First-ever SopranosCon celebrates The Sopranos' legacy

[TMC]

https://variety.com/2019/tv/columns/...dt-1203415813/

The Meadowlands Exposition Center hosted the celebration of The Sopranos that wasn't officially sanctioned by HBO, though the pay cable network had no objections to the event. Creator David Chase also gave his blessings. Sopranos fans came appropriately dressed for SopranosCon, reports Arya Roshanian. "Never in my life have I seen so many Adidas tracksuits in one place," says Roshanian. "There was one in every color, some wearing white tank-tops underneath, but mostly there were a lot of bare chests. Of course, there were also costumes and even a costume contest. The most common getup (besides the beloved tracksuits) were rabbit costumes, which is a direct reference to the now-famous scene in which Artie Bucco (John Ventimiglia) shoots a rabbit and subsequently cooks it. But even if you didn’t dress up, just being there made you feel like you were a part of the show."

First-ever SopranosCon was messy and confusing at times, but a glorious and unexpected triumph

Attending the inaugural Sopranos fan convention in New Jersey, Miles Klee says "you could tell where an element of the massive hall was held together with spit and glue. Often this added to the charm, as if some crooked contractor had embezzled the money for materials." He adds: "There were the awkward concessions to fan conference culture overall, a phenomenon that skews more sci-fi and fantasy; I suppose no con is complete without booths of Baby Groot Funko Pops, Star Wars Blu-rays and Hot Topic-style art prints of Jack Skellington. By and large, however, you were struck by a surreal and overwhelming sense of recognition. For a devotee of the series, it wasn’t like being in a room of crappy merch tailored to your interests — it was that, too, I just mean that you also felt at home, the way I do after a long day, when all I can do is sink once more into the world of The Sopranos, a world that is the fictional yet intimately conscious version of the neighborhoods of my youth."