An Entity...

General discussion about The Avett Brothers
LeighAnne74
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:08 pm

An Entity...

Postby LeighAnne74 » Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:18 pm

Being a fan is a funny thing. Aside from The Beatles, I’ve never loved another band in the same way that I do The Avett Brothers. I was born 5 years after The Beatles broke up, so I set myself up for some pretty intense interrogation when during my middle school years (hey, it was already a sinking ship), I got ridiculed and criticized for loving such an ancient band while other girls my age were swooning over NKOTB. :roll:

So of course now that I have officially entered the mid-life years and anything I embark upon that is fun or enjoyable can be viewed as a “crisis”, I find myself sometimes under the microscope when it comes to my…..
fandom (okay,obsession :D ) with The Avett Brothers. It’s not that I feel pressure to necessarily justify anything on my part.
The frustration stems from not being able to solidly put my finger on what it is in a way to verbally connect others to the pulse of what it’s all about.

Most folks just want to know what the music sounds like. I hate this type of lazy! You can’t be bothered to give ‘em a listen? If I don’t compare them to another band you like, then you close the door? And that is a big part of “the thing”. Obviously, they don’t sound like anyone else.
They truly defy classification on so many levels. But I think I have finally figured out what it is. This thing. This hitch that always
gnaws at me when I am trying to convey how great they are and what they mean to me. The Avett Brothers are more than just a band.
They are an entity.

When I read Seth’s letter yesterday it was like the tapping of a hammer for me--- placing all these half driven, tiny little nails comfortably in their resting place. Often times when we are enamored with an artist, we make some (overly positive) assumptions of who they are as people. We have a connection to the music so we feel like we know them. 99% of the time we would be wrong. But, I think we have a rare exception with this band. Seth said it himself in describing the reflective nature of their songs. And James Dean cloak or not, that realness has always been there!!

I love this band for wearing their hearts on their sleeve. I love them for not letting fame/success change who they are but perhaps letting it enhance them as people. I love how family oriented and committed to each other they are. I love that in going through some of the toughest moments of my life, I have this beautiful catalogue of songs to help get me through it. I love that in my bland and ordinary 9-5 existence (“I’d work a 9-5 for you” IS romance!), I have multiple shows per year to look forward to because at these shows I feel free, electrified, and alive.
I love The Avett Brothers because they are: Prolific extractors of Truth.
Whew! That has been a long time coming. Thanks for letting me borrow your hammer, Seth. ;)

PS: I was a very active person in the Avett Nation group on FB. Just want to let y’all know I’m still here. Just needed a break from FB.
Not sure if I will be back or not. It has proven to be a positive experiment for me. See you all at shows this summer and can’t wait to sign that banner! Keep in touch: lahaynie74@gmail.com 678-469-7809

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mao
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:53 pm

Re: An Entity...

Postby mao » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:04 pm

If there was a like button for this post, I'd hit it twice.
Thanks for sharing your obvious love for the band.
It can be very much like family.
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ramseurrecords
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Location: Concord, NC
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Re: An Entity...

Postby ramseurrecords » Sat Mar 19, 2016 9:59 pm

I agree with Mao. You nailed it.

LeighAnne74
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:08 pm

Re: An Entity...

Postby LeighAnne74 » Sat Mar 19, 2016 10:18 pm

Connecting with other fans truly solidifies the greatness of the band as well. There is definitely a connection created by the message of the music. I've yet to meet another fan that wasn't genuinely kind. I'm glad I was able to put into words what they mean to me. Not sure words are always enough but it feels nice to express it!

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Michelle
Posts: 50
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2016 5:04 pm
Location: Charlotte
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Re: An Entity...

Postby Michelle » Wed Mar 23, 2016 3:23 pm

LeighAnne I completely agree!!! I have stories of people opening their hearts, wallets, homes and lives to strangers because of the band/music. We're all a big group of people who care about each other and I truly am proud to be a part of. I'm as happy to see the band as much as the crew and my friends when we all get together. People try to label it as an obsession or say I'm a groupie, or even say the same - that I'm hitting some sort of mid-life crisis. It's none of those.. it's a group of people who connect because of a band.. because of words... because of music. I choose to make time, spend my money and travel around for this reason. I think we all get the sense of positivity, hope, and community from it.

I'm so thankful that I've stumbled into this little world with people like you. I hope that they get the same feeling from us that we get from them. Thanks for sharing that :)

LeighAnne74
Posts: 37
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:08 pm

Re: An Entity...

Postby LeighAnne74 » Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:56 pm

LeighAnne I completely agree!!! I have stories of people opening their hearts, wallets, homes and lives to strangers because of the band/music. We're all a big group of people who care about each other and I truly am proud to be a part of. I'm as happy to see the band as much as the crew and my friends when we all get together. People try to label it as an obsession or say I'm a groupie, or even say the same - that I'm hitting some sort of mid-life crisis. It's none of those.. it's a group of people who connect because of a band.. because of words... because of music. I choose to make time, spend my money and travel around for this reason. I think we all get the sense of positivity, hope, and community from it.

I'm so thankful that I've stumbled into this little world with people like you. I hope that they get the same feeling from us that we get from them. Thanks for sharing that :)

Hi Michelle! Hope I get to meet you at a show this year!! I miss interacting with you and the other AN peeps on FB. Trying to limit my social media usage these days. Good to see you on here. :)

AvettMama
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2016 8:37 pm

Re: An Entity...

Postby AvettMama » Thu Apr 07, 2016 9:38 pm

This is so well said, and spot on.
I truly hope the band understands how many lives they have changed, in very real and very beautiful ways.


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