What I love about our local music scene

[bassjones]

Okay, we get a lot of hate about the scene sometimes, but I love it.

1. Diversity - I love that LLC fans are also Sankofa fans who are/were also Trainhoppers fans.

2. Open mindedness - LLC came out of nowhere to become the biggest little band here, and what they're playing ain't what's getting airplay right now - anywhere. People here who had never heard of R.L. Burnside are now checking out all sorts of blues artists, and not frat boy blues, but real, foot-stompin', dirty, grungy blues.

3. Great clubs - C-Street, Mid-City, Latch String, Gin Mill, O's, Brass Rail, Sunset, etc... all featuring live, local music. All featuring original music along with cover bands. All featuring cover music that's not necessarily typical bar band fare.

4. This site. This site is on par or better than dedicated local music websites of much larger cities.

5. Whatzup - one of the best local entertainment 'zines of any size town in the country. It's not as big as the Cinci 'zine, but it's on par as far as quality.

6. Outstanding talent - We've got killer jazz musicians (Brian Derek, Todd Harrold, Dan Mowan, Quincy, et. al.), funk musicians, rock musicians, metal bands, R&B groups, rap/hip-hop artists, etc... all in this one little sleepy town.

add your own reasons here. Don't hate. you can start your own thread for that.

[Al Quandt]

Yes I agree. The local music scene has really improved in the last few years. I also agree that LLC had a great amount to do with it.

To add to your list...

LLC fans are also Pleasing Melani fans which where Sealing pandora Fans.

So people who used to really only go see metal/hardcore shows started hanging out with us and enjoying rock/punk/ska type music, which then opened them up to bands like LLC and D Gary.

Thise opens those people who probably would have stuck with the metal the rest of their lives to enjoy other acts like Pmel, LLC, and D Gary.


*Disclaimer
(I use those examples because they are most known to me, not just because its my band or friends of my band)

[zenmandan]

I have a couple of comments about this. I'm sure I'll get lambasted, but oh well.

Bassjones said:
Okay, we get a lot of hate about the scene sometimes, but I love it.

1. Diversity - I love that LLC fans are also Sankofa fans who are/were also Trainhoppers fans.
I agree with this. There seems to be a lot of people that enjoy going out to see new groups.

2. Open mindedness - LLC came out of nowhere to become the biggest little band here, and what they're playing ain't what's getting airplay right now - anywhere. People here who had never heard of R.L. Burnside are now checking out all sorts of blues artists, and not frat boy blues, but real, foot-stompin', dirty, grungy blues.
I disagree here about the open mindedness (not what you're saying about LLC). Sure there's open mindedness if you play in an original band, but play in an all cover band and you're dirt. It seems that several people on here have a real hatred of cover bands, and apparently those that play in them. Those that play in them and talk about it on here always seem to qualify the fact that they're doing covers with "but we're working on adding some orignals too!"

3. Great clubs - C-Street, Mid-City, Latch String, Gin Mill, O's, Brass Rail, Sunset, etc... all featuring live, local music. All featuring original music along with cover bands. All featuring cover music that's not necessarily typical bar band fare.
I agree.

4. This site. This site is on par or better than dedicated local music websites of much larger cities.
I wholeheartedly agree. You guys have done an awesome job with this. By far the best forum of the several that I'm on.

5. Whatzup - one of the best local entertainment 'zines of any size town in the country. It's not as big as the Cinci 'zine, but it's on par as far as quality.
Most of the time a agree, although sometimes it seems they are a bit of a "boys club". You see a lot of stories about the same people/groups. I don't see them doing a lot to push any new and/or up and coming groups. (no, I don't have anyone in mind, just a thought)

6. Outstanding talent - We've got killer jazz musicians (Brian Derek, Todd Harrold, Dan Mowan, Quincy, et. al.), funk musicians, rock musicians, metal bands, R&B groups, rap/hip-hop artists, etc... all in this one little sleepy town.
Agree and disagree. Not with any one person in particular, but I do think some local people fall into the "big fish in a small pond" idea. Sure, there are some great musicians around here, but to put as many of them as some of you do on this high pedestal isn't warranted.

add your own reasons here. Don't hate. you can start your own thread for that.
I'm not hating, just disagreeing on a couple of things.

[MrSpall]

Most of the musicians are open minded about helping each other out.

The Cupcakes would never have gotten any foothold in this town without the help of Pleasing Melani and Left Lane (they're getting a lot of props in this thread huh?) Without Munger, Taco Tony, and Cathy Serrano we'd probably still have just the same 12 fans we started with. Conley has gotten us gigs at Mid-City and Munchies. Without all of you guys we'd be stuck in a rut playing coffee shops - no one is willing to take a chance on an acoustic duo without some pretty heavy support (and I understand that outlook.)

The crowds and bar-owners are especially supportive as well. I can't think of more than two rough crowds we've seen in all our shows thus far in the Fort. The only bar manager I ever had an issue with became incredibly cool when I asked him to see my side of things.

I've never felt like we got screwed by anyone in this town - and that's saying a lot.

And lastly, I'm addicted to this site. Sometimes I don't even look too hard at the music areas. The site itself has created an online community that I feel has embraced me - and I in turn embrace it.

That is why I love Fort Wayne's music scene.

[bassjones]

Dan, I hear you, believe me. Oddly enough, people are so open-minded about originality that they're closed minded to playing covers.

[zenmandan]

Wow Brad. Not the response I thought I'd get. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling that way. Thanks for not reading into what I said and thinking it was some sort of attack.

[Dagwood Lee]

There is no scene. Let it go, boys. Let it go. Embrace the emptiness that is the Fort. Let it envelop you, hold you, and comfort you. Piere's calls, and it loves us all with an abiding love. Lite beer. Nostalgia bands. Techno beats. Karaoke. These are the elements that comprise the true "scene" and we must not forget this.

[Al Quandt]

I respect cover bands.

The reason that most musicians dont is because they are young. They are full of dreams of being the next best thing. There is nothing wrong with that.

I, myself, I am joining one right now. I realize "make it" or not, i am an adult, whether I like it or not. I want to make music the rest of my life.

Those who want to be original their whole life and a good time for those who just wanted to be a musician from day one.

[Garr]

Well, I have done both. A lot. This is what I can tell you about playing covers. It's forking hard. Yeah, some of them are so damned easy and boring that it's enough to put you to sleep, but if you listen (and I mean REALLY listen) there are nuances to every song that get missed by a cover band. I think a cover band should a) play it just like the CD b) totally revamp it into their own sound or c) not play covers. Learning songs really builds your fundamentals and works out your ear and gives you a sense of accomplishment that is easier to realize than playing original music. You can go ten practices with a new original song and still not be sure if it's any good. After one or two practices with a cover song, you know how much closer you are to playing it right.

On the other hand, there is a certain sense of pride that comes along with writing your own material. There's a good chance you're not doing anything new, so I'm not sure I want to call them originals, but I guess they are. I just prefer to call it song writing. I like song writing. I'm so picky, though, that sometimes it's really really hard to get what I want. Playing a cover song can ease that tension, add some fun back into a practice (or set of practices) and get you back on track.

Listening to other songs also nets you some ideas. I paraphrase Clapton when I say that you have to just listen, then listen some more, and finally listen some more before going to write your own songs.

Anyhow, I have nothing to say about the scene. I haven't really been a part of it for going on 2.5 years, so I don't know if it's any better or worse than before, but I do know that cover bands (especially the ones making a lot of money and playing all the time) get a bad rap for no good reason. Some of the covers they play are far more engaging, challenging, and better written than some of the drudge that I have heard.

[conley]

Jones, you did it again.........very well said.

It's easy to take things for granted, but I think we have a pretty good thing going on in this area........There are a lot of larger cities that have far less to offer, from a music scene perspective, than our little 'ole town of Ft. Wayne.

[The_Dude]

I just like O's pizza. All you bands can go to hell.

[Oliver's Army]

How many people have actually lived in another (larger) city long enough to experience and struggle thru their respective 'scene'?

Many of the other music boards I have visited all have the same general complaints and conversations.

[bassjones]

How many people have actually lived in another (larger) city long enough to experience and struggle thru their respective 'scene'?

Many of the other music boards I have visited all have the same general complaints and conversations.

I have. I'm telling you, this little town kills Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit (except hip-hop and/or hardcore), Kalamazoo, etc... Ann Arbor's cool, but snobbish. Jackson blows chunks. That's just Michigan. Toledo, OH can't hold a candle to what we got.

[GoDownProductions]

2. Open mindedness - LLC came out of nowhere to become the biggest little band here, and what they're playing ain't what's getting airplay right now - anywhere. People here who had never heard of R.L. Burnside are now checking out all sorts of blues artists, and not frat boy blues, but real, foot-stompin', dirty, grungy blues.

I'm one of them. God I love that shlt! Thanks LLC.

[echosauce1]

For me with cover bands it all comes down to what they cover and how good they are at it.

I have heard some bands play a variety of old stuff, some new, some lesser known stuff and some new takes on things which can be entertaining.

What I hate is walking into a bar and hearing another subpar band rehash the same godsmack, nickleback, top forty songs (basically the same sh*t I hate on the radio that gets played every hour) but still fall far from even sounding remotely as good as the original, (if that can be done, since I don't like it anyways)

Not sure that makes sense but I tried.

I know everybody starts somewhere so I'm not trying to be harsh and bash. Just my opinion.