If I opened up this article with the phrase “Name three songs,” that would be an enormous cliche. The phrase is everywhere on the internet — there’s even a podcast with the name — memeing a hypothetical meathead who sees you wearing a band shirt (let’s be real, it’s likely Nirvana) and gets up into your physical space to ask if you actually know who you’re repping on your shirt. “Name three songs” has become a jokey catchphrase making fun of these people who think that someone wearing a band shirt and not knowing the band is a cardinal sin. This hypothetical for some is a reality for others, but despite the cringe-inducing interactions these kinds of people stir up, they might have a very, very, very small point.
I’m a woman who wears band shirts. I wear a lot of them, actually, when the situation allows for it. I’ve also been fortunate enough to never run into a person who questioned if I actually listen to the band on my shirt, but that could also be because I’m more gothicly-inclined when it comes to fashion. But what I do have is a shirt my fiancé gave me with the Zildjian logo on it, which has led to many people asking me if I’m a drummer when I wear it. As of writing, I’m about as musically uncoordinated as Lars Ulrich on St. Anger, and the drummer cred belongs solely to my man. But even when I just say that it’s his shirt rather than mine, some people can’t help but give an incredulous squint, a little “Why would you wear that, then?” I don’t know, man, because I like stealing my fiancé’s clothes or something. This is literally a Coffee Bean.
It’s frustrating to have a favorite comfy shirt that may or may not have a band logo on it and get an annoying comment from someone because of it. The fact of the matter is, no matter how much you like Metallica or Nirvana or AC/DC, those band logos are on shirts at your local Target, and if they’re on comfy enough fabric, people are going to buy them. Maybe you’re walking around wearing a band shirt of your partner’s, and it doesn’t matter to you that you don’t listen to the band. In any case, no one should be stopped on the street over a band logo, unless of course it’s something extremely concerning like Mayhem. Or Nicki Minaj.
That being said — Mayhem/Minaj t-shirts aside — it also might be good to know exactly whose shirt you’re wearing if you’re choosing one. For instance, despite the immense popularity of Misfits — arguably seen on as many shirts as Nirvana’s dying smiley face — it’s worth knowing that one of the former singers, Michael Graves, associates with Proud Boys. That being said, since he wasn’t a founding member, this piece of knowledge might not break the band for you. It can equally be argued that wearing the band’s merch doesn’t mean you’re promoting every single thing that the band members stand for, but this view isn’t shared by everybody.
In any case, I would recommend knowing at least a little about the band whose shirt you’re wearing. No, you don’t have to memorize their discography for some jerk on the street to quiz you on. But you might find some interesting trivia, or at the very least know if you do or don’t want to be seen wearing that band’s merch. Or, find a new band you might like?
Ultimately, though, don’t let anyone intimidate you into not wearing something. If you’ve never listened to a single Cannibal Corpse song in your life, wear your boyfriend’s shirt anyway. If you’re the biggest fan of The Sex Pistols to ever walk the earth, don’t feel like you have to indulge some guy’s streetside pub trivia. At the end of the day, it’s clothing with a (most likely) harmless print on it. Learn about the band, or don’t — just stay comfy and look cute.