Behind The Fan: @boygeniusontour 🦷

Written by Kiri Hassinger

With the Band is back with Behind the Fan! We loved getting the chance to interview Sydney, who is the owner of the boygenius fan account @boygeniusontour! She’s from Minesota and has been a fan since 2018! Grab a fun fall snack and join us as we learn all about Sydney’s journey with boygenius. ✨

When Lucy Dacus shared the first boygenius EP on her Instagram account, Sydney, already a fan of Lucy’s, gave it a listen and was immediately hooked on their music. She followed their account early on, when they only had 2,500 followers. boygenius holds a special place in her heart because of their bravery when addressing world-wide injustices and using their platforms to inspire positive change and confidence in many of their young queer listeners. We love how she’s grown alongside boygenius and been able to watch their reach spread all over the world. 🌎

Sydney told us that the songs that mean the most to her are “Salt In The Wound” and “Ketchum, ID.” The lyrics of “Salt In The Wound” are what make the song so special to her, and she gained an even deeper appreciation for the song when boygenius made that their closing song on tour. So many people sent her videos of the band playing the song live that she really felt like her journey with this band had come full circle. Sydney said she felt a deep connection with the lyrics of “Ketchum ID.” As a lesbian growing up in a very traditional town that didn't give much support to the LGBTQ+ community, she looked forward to moving to a big city and finding the acceptance she craved. It’s amazing that Sydney found a community she belonged with and has connected with so many fellow fans of boygenius! 🏳️‍🌈

When asked about her favorite boygenius memory, Sydney chose the night that she saw the bad perform at Red Rocks in Denver, CO. Through her account, she created and shared a fan project that resulted in an enormous rainbow in the audience during “Ketchum ID.” Head over to her account Instagram and check out the second pinned post to see pictures, videos, and direct quotes from that night! 🌈

Sydney said that if she could plan a boygenius concert, she would love to see them at First Avenue in Minneapolis. She picked Julia Jacklin as the ideal opener, and would love to hear their cover of “Read My Mind” by The Killers. We’d definitely want tickets to that show! 🤍

Sydney’s favorite part of having a fan account is having the privilege to interact with such a wide variety of fans. She’s met so many kind people of all ages from over 50 countries. She’s had some truly unforgettable interactions, especially with older fans and younger queer fans who have not been able to come out yet. She said that the best experience she’s had through her account was when she created a book full of messages from international fans to deliver to boygenius' team. In response, she received over 250 heartfelt messages for the book. She loved having the opportunity to connect all of the international fans who weren’t able to see the band live with Phoebe Bridges, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and the entire boygenius team. We know how important connection between fans and artists is, and hearing about this project warms our hearts. 🥰

If Sydney could give any message to boygenius, it would be: "Thank you so much for fostering a community of love and acceptance for me and many other queer people around the world for these past five years. Your immense bravery and honesty never go unnoticed, and the world is better for it. Keep being true to yourselves because y'all are cool as hell!" 🫶

Learning about Sydney’s journey of love for boygenius is emotional and inspiring. We loved talking to her and learning about her deep connection with the boygenius fan community. We hope that this interview reaches even more boygenius fans and brings them to a community where they find love and acceptance. 🦷

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