. At this point in the story, you could hit fast forward all the way to today and I know for certain at any point in that 10 years you could hit pause and see us standing outside after a show shaking hands and taking pictures.

But let’s just fast forward to the first major support tour for our band. This tour really opened our eyes. The shows were massive, we were selling a good amount of shirts, and having the best time. As things went on we started to notice something. These well-known bands were charging money for a meet & greet. A lot of money (on top of buying a t-shirt, another 20 bucks or so) just to get a quick 5 seconds with the band and then off you go. This is where things can get a little divisive. There are two ways to approach this. I’m going to break it down.

First, okay, I get it. The music industry is in decline, everything is on fire, oh my god nobody is buying records anymore, what do we DO? The common answer these days would be to impose a tax on the fans. Let the fans pay more money for tickets, merchandise, and let’s charge some money if they want a photo with the band. You are adding yourself (a human being) into your list of available products. Think about that. Pay money, meet me (or us). Congratulations, you have become a human being with a price tag. You now find yourself saying “We could never do this without our fans” and you are absolutely right. If the fans stop paying these premium prices, you can wave goodbye to that comfy tour bus, to those experienced crew members, and probably to the long-term survivability of your band.