Sufjan Stevens, and yes that’s the first time his name has appeared in print without a glowing descripter like “golden-boy” or “everyone’s favorite indie artist” or “Lovechild of Yanni and Satan” in front of it, has written an essay entitled “Friend Rock” that i found somewhat amusing.

But have you heard about Friend Rock? It’s very simple: you are going to a show not so much as a fan of the music, but as a fan of your friend, the musician, on stage. There are various incarnations, of course: you may know the singer, the drummer, or the bass player; you may have dated the keyboardist years ago; you went to high school with the trumpet player; one of them is your housemate, your office mate, your soul mate; or it may be “friendly-professional.”

It made me think of the Square Pegs, and for that reason i offer you the link for your reading enjoyment.

bryan