Media Ethnography

For my Media Ethnography, I talked with my roomate. He is 24 and works as an engineer. He, as long as I have known him, has been a huge fan of the band moe. moe. is a jamband out of the east coast that blends a mix of long, experimental jams with a hard rock aesthetic. I used to see moe. quite a bit with him, but haven't been to a show in years. I talked with my roomate for a while to see what it is about that band that appeals to him so much, and how big a part of his persona is tied to the band.
He spoke right away about the community and history he has with the band. Dating back to high school, he and his friends would attend moe. shows and travel as much as possible to do so. This took them all over the upper midwest and provided for a bunch of road trip opportunities. He mentioned that going to see shows has become an opportunity to see friends that he rarely sees anymore, and to get out of Minneapolis for a while.
Another element of seeing the shows, he told me, was to talk with others and make conversation about the band. Throughout the jamband scene, this works as a kind of currency. "How many shows have you been to?" "Were you at that show?" "Were you there to hear that version of (whatever song)?" It is not only a conversation starter, but also a form leveling within the community. People who travel farther or see more shows are considered "bigger" fans than their non-traveling counterparts.
Speaking from my own experience, these shows are generally full of middle-class white kids. There is very little diversity in the crowds, despite the ideal of being open and loving to everyone who may show at a concert. These bands continue on the hippie ideal of self-expression and openness. It, much like bands like the Grateful Dead, provides the audience with a sense of escape from the often harsh world around the shows.
My roomate didn't mention any of these elements when speaking about his experience, but rather spoke of his love and passion for the music. It's something that connects him to his past, something he shares with his girlfriend, and gives him a bit of an escape from the workaday world. He sees himself as part of a larger community of fans and friends that all get together to enjoy themselves, and party the night away listening to great music.