Jump to content

It's Summer-Are You Supporting the Local Talent


thebes

Recommended Posts

Too many old duffers like me hang out here. Hunker down and spend the winter pounding the circulation back into our arthritic knees. Spend the Spring coughing up phlegm, and the summer snoozing under a tree.

But then again, it's summer, time to pretend we're young again. the nights grow longer, time to catch an early evening show and get home by dark, and our 9Pm bedtime.

For me, it's also the best time of the year to check out the local talent. Their not cooped up in some beer soaked dive (ah, the smell you'll never forget!). Pale and badly in need of sun, they emerge like toads run out of Toad Hall, threatening to burst or melt when the sun blast's their parchment skin.

Now let's face it, saying the sound sucks at most outside venues maybe the biggest understatement ever uttered on this Forum. Went to something called Herndon Field Days the other night. A very cool local country-swing band sawing away and miked up thru a pair of $89 speakers smaller than Heresy's. Solution, get close enough to the stage so you won't hear the dreck of a sound system.

Gotta love local talent, though. folks with some chops, guts and, enough energy to get off their butts and play for friends and small crowds, just for the sake of playing.

Got a local gal here, works in a paint store I get my supplies from. Her and her friends scratched up the ducats to record and put out a cd. Kept telling her to keep some copies at the store. Today she had some and I picked one up. Glad I did. She's playing at some vineyard fest this weekend. May get out and go see her.

Providing, of course, she's done playing before 9PM.

Oh yeah, Crys Matthews her name.

How about you guys? Keeping the music flowing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last week, a clerk at the music store invited me to check out the band he just joined (he plays keyboards, but wasn't in these videos), so I did. They're called Funk Vigilante and they play funk-metal with a political edge.

I liked the concert enough to buy their CD and it's standing up to repeated listening.

Funk Vigilante - Civil Disobedience:



Funk Vigilante - Top of the World:


Funk Vigilante - Smoke and Mirrors:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great post Thebes!

I work at a local venue Rathskeller Biergarten- we play live music 5 nights a week outdoors weather permitting (have a ballroom and bar we can duck into on bad days). Just got back from a festival in Frankfort KY where my system served the 2nd stage very well. Try to get out and see other bands whenever possible, even when they're not paying me (got to keep my chops up). So yeah, doing my part over here.

Some of the bands who've hit our stage:

Devon Allman (first son of Greg)

Healing Sixes (local rockers who have worked with Jason Bonham and Joe Bonamassa)

Bob Schneider

Blessed Union of Souls

Local blues guitarists Gordon Bonham, Jes Richmond, Benito Debartlo, Gene Deer

Lloyd Dobler Effect (from Baltimore/DC)

Woomblies (local rockers putting together a rock orchestra with string section for Sunday afternoon gigs)

Local booking agent Blonde Entertainment puts on a 'Can You Rock' vocal competition with live backing band on our stage- gives a lot of local talent a showcase, and they frequently go on to front new bands.

Many, many more. There is a lot of talent out there. Folks who complain about 'nothing to do' haven't looked very hard.

Sound system wise, we just finished installing a set of EV line array speakers and doubled our wattage. I now have 6 x Crown K2's under the hood, that's 15,000 horsies. 4 channel monitor mix, good selection of mics, and a couple of engineers that know what's happening.

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zeez Fritz, I'm going to have to get to the Ilsand more often.

Wow Mike, sounds like you've found something new to keep you busy. Great fun, technical stuff, and you get to hear a lot of local groups. Very cool.

Anybody else?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...