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band t shirts

A
by alexOG 2001
· Jun 8, 2006 · 382 views

For my next article, i am exploring every angle on the issue of band t shirts. this is a topic that there are many different oppinions on. for instance one young lady that I interviewed stated that "band t shirts are cooler if nobody knows who the band on the t shirt is." Another person blatantly stated "I think that they're stupid." She went on to say a few other things, but i was not really paying attention.

After speaking to these individuals, i came to the conclusion that niether of them talked about wearing a band tee shirt just to support a band that they liked. or most immportantly just because they thought it looked cool. this opens up another aspect of this issue.

Let me start with an example. I love the band alkaline trio, they are definitely one of my all time favorite bands, buuuut, i do not like any of their t shirt designs, so i would not purchase one of their t shirts. one might say that people buy t shirts with their favorite bands name on it, just because it has the bands name on it (as if to say "hey look at me, i've heard of ths band, DOY!!!"). One might go on to say that these people are making the world an uglier place, by supporting bad design.

After thinking on this subject for a while i thought, well, yes it is sometimes cool when people wear obscure band t shirts. this is a good way to circulate good, new music. But wouldn't it be cooler to wear a t shirt advertising an artist that everyone knows about, deserves credit, and yet nobody has a shirt with this artist on it. like Bethoven, or Mozart. These are the most influential musicians the world has ever known. I think they definitely deserve a t shirt. don't you?

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71 Comments

jp #17 jpOG 2003

man...i was just thinking...i have a lot of band shirts...

-2 new found glory (red stars and orange olympics)
-beastie boys ABA basketball
-blink 182 rabbit
-jack's mannequin i like naps
-lucky boys confusion red falling man
-bob dylan psychadelic sunglasses
-2 bruce springsteen (asbury park and black tour shirt)
-face first fedex logo
-2 saves the day (monkey and football helmet)
-no use for a name-flames
-midtown-rockers
-2 taking back sunday (no hateration in this dancery and where you want to be release shirt)
-2 ataris (#13 and so long astoria)

probably a couple im forgetting. which ones have you seen me wear?

ilikebirds #16 ilikebirdsOG 2002

I wear G-UNIT clothes and sneakers - ONLY

malibu #16.1 malibuOG 2001

i went to this 50cent concert and eveywhere was just guys decked out with the sneakers, shirts, and hats with g-unit emblazed all over em. but they were mad ghey. but ghey as in white.

modestjesse #15 modestjesseOG 2004

I think if you threw Mozart on a T-Shirt, so long as it looked 'different' kids would buy it. It would be weird and different and they'd wear it.

As far as shirts I've owned, I've purchased almost every Smashing Pumpkins shirt I could get my hands on. They've been my favorite band since I discovered them. I love Billy Corgan as a writer and try to get everything he does out of my appreciation for his music. This leads me to say that one of the ugliest band shirts I've purchased was a Zwan shirt. I own two Zwan shirts, one I ordered before their CD was available, and the other I picked up at a concert. The sad part is the one I got at a concert is a really light (sky?) blue with rainbow on the front. The rainbow has a crack in it but it's still a rainbow. It's my gay shirt.

I've had my Modest Mouse shirt for about 4 years or so, maybe longer. And I purchased a Death Cab for Cutie shirt about 3 years ago but they sent me the wrong one so I gave it to my friend since it was a baby doll T. Those shirts were different in the sense of, at the time, no one had heard of those bands. And the one or two times you run into someone who does know the band it's fun to talk about them and your favorite songs. This happened one time while out to eat, my brother had his MM shirt on and the waitress loves them. We talked to her for a few minutes about it and it was fun to talk about the music we really love.

Other band shirts I own:

Kiss - one of the best shows I went to, bought at concert
Pepper - given to me at their show

socalgal #15.1 socalgalOG 2003

i still think of you when i hear modest mouse! lol

forrestina #15.2 forrestinaOG 2002

I met James Iha a few weeks ago!

malibu #14 malibuOG 2001

me and lynz have the same rx bandits tee's with all the guys signatures on em.

thatdarngirl #14.1 thatdarngirlOG 2002

One of my three Rx Bandits tshirts and its my favorite without a doubt. I can't wait to pick up a new one on Sunday. I really want the "Rx Bandits will rock your face off" buuuut it has showdates on the back and they're all West Coast so I wasn't at any of them.

theremin #13 thereminOG 2002

I think the only band shirts I've owned, which total 3: Depeche Mode, Violent Femmes, REM.

Always wanted a Soul Coughing shirt (not only do I love the band.. the designs were awesome!).. and I think I'll never get to :(

If I ever saw an Edvard Greig shirt or a Raymond Scott shirt, I would definately buy it on the spot! Not likely I'll ever see one made tho. :(

superhero #12 superheroOG 2004

i have a lot of band tee shirts i never wear - and this is my own stupid fault

i have a BRAND NEW "Save Ferris" shirt, when i say "brand new" i mean i've never worn it and i've had it since 1997

also i have a Goldfinger shirt that when I got home, i realized "This has a naked woman on it", so i think i gave it away to some worldly person

i have a matchbox twenty shirt i am scared to wear in public

rocksupastar #12.1 rocksupastarFounder

so wait... you dont have this goldfinger shirt anymore... or did you mean you THOUGHT you were gonna give it to some worldy person, but instead hung it on your ceiling... ?

tesoro #12.2 tesoroOG 2001

the whip girl is not nakey! she has a cool blue suit on..it's just a little cold, that's all.

juicymango #11 juicymangoOG 2003

my brother has a Johnny Cash shirt and i think it's the coolest

jp #10 jpOG 2003

i like band t shirts. help support your favorite bands. its a heck of a lot more expressive than wearing a t shirt with a brand name on it. id much rather support a band than nike or something.

fivezero #9 fivezeroOG 2003

I like band t-shrits sometimes. I'll get one If I TOTALLY love the band AND if the design is very, very pleasing to me, otherwise I won't get it. I'm hard to please, so I've only accumulated like 5 tees over the years. Queens of the Stone are an awesome band, but have awful designs. It's sad. NIN has awesome designs. I have that baby blue Weezer 'Mykel and Carli' shirt with the Adrian Tomine 'Superhero Girls' art on it, but I never wear it ever because it's gayish and I'm not a big Weezer fan anymore. I have a Coheed shirt from when they were pretty small time. I forget what else. I'm picky about it, but it's never band over design. Both have to be just right.

forrestina #8 forrestinaOG 2002

my sisters and i used to make tee shirts everytime we went to see a band. i generally like the tour shirts better than the ones in stores. i think i only have 2 band tee shirts-one no doubt which is cartoons of them from rock steady era and a mikel and carli weezer shirt. both were gifts.

fivezero #8.1 fivezeroOG 2003

letigre!

forrestina #8.1.1 forrestinaOG 2002

oh i forgot that one! i got that myself.

socalgal #7 socalgalOG 2003

i love wearing my band Tshirts. i dont care if its cool or not. I still wear my motley crue one. Ill wear my ramones & Social D ones....and we're talking the original concert T's.

i have a lot of T's too that i buy @ the concert and save just for awesome memories....like my lollapalooza 1992...old classic punk bands along with the old school ska ones....and yes i have stray cats too! LOL

All in all band T's are fun and memorable.

rocksupastar #6 rocksupastarFounder

I wear band tee shirts of bands i like... if i ever had anyone come up to me and say... wow thats a gay shirt, POW right in the kissah!

i dont care if people dont like my shirt, and actually i get alot of compliments on my shirts, ive never had anyone say a thing to me about them. And actually my Macgyver shirt gets the MOST attention, usually from people who dont know who Macgyver is... then i mock them and say, wow... did you grow up under a rock!?

TLDR : Mike is the coolest

iwz #6.1 iwz

who compliments you on a band t-shirt? 12 year olds?

ilikebirds #6.1.1 ilikebirdsOG 2002

haha gold

rocksupastar #6.1.2 rocksupastarFounder

ive been to shows where people will come up to me and be like, sick shirt, or i love them or, or HEY did you see them last year they put on a sick show.. blah blah...

listen up banana republic boy... dont hate cause nobody compliments your tacky stuff....

iwz #6.1.2.1 iwz

so do they compliment you before or after they hop into their mom's minivan?

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

LOL!!! Nice. They probably think Mike is some kind of well-dressed giant.

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

its not my fault im taller then all the other kids...

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

um. dude... this coming from the guy that went to see Sarah McLachlan a few years ago...

iwz iwz

wait is this supposed to be an insult?

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

hmm, i guess if you are into indie girly music and watching chicks that cnat play thier instruments and dont shave their armpits while crying and complaining about how thier moms didnt love them when they were younger. all while sitting down at a show with some Chai tea and tofu low fat, low sodium all natural trail mix... then no... it wouldnt be....

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

Dude, you just described yourself while listening to any emo band.

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

um... yeah... i wouldnt touch any of that food... maybe some taco bell and... root beer...

but yeah... ive never been to a indie show... and i dont think i ever will.

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001 rocksupastar

Why? Are you afraid you might hear bands that are actually talented and don't sound like Blink?

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder web-toedchloe

at an indie show?

iwz iwz

i realize this may be a new concept for you, but i went with my wife, like on a date.

socalgal socalgalOG 2003

awww ian thats cute!

D
dgiaimoOG 2003

lol

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

yeah sounds like a fun date... i liken it to... hmmm going with your wife on a date to the OBGYN...

but im sure you had fun tho....

D
dgiaimoOG 2003 rocksupastar

Don't understand the concept of winning "points", eh?

web-toedchloe #5 web-toedchloeOG 2001

Another question: Is it lame to wear the shirt of the band you're at a show to see? I say yes. But I stick to the same genre. I wore my Jawbreaker t-shirt to a Channels show, and I think J. Robbins noticed! Probably not, but he's really cool and I hoped he would. Ehh, no one probably knows who he is anyway... I wore a Braid shirt to a Get up Kids show, a Professor Plum shirt to an early saves the day show, etc. etc.

tesoro #5.1 tesoroOG 2001

haha, i had posted an article a few years back on all of my "concert grievances" and that was one of them...wearing the shirt of the band your going to see...hellooooo, everyone KNOWS you like them, you're here!

web-toedchloe #5.1.1 web-toedchloeOG 2001

***cough*** Mike's done it! ***cough***

tesoro #5.1.1.1 tesoroOG 2001

what! no way! i definatly did that before he did....i must find it.

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

Found it! /index.jsp?pageNbr=19

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

Hahaha - No, I mean Mike's been the lame guy wearing a shirt of the band he's at a show to see. Let's all make fun of him!!!

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

hahah, oh, cheeze, all that scrolling for nothing!

mike's laaaaaaaaaame! naah nah! haha

socalgal socalgalOG 2003

actually i think it's cool to wear the T of the band you're going to see. you're promoting them and showing your admiration for them. also some get the T at the concert and put it on there. which there's nothing wrong with that.

now my friends and i make fun of the ones wearing T's of other bands at a show. i think it's lame, but thats me.

it's like being at a sporting event and you're wearing something that has nothing to do with with the home team or the competitor...lame....either support one of the teams or dont wear anything related to it.

iwz iwz

must be a west cost/east coast thing. cause i agree with web-toed chloe.

i guess it's just another reason NJ > CA

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

hahahah, you did not do the "greater than" sign.

socalgal socalgalOG 2003

hmmm....well i dunno....but all i know is CA is a pretty darn cool place to live! lol

iwz iwz

:P

jp jpOG 2003

wow. very good point! i didnt even think of it that way.

rocksupastar #5.1.1.2 rocksupastarFounder

dude... let go of Empire Records... thats where you got it from. Again, i wear whatever shirt i feel like wearing. I rocked my face to face tee shirt when i went to the final tour.... why? Cause i wanted to have them go out in style...

i say wear whatever you want... and be happy with it...

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

I was cool before I saw empire, man. And you've always been lame. Just accept it.

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

yeah, totally, you were a cool 6 yr old... lol cmon... you keep pushing that stupid rule on everyone. Who cares... id like to see someone come up to me at a show and nitpick what im wearing...

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

They may not come up to you, but they certainly make fun of you in a corner. (I usually start it by pointing and laughing)

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder

maybe its cause i cant see you and the rest of your midget clan doing anything cause its below my eye level... usually i dont pay attention to anyone under 3 feet....

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001

So the 4 foot 12-year-olds fall right into your class of comrade? That must be why you're always at lame shows with them, huh?

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder web-toedchloe

nah, i dont even talk to people under 5 foot... i view you all as steps...

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001 rocksupastar

Steps to what? A pedastal we can all make fun of you while you're standing on?

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder web-toedchloe

I cant help that people put me on a pedestal.... im just better then all of you.

A
alexOG 2001 rocksupastar

humf, i guess mike forgot about his 473 page thesis on being a snob a few days ago, lol.

rocksupastar rocksupastarFounder alex

this isnt being a musical snob... this is just a snob in general. now go die.

web-toedchloe web-toedchloeOG 2001 rocksupastar

If that's what you think the pedastal's for, then keep clinging to that "truth".

tesoro tesoroOG 2001

personally..i think i WAS a cool little kid...at least in my musical choices...while everyone else was listening to new kids on the block & milli vanilli...i was listening to guns n roses & nirvana & U2. wut wut! haha

jp #5.2 jpOG 2003

people say this is the "unwritten rule" to not wear the bands shirt, but i dont really care. i dont really do it, but i have done it, especially if its a festival show, to let people know who im really there to see, especially if crappy headliners are getting all the exposure!

when i go to shows, i usually like to wear a shirt of a band of another genre, because when everyone has punk/poppunk/emo band shirts, i like sporting a bob dylan shirt.

ilikebirds #4 ilikebirdsOG 2002

i agree. people shouldn't wear shirts. and by "people" i mean " super hot supermodels"

t shirts are stupid.

unless you're ugly
like me... t shirts rule. ugly people need t shirts for sure..

however if i had a mozart/beet/tcha Classical Rocks shirt.. i'd definately be able to pick up chicks... at least 1... and add that with all the other chicks i have .. thats like... well.. lets see.. 0+1 = 1 full one.. so yea i'd rock

ilikebirds #3 ilikebirdsOG 2002

are these guys good? do they play their instruments well?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXuzVbru2vo&search=dragonforce

i dont know..i dont play in band .. or sing.. i can count to 15 though..
and i have ears

M
#2 monsterEst. 2006
A
#2.1 alexOG 2001

yeah, but thos shirts are poory designed.

M
#1.1 monsterEst. 2006

Ahaaa, Dan U beat me!!

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