Following your Favorite Band on Social Media Will Increase your Love
Music is a passion that takes over your life. This is true at least, for me. I plan months in ahead to attend concerts of my favorite bands, I spend hundreds of dollars to get there, and everytime, it’s always worth it. During the time in between shows though, I’m bored and constantly wishing I could be in New York or Virginia or Wisconsin-wherever a band I follow is performing at that time. To cope with this yearning, I found my solution in social media.
All musicians, in or out of the spotlight, have some sort of social media impression. This is great for us fans because if social media is good for one thing, it’s being able to share and connect with people from anywhere in the world (where there’s WiFi, of course).
Following my favorite bands on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook allows me to stay connected with the music virtually, while I’m not there physically. Seeing posts from all their shows is obviously not the same as being there in the flesh, but it’s the next best thing. When you’re so in love with the music, it’s like being in a long distance relationship. You take what you can get when it’s been months since seeing each other, and you make time out of your busy schedules to check in and see how life is going for your partner. I’m in a long distance relationship with quite a few bands, and while it may be a one-sided relationship, we’ve been pretty healthy thanks to social media.
But just seeing what shows these bands are playing isn’t the only reason social media rocks. Often times members of the band will post about their personal life. If it’s someone’s birthday, there’s a post and now you’re in the know and can celebrate his or her birthday by jamming to their tunes. Band members also love to post #tbt’s (throwback thursdays) or #fbf’s (flashback fridays) which touches fans’ nostalgic hearts, and there’s nothing stronger than nostalgia when it comes to maintianing love and relationships.
My favorite bands also let me know when they will be in the same state as me so I can plan on seeing them. It’s nice to not have to constantly be checking their website for updates on their whereabouts. With social media, the updates come directly to me and I don’t feel like a nagging girlfriend.
One band that comes to my mind that exemplifies all the characteristics of an amazing social media relationship, is The String Cheese Incident, a jam band based out of Boulder, Colo. They post everyday from Facebook to Instagram. They always post pictures and videos to make me feel apart of their music, and are always sharing personal information about all the band members. They have allowed for our long distance relationship to prosper and my love for them has grown stronger thanks to social media sites. It’s clear to see that they care about fans, and this makes the love feel mutual.
It’s obviously important for bands to be on social media for their careers and success in the music industry, but it’s even more important for the fans and to keep our love alive. If you don’t follow any musicians on social media, then I suggest you start now. You’ll feel connected when you’re far, and learn amazing and personal things about the members. You’ll never miss them when they come to town because you’ll always be in the know. Your love for them will grow and your feelings of depression and boredom when you’re not at their show will fade away.
