Via the No Doubt Store

So some good friends of mine went to the No Doubt concert at Jones Beach over the weekend. I was super jealous, but I decided to ask them anyway what kind of merch was there. As usual, it was just your standard T-shirts– I expected better from Gwen! So I got on Google and I found this promotional toy of the band. The figures look a little creepy, but they did have some unique promotional apparel as well, like belts and underwear. Overall, a job well done for a band that hasn’t come out with a new album in some time.

Via Pop Culture Gifts

I always like to see merch that really ties into what a band is all about, and this promotional incense holder for The Grateful Dead is a great example of that. This is a band that has inspired a wide variety of merchandise. My dad is a huge Dead Head, and he’s definitely got a few promotional shot glasses with the dancing bears on them laying around his house. And of course, what is possibly my personal favorite, there’s promotional ice cream to commemorate Jerry Garcia.

I don’t really love U2, but I do absolutely love this promotional toy– a Lego set of the band! It really pushes the limits of what you can do with merch– and U2′s been around for a long time, so they’ve probably exhausted their limits of creative possibilities with promotional t-shirts and custom buttons.

Here is some really unique band merch– show your love for Bloc Party safely with promotional condoms! While it’s a little strange, at least they’re promoting responsibilty.

Custom hats are another band merch staple, so it’s nice to see that they come in different styles. The promotional baseball cap is great for summer and warmer months, while the beanie keeps you warm in the winter while still letting you show off your band pride.

I always like to see bands offering merch beyond the typical promotional t-shirts and buttons. I came across this really neat promotional tote bag for Streetlight Manifesto, a ska band I used to listen to a lot in high school. Since girls tend to buy more merch at shows than guys do, it makes sense that they would start make gender-specific merch. I wonder how long it will take them to come out with custom personal care products like makeup bags and travel kits– that would definitely be a unique way to show loyalty to a band!

Promotional posters are standard merch for any band, and they’re the ultimate way for fans to show loyalty– you won’t put a poster up in your dorm room for everyone to see and judge unless you really like a band. Back in 2005, Modest Mouse partnered with the Decoder Ring to create a unique poster inspired by a specific lyric or song for each stop of their tour. I couldn’t find the poster for their New York concert, which I went to back in the day , but the above image is from one of the Washington legs of their tour. I really wish they had been giving them away for free at the concert, because they would have made a great collector’s item. Instead all I got was a T shirt, which was way overpriced.

Summer is on its way, and I am getting pumped for concerts and outdoor music festivals. After checking the lineup for this year’s Lollapalooza, I started looking through their old merch. Lollapalooza actually has promotional baby apparel, offering a onesie that says, “does this diaper make my butt look big?” and the Lollapalooza logo. It just goes to show, music– and merch– is for everyone.