As the music scene buzzes with excitement, one question looms over fans attending live shows: what do you call the dedicated followers who voyage from concert to concert across the country?
During a recent outing to a Harry Mack show at Soma in Point Loma, a conversation sparked this inquiry.
“Lot lizards?” a friend suggested.
“No,” I retorted, correcting him with a chuckle — that’s a term reserved for truck stop prostitutes.
Finding the right label for these super fans proved challenging; the term ‘superfans’ felt too generic, while ‘groupies’ conjured images of those who travel with the band or gain backstage access for more intimate interactions.
One night at the Harry Mack show presented a golden opportunity to identify these ardent supporters, who seemingly transcended traditional fan classifications.
“Rule number one: don’t skip Harry Mack,” echoed one enthusiastic voice outside the venue.
The line to get into the respected space stretched down the cracked sidewalk, where curious concert-goers peeked through steamy windows of The Arena fighting gym, catching a glimpse of fighters sparring inside.
This slice of Point Loma, complete with a concert arena, fighting gym, picture frame shop, and kite store, gleamed with peculiar charm.
The Harry Mack performance, characterized by its interactive nature, quickly opened my eyes to the multi-faceted engagement of his fanbase, particularly in the realm of wordplay.
Mack, the talented Portland hip-hop artist boasting millions of social media followers worldwide, consistently draws fans to his shows with promises of unique experiences.
With so many eager to attend, it wasn’t surprising to learn that avid fans, once introduced to Harry Mack’s charismatic improvisation, would chase after him across venues.
Prior to hitting the stage, a QR code lit up the screen, inviting fans to contribute word suggestions for Mack to riff on during the concert.
I eagerly threw in my suggestion, “ham,” only to be met with disappointment when it wasn’t chosen.
Admittedly, it wasn’t the most innovative choice, but my loyalty remained strong.
The final selection of words was a mix of the peculiar and poetic: vanish, encapsulate, skrrt, polyrhythm, forensics, paradiddle, seismic, destruction, diabolical, odyssey, and mischievous.
The audience leaned darker during the improvisation, but despite that, I couldn’t stomach the fact that Mack didn’t take a swing at rhyming with ‘ham’ — an open invitation that went unheeded, a disgrace in my eyes.
As the show concluded and the crowd spilled out into the parking lot, I felt the electric energy washing over us.
The once vibrant fighting gym now sat shrouded in darkness, while a brisk wind whisked through the air, carrying with it the spicy aroma of sizzling hot dogs.
A vendor was dishing out bacon-wrapped hot links, a treat I couldn’t resist despite my initial longing for ham.
I approached the metal cart and plunked down my seven-dollar bill for a delicious dog.
Just as I finished placing my order, a fellow concert-goer, Bryan from Riverside, jumped in line behind me, doubling down on his order with three more.
Curiosity piqued, I asked, “They’re that good?”
“Yes,” Bryan affirmed with a nod.
“I’ve got my family with me, so I should probably feed them too,” he added, gesturing towards his minivan parked nearby.
As our conversation unfolded, Bryan revealed that he was on a multi-state pilgrimage to follow Harry Mack — and that this Soma concert marked his forty-second show.
Had fortune smiled upon me in the form of finding perhaps Harry Mack’s biggest fan?
Bryan informed me he was scouting the next show in Denver, admitting a commitment that may outshine all others; he had only one competitor ahead of him in the count of live performances: a staggering 45 shows.
“I’m going to miss the Dublin show,” he lamented of Mack’s upcoming European tour, “but I’ll be catching the rest in London, Brussels, Netherlands, Berlin, and Paris—my second Euro-trip for Harry Mack.”
Bryan proceeded to share a cherished video where Mack acknowledged him personally during a birthday shout-out, showcasing the bond forged through unwavering attendance.
As Bryan envisioned surpassing that formidable number of live performances after the upcoming Euro-tour, the question loomed large: what do you call such an unwavering supporter?
As I pondered this, all I was left with was my original suggestion: ‘ham.’
image source from：https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2025/apr/17/fans-follow-harry-mack-to-soma-in-point-loma/
