Clean and Sober Spaces in Music Fandom

[jesse_the_k]

The Yellow Balloon Movement by Maria Temming

Within jam band fandoms often dominated by substance use, clean and sober fans are building their own communities

Fansplaining — a podcast and publication by, for, and about fandom — published a thoroughly reported piece, in both text and audio, about mutual aid and peer support for recovering addicts and alcoholics in jam band fandom. The Grateful Dead set the pattern for musicians who celebrate substance use while creating a nomadic community of listeners. Maria Temming dives deep into when and how clean and sober fans are building safe spaces within these communities:

Phish fans are also known for pairing their musical experiences with a variety of drugs and alcohol, and when the air is sour with the scent of weed and beer and a good portion of fans are high on psychedelics or other substances, a Phish show can be an isolating or even triggering place for those in addiction recovery. Luckily for those fans, there is somewhere to go—and it’s right here in the arena. 

At this particular show, that place is a table in the arena concourse with a tablecloth reading “Phellowship” in bold yellow letters, a bouquet of yellow balloons taped high on the wall behind it. The Phellowship is the Phish fandom’s yellow balloon group, a cohort of clean and sober fans united by their desire to enjoy concerts drug- and alcohol-free. (This story uses “clean,” “sober,” and other descriptors for fans according to how they self-identify.) [… snip …]

“The jam band scene is a fanbase that is largely constructed around the historical consciousness of the Grateful Dead and their fans, the Deadheads,” Brillhart says, and he explains that there are two defining features of Deadhead culture that prime the scene for yellow ballooning. 

First, the drugs. “Psychedelics have always been at the root of the jam band music scene, and they continue to be,” Brillhart says. But jam band fans indulge a broad menu of other substances, too, inspiring one fan in a 2019 documentary to describe the scene as “Disneyland for drunks and addicts.” To be clear, getting drunk or high at a show does not make someone an addict. But “where there are drugs, there are sober people,” Brillhart says, creating potential demand for something like a yellow balloon group.    The second key feature of the jam band scene positions it well to meet that demand: its in-person, communal nature. More than radio plays, album purchases, or online streams, live music is the heart of the jam band scene—particularly live music with fluid setlists full of freewheeling improvisation, enticing fans to attend lots of concerts. Like, dozens. Sometimes hundreds. Fans run into each other repeatedly at shows across the country and eagerly invite newcomers into the fold, creating concert audiences that can feel more like communities than crowds.

https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/the-yellow-balloon-movement

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

I was impressed by the marketing: using a visually loud signifier (yellow balloons, banners and stickers) helped the organizers connect with their people as well as teach the larger group about their presence and utility.

I was amazed to learn that the Yellow Balloon concept has spread to other fandom cultures which celebrate substance use. In Wisconsin, alcohol consumption is loudly celebrated before all sporting events -- the state tourism office provides 10 tips on better tailgating. Hence a sober support stations at the Green Bay Packers home field.

[sonia]

What a great article! Thanks for linking. So glad people are finding support for attending events sober, and gaining community along with it.

[kshandra]

My late husband introduced me to both the Grateful Dead and the Wharf Rats when we were first involved thirtymumble years ago. We had a One Show At A Time sticker on our bedroom mirror until earlier last year, when it moved to his desk; desk and sticker are both in storage now. I have been fortunate enough to avoid substance issues in my life thus far, but I'm glad the yellow balloons are out there.

[jesse_the_k]

I’m sorry for your loss and glad the Wharf Rats helped you maintain your joy in fandom.