Let’s face it, sometimes we’re the only alt person we know. You might be stuck in a small town, or even if you’re in a larger area, that still doesn’t guarantee fellow travelers. Our other friends might not have the same taste in music, style, or love of spooky things. But just because you’re in an area that doesn’t have other goths, emos, metalheads, punks, etc… doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find like-minded people! Sure they might not be exactly your particular subculture, but it would be nice to find even people that are adjacent and share some similar love for alt culture.
When you are able to make it to concerts, try chatting with people before the show. Band shirts and battle vests are great conversation pieces and an easy way to start a conversation over a shared interest for a band. I once went to a Sabaton concert with one of my friends, we ended up chatting with this guy and hanging out with him during the show. About a year later we were in line to see Band Maid and ran into the same guy! The alt world is smaller in person than online and you’re more likely to meet people if you are able to go to shows. You might not be able to see the friends you make through shows all the time, but you can still text and do meet-ups.
Come October, haunted houses start popping up. A large chunk of people working these types of events as scare actors (haunters) are alternative in some way, shape, or form. In general, working at one of these events is a great time and a fantastic opportunity to make new friends who share a similar interest in alternative culture. Consider looking up local haunted houses near you and think about working at one.
Perhaps not in your town, but are there any game stores nearby? There is a bit of a crossover in nerdy interests and alternative interests as well. It’s not a one-for-one, but you are more likely to find someone into some form of rock or metal music, at one of these places. They also tend to host events such as tabletop role playing game (ttrpg) group events or game tournaments that you can show up at. You may just make some new friends through one of these events.
Another type of event would be conventions or expos. Consider something like the Oddities and Curiosities Expo as that travels around the US, Canada, and Australia at the time of writing this. It is filled with artists with darkly inclined art, vintage items, and a wide aray of odds and ends. I attended it back in 2023 and it was filled with alternative people. If you’re a fan of horror films, there tons and I mean tons of horror film Conventions. The horror film community has a large overlap with alt communities so it won’t be hard to find people. Search for local ones near you and you might just be surpriesed what you find.
One final way is to search online for local groups. Sometimes meetup.com has local alt groups, though they are typically held in larger cities, but it might be a good way to meet people just to make that initial connection. I personally have issues with social media and don’t use it very much, but it can be a possible way to make some alt friends in your area if you join groups dedicated to the topic.
It might be hard to find other alternative people, and you might be the only person you know right now, but hard doesn’t mean impossible. With a little effort you can find your local scene.
How To Find Alt People If There Are None Near You is marked with CC0 1.0
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