> A devoted cult seems to be much better, at least to me.

There is a certain audience size which is appealing because of the ability
to see the performers in a club/theatre setting instead of a hockey rink or
stadium - too small a following and the band may never come to your town.
The devoted cult following will take care of that with events like IPO,
Garage Shock, (the Psych festival whose name I can't spell Ptol ... sumthin'
sumthin') - which allow people to go on a fun trip and meet strangers they
will probably get along with.

In a small city like I am in - there is only one independent record store
and all the people in town who look beyong the mainstream for something more
shop there.  The store stocks punk, pop, psyche, rap, jazz, country, indie,
trance, brit-pop, garage, emo, etc. etc.  There are people who hang at the
record store, and these are the same people that go to the shows and most
will go to a show outside their specialty just because they are music people
and they know everyone else will be there and you have to keep your local
clubs viable by spending money.

And since our specialty shops aren't specialized themselves there is an
understanding that I like what I like and you may not, but that's fine since
we are both spending a large amount of our time and money trying to find
what we do like - and any lack of respect for the mainstream music listeners
comes from the fact that they take what they get and there is very little
effort put into their purchases.

Most mainstream music buyers do not want to be 'saved' - they choose to
spend their time and money on things that interest them.  I could make 10
compilation CDs for a friend to try to 'fix' them - they would enjoy the
music - but nothing I could do would make them start buying fanzines, scour
the internet for new band, spend their paycheck on eBay, fly to and IPO
festival etc.  Music just isn't a primary force in their lives - it's like
if they told me I had no fashion sense because I've worn the same make and
model of jeans for 15 years - I wouldn't be insulted and I wouldn't change
by behavior either because being fashion concious has absolutely no interest
for me.  I buy most of my clothes based on the band that's on the shirt.
There are people who are looking so something better but have no idea where
to start - and molding one of them into your own image can be fun - but they
will always turn on you in the end because everyone need bands they've
discovered on their own.

And the people who are focused on another genre are handy to have around
bacause they've done the work for you and can help you get that 'Essential
20 Rap Albums' - which is probably all I will ever need - cuz I've already
picked my major - and there aren't enough hours in my life to 'get' it all.

Most collector types I know have an affinity for the mainstream music they
grew up on - and none for the current mainstream - because they no longer
listen to those stations, buy at those stores, and they have fewer friends
who would expose then to it.  I still love every album I loved as a kid, but
it would be almost impossible -now- to aquire a taste for that same music
had I not been exposed to it.  I even have bad ideas like - 'Wouldn't it be
cool to get a bunch of bands to re-record the songs on the 'Phantom of the
Paradise' soundtrack?'.

I picked power pop because I love the sound of the guitars in the verses
with the little muted 'chunk chunk chunk' - I could own 5000 songs builtlike
that and not get sick of it - and if I can't find any to buy I have to plug
in the guitar and make the sound myself.  I'm pretty sure that's the extent
of my depth.

Hope this wasn't annoying,
Lee Elliott