Melanie (auntiemel) wrote, @ 2005-04-29 01:00:00

Ben Folds has the (un)coolest fans :-)
When I went to the Ben Folds instore at the Virgin Megastore on Sunset today, I had a realization about why I love going to his shows.

His fans are dorks.

As I looked around at the gathering crowd this afternoon, I saw not a speck of glitter on eyelids or lips and nary a halter top or lowrider jeans in the bunch. There was one dude in a trucker hat, but it was old and I got the impression that it might have once been worn by an actual trucker, so I'll forgive him his attempt at trendiness.

What I did see were dorks. Unapologetic, self-celebratory dorks. This may seem on the surface like an insult, but remember, this descriptor is coming from a girl who owns not one, but TWO "I <3 Dorks" t-shirts. I saw chubby girls and lanky guys and vice versa. I saw piercings and tattoos and clothespins holding jeans together. I saw thick-frame glasses and lots of Doc Martens.

When I show up to concerts early with a book to keep me occupied, I am generally alone in a sea of giggly, drunk Generation Yers yakking with each other or text messaging on their cells. Not this time. In the 30-40 people immediately surrounding me, there were 3 people reading novels, 2 people reading scripts (gotta love LA), and a girl doing her calculus homework. Ben's fans are thinkers. They're smarter than the average bear.

They also voted unanimously to let a girl in a wheelchair move to the front even though it meant they all had to move back a little. How kickass is that? They are, lastly, the friendliest concert crowd you will ever encounter, including anyone sitting around them in their conversation.

I freely admit being a dork and I even more freely admit loving them. This is why I love Ben's shows so much. It's because these are my people, and when I'm with them, I'm home.

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