Nicole Brodeur / Times staff columnist
Listening to sound of your music

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I mean, you can try. But these days I'd much rather be listening to Bob Dylan or Nina Simone or David Sedaris on stage at Carnegie Hall.

I've joined the iPod People.

We walk around with those little white buds in our ears, white wires running from them like human jumper cables, and smug little smiles on our faces.

It's what happens when you tune out the world and tune into your own soundtrack.

And when you're old enough to recall playing records on a Close'n Play, a sort of lottery-winner shock sets in.

I've been caught up in pop-culture events before: the yellow wristband, the rainbow of ribbon pins and the dog-eared copy of the Starr Report.

But this is different. By separating myself from the noise of daily life, I find I have joined a community. I pass people on the street and exchange what the Apple folks call the "iPod nod," the hands-free handshake of people who keep one hand on their click wheel.

In the third quarter of this year, Apple sold 806,000 iPods. This past quarter, it sold more than 2 million.

Seems the iPod has plugged into three generations: The Gen-Xs and Gen-Ys who brought downloaded, digital music into the mainstream, and the baby boomers who love having a "playing platform" to take with them.

"The ownership of technology and music is not just for youth," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, in Campbell, Calif. "It's spread across the entire age spectrum."
 
And companies are responding with docking and speaker systems, and events.

Seth Howard owns the Collins Pub, beside Seattle's Smith Tower, where he sees iPod People everywhere.

"Those things have spread like wildfire," Howard said. "My circle of friends went from two iPods to eight, and now I'm the only one who doesn't have one."

Even Howard's 58-year-old father bought one to go along with his new Honda Element, which has a direct input line. ("He's obsessed.")

Next month, Collins will hold regular "iPod nights," where owners can share their playlists with the crowd.

Howard gave it a test run a few months ago but had a slim turnout. "And they were all geeks. I guess we were a little ahead of the curve."

Over at the Apple Store at University Village, Mike and Jessica Mora were collecting accessories for their iPod, which is now the "command center" of their home.

Mike Mora loves iTunes, which allows you to download songs for 99 cents each.

"If you don't make a lot of money, but you love music, you can try a lot of things that you're not sure about."

One thing I'm sure about: I'm a goner.

When my iPod started operating erratically, the "genius" at the Mac Store "Genius Bar" said he had to take it back.

Heads turned and fellow iPod People looked at me with pity, the way barflies must when one gets cut off.

"For how long?" I asked, as if my iPod were a pacemaker.

Four days, it turned out. And I lived — but didn't nod nearly as much.

Reach Nicole Brodeur at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com.

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