Did you go through a prog "evangelism" phase?

Yes, I used to do that. Mostly without success, which is probably a common experience.

I find that you usually wind up either "preaching to the choir" or "talking to deaf ears." But if you are very clever and careful you can find people willing to listen. For example, if you find out that someone is already a big fan of Yes, early Genesis or Pink Floyd you might be able to introduce them to lesser known prog. A lot of people claim to be prog fans or fans of something different but don't know what it is or they have lots of old albums by Yes, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Camel, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd, Focus, Strawbs, ELP, etc etc. Obviously they are more than just a casual fan and yet they never got the memo that prog has resurfaced in the past twenty years or so especially on the internet. It is possible to convert people like this. As for younger people it could be trickier. They might not even know Yes so you have to go the Radiohead or Dream Theater route and somehow get them to like this non mainstream(for the most part) kind of music.

Anyway to get back to the original question, I used to consider myself a bit of a prog missionary. I don't think I ever went super crazy with it but whenever I was in a record store and saw someone looking at the Genesis, Yes or any other similar band that indictated to me they might like prog, I would tell them about prog and mention certain websites(including this one). I would usually write down a bunch of bands or sites for them. I did this when I sold on ebay and also at concerts. IT's amazing how many "fringe" or "almost" prog fans there are out there. I was also on the Progday promotions team for a couple of years. Eventually I got tired of "trying to spread the word." I found it kind of futile after a while. I eventually came to realize that the people who need to find prog will. In other words if they are really going to appreciate this kind of music, chances are they are already a fan. There could be, and probably are, plenty of people out there who would like this music but haven't been exposed to it but that's the way it goes. You can't get convert everyone.

Out of the thirty or so people I tried to convert I would guess that maybe five of them(at the most) took the bait.


Edited by Prog_Traveller - September 06 2012 at 22:50

When I first got into prog I did go through this phase. Eventually I learned that everyone's music tastes are based on what they want to get out of listening to music, and that many people do not think the way I do. I've learned to stop declaring my music as better than their music, and instead get to know their tastes to see if I have anything to offer. I have a friend that is especially into electronic music, and I recommend him albums that are more rhythmically driven, not AOR-like, and tend towards a jazzy or experimental sound.

Let's just say: my mother was never fond of prog. Played Mahavishnu, Banco, PFM, and, if I remember correctly, Genesis' Selling England. Nothing. She is still on level 1: PF.

I'm in that phase and can't help it. Luckily I've got my band to get most of the nerdy prog-related stuff said, but I just can't help complaining about how uninteresting other people's favorite music is, and then I start to explain why even though it's obvious that no one cares etc etc... It's quite an issue haha, but well worth it so I shouldn't whine about it :D

I went through an Elvis phase but then I discovered Focus and that was the end of that.

My closest friends and myself grew up together liking prog all of us, oddly because we were all a bit too young for that (born around '65-'66). The kids of our generation became punks and new-waves, the prog train had already passed, but for some reason we were against the tide. In my paticular case the reason was that i was already soaked in prog from a very early age through my older brothers and cousins but this was not the case for some of my friends and yet they were also in love with prog at a time prog was already dead.

I got into prog when punk was kicking off in  a big way, so it was better to keep youtr trap shut for risk of getting a good kicking!

I'm definitely still in this phase. I showed all my friends, and so far, all but two have liked it. My friends are weird though. My family is utterly resistant to it, or rather, can't understand at all what I see in prog. I think they still believe it is just 10 minute drum solos etc.