I used to think merch was a waste of money, but then I went to my first concert. Smartphones didn’t exist back then, and so my friend and I couldn’t really capture the moment. “How am I supposed to remember this?” I wondered. Then, on the way out, I found the answer: a black t-shirt with the band’s logo on it.
Since then, I try to buy a t-shirt at every concert I go to. If not, I’ll order one online after the fact. I know, I know. “Photos and videos last forever! They’re free to take!” But maybe that’s exactly why they feel cheap and ephemeral. How often do you look back through the pics on your phone? Back when we had to make photo albums, the effort made reminiscing a necessity. But if pics are snapped in seconds and always accessible, well, why look at them today?
A t-shirt, on the other hand, for all its perishability, is something you easily can—and likely want to—grab and wear every day. Open the closet, remember the concert. An ever-present experience that extends far beyond the two hours of that one night 18 years ago. Beautiful!
Buy the merch for the memories you want to cement in your soul. You don’t need to be decked out in your favorite stories at all times, but the occasional t-shirt to commemorate a magical night can go a long way.
