Signs That You're a SuperFan

May 6, 2011 | Posted by Emily McCann

Since 1991, I have been a fan of Pearl Jam. Ok, so maybe fan is an understatement. I may have been young then, but when 'Ten' was released, I knew that I had a love for this music that just wouldn't die. It wasn't until 1994 that I bought my first pair of 10-hole Dr. Martens and paired them with a plaid flannel shirt for school picture day, but by then Vs. and Vitology had been released and it was clear there was no turning back.

I'm often teased (I'd even say ridiculed) for my devotion to one band, but for me it is so much more than just a love of the music. 

This single band has given me what I would call the soundtrack of my life. At every major milestone, whether a celebration or tragedy, there is a song or album that matches up along with it. Along the way I have collected endless mementos such as hoodies, tshirts, posters, stickers, buttons, cassettes, vinyl, CD's and DVD's. They are all pieces of my history with the band. Some are displayed on the walls of our home. Others are packed away for a rainy day. 

So how do you know if you're a SuperFan to a band out there? Well here is a list of your own behaviors you might want to look out for:

• Of the 6500 songs in your iTunes collection, over 700 of them belong to 1 band
• When the Sirius XM Radio Station was announced for your favorite band, you had to pull the car over (Does your fave band even have it's own Sirius XM Station?)
• When a new album was released back in the day, you were the first one in line at HMV to buy it
• When a new album is released these days, you pre-buy it on itunes weeks before it's released
• You are a lifetime International member of the band's fan club
• You know strange but true details about each of the band members
• You buy bootlegs of shows you've never been to, in cities you've never been to
• You've been to a concert and then boarded a plane to see them in another city just two days later
• You've been to two concerts on back to back nights in the same city
• You've been to three concerts in three cities in one summer 
• You made your guitar teacher show you how to play only songs by your favorite band

So far, I've been to 7 Pearl Jam concerts and seen Eddie Vedder (lead singer) perform solo twice. This summer, I will be seeing Eddie perform in the amazing Benaroya Hall in Seattle, the city where it all began. This is literally a dream come true. As long as they're still playing, I'll continue to see them live. There is nothing that compares to connecting with your band time and time again.

We LOVE music at FLIPP. However, I put up with a lot of jokes around the office about my dedication to Pearl Jam each time one of their songs pops up on the Jukebox. But dedicated fans are tough fans. 

In my opinion, music preferences are personal and subjective and therefore should face no judgement. 

Does anyone out there share my SuperFan status about another band out there?