LipstickStains

12.27.25

Back in July of this year, I helped on a music video shoot for Fear State, a rock band out of Fayetteville. They had hired the great Jaiden (formerly) Frost to do their “Stand-Up” video. Since Jaiden thinks I’m cute, I get to tag along to these endeavors. After the video shoot wrapped for the day, Fear State did a live show with “Crooked Cult” and “Calm” opening for them. This was my first time seeing the Cult perform live, and I fell in love. Truth be told, the moment I actually fell in love with the band was the moment their guitarist walked in with his beautiful hair and fresh ass outfit looking like he was straight out of “Daisy Jones and the Six”, but I’m a sucker for pretty boys, which is only one of the many amazing things Crooked Cult brings to their sets.  

I knew I loved Crooked Cult’s crowd the moment I saw them for the first time. This feeling was confirmed in the months following by the FOMO I would get seeing post-show social media dumps from the band and fans, an unspoken ritual I’ve picked up on through following the band. The morning after shows,that I wouldn’t even be aware had happened, my Instagram stories and timeline would be flooded with pictures and videos taken by audience members, and shared by the band. It’s a representation of the kind of connection the band shares with their audience, and this translates to the stage. The entire band holds a talent for not only interacting with the crowd, but taking control of it. It seems each member has their own individual group of fanboys worshiping them, and this only adds to the ambiance of their shows. These aren’t tiny shows with people who have maybe heard of the band before. No, these boys truly have a cult following; you can have confidence that the larger part of the pit knows every lyric to every song. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a seasoned fan to enjoy their shows, though; the community they’ve built is still fun and lively and enjoyable even if you’re not drooling at the band’s feet. I hung towards the back for the majority of the evening, standing as tall as I could on my tiptoes to try and catch glimpses of the pit and the boys performing, and each time the crowd built and broke and pushed and pounced, I felt the electricity in the room. It’s freeing being in that environment, somewhere where you can’t see anything but the band, you can’t hear anything but the music, and you can’t feel anything but the crowd. Nothing else matters; you can just exist, right where you are.

Another thing I love about Crooked Cult’s fan base is that they buy merch! If you don’t know, buying merch from local bands is one of the best ways to support them. They are very frequently not being paid to play, and in some cases have to actually pay the venue to perform there. Doors and bar never give a cut to the band, so they rely pretty much entirely on merch sales, and you best believe my boys have some of the best merch in the local game (imo). Their t-shirt designs are understated and cool, my personal favorite type of merch, as it’s not screaming in your face about what it is, but still makes you want to pay attention to it. They recently branched out a bit with their merch by partnering with Danville Skate Shop and created new clothing designs and even custom boards, a decision that appears to be paying off for them as the merch booth stayed consistently busy, and I watched as crowd members excitedly took their new decks to their cars. The only note I have for merch is not about Crooked Cult, but rather literally any creator with merch: WEAR YOUR OWN SHIT!!! 1. It makes the merch cooler and 2. It ensures you’re making good merch. I hear so many artist talk about not wanting to look lame wearing their own designs, and that is so silly to me. Why would you expect people to spend their money on wearing something that you yourself don’t even want to wear? but thats just me

I’m really looking forward to going to more Crooked Cult shows and getting to know the band a bit more. While the majority of my contact with them has mostly been secondary, the interactions I’ve witnessed around me have proven the guys to be kind and considerate. Even taking time to greet us coming in was something I was pleasantly surprised by, and showed me that these boys care about what they do and the community they build. This isn’t a show where the crowd goes unnoticed. Throughout the evening, the show stopped multiple times for found items on the floor, picking fallen people up, and breaking up fights rather than ignoring them. I also took note that at both shows, I saw how girl-friendly their fans are. I never witnessed a moment where a female was in a compromising position at their shows, and when girls would step into the pit, they were either given space or carefully looked after. This environment has led to the best thing for any band: fangirls. Fangirls are the backbone of any successful artistic venture, and whether or not the boys of Crooked Cult know this, they do a very good job of taking care of their girls. And if we can’t convince other bands to look out for women just because it’s the right thing to do, maybe they’ll listen once they realize it’s good business.

Well, there it is, my rave review of Crooked Cult. I’m excited to watch this band grow and develop. I truly believe that if they play the game right, they’ll make it big, but for now, I’ll take advantage of the cheap tickets.