Let me take you back to 1997 (or was it 1998?) My friend and I had tickets to see Kattfest (or some rock type fest). As my friend and I were deciding on a place to eat, we heard on the radio that The Nixons had decided at the last minutes to sign autographs at a small, local record shop. We forgot about dinner and headed straight over. When we reached the band, all the guys signed a picture for us. One member, Zac Maloy, had a relaxed, more than "what's your name", conversation with us. I had an extra picture for the band to sign for my brother. Zac asked his name (of course) and where he was that night. My brother had recently had a horrific car accident where he and his girlfriend were hit by a drunk driver. Zac showed genuine sincerity over the news and wished my brother and family well. He signed his name with a special note of well wishes to my brother. My brother still has that signed photo today.
The next day Zac was out and about with the crowd. He saw us from afar and called to us. We exchanged hellos. Zac remembered not only our faces, but our names. How often that does happen? He asked about my bother (by name). We had a pleasant conversation with Zac.
That day I turned from a fan to a loyal fan as I fell in love with with the experience of meeting the band. None of us will ever forget that day, that band, and, especially, Zac. The connection we made from that in-person interaction is priceless and memorable. Even without the conversation, I would have remembered the band. Honestly, I don't remember any other bands from that event. No one else bothered to meet their fans in person, therefore, they missed out on the opportunity to build loyal fans.