What's up peeps? Just chillin' on this end. I've been meaning to write an editorial for awhile now. And seeing as how I don't have enough articles for this month's edition, I figured now would be a good time. The only problem is, I'm not for sure what I'm going to write about. I guess I could start off by writing a little bit about myself. I'm twenty-three years old, born and raised primarily in Kentucky (no redneck jokes neccessary, thank you). I'm single, kinda. Actually, I met this really cool girl recently who I'm really into. I think she feels the same way, so we're gonna take it slow and see what happens. I'm into tattoos, music, drinking, and basic moral decay (just kidding Mom). I'm really into self-expression and independent thought. I've managed to put out three different underground magazines in the past two years, with the last two - and current one - having a staff of one (I do have a couple people interested in writing for the magazine, so that's a good thing). And (I take pride in this) I have managed to miss damn near every deadline I've ever placed on myself; one of the cool things about writing an underground magazine is that since you're not getting paid, you don't have to stick to a set schedule. Even though I haven't put out a staggering number of issues - four issues of Tribalized, three issues of The Scene and one for Polluted, so far - I still like to think that I've made a contribution to the culture of Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, however small. Now, enough about me. Let's talk about the sounds that shape our lives.
I've been covering the local music scene in Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee for almost a year now, with the Nashville/Clarksville area being my main focus (if you can call it covering, considering the small number of issues I've put out - but that's another story). The majority of the twenty-something bands that I know in the area are either alternative or heavy metal - quite impressive considering the country music stigma that Tennessee has acquired over the years. I've been fortunate to form some friendships with a few of the bands that I write about, but don't worry. I don't let that interfere with the way that I write. If I feel that it's something that they need to hear, I'm not afraid to write it. The musicians are working hard to lay a foundation for a good scene, even though there is still way too much competition going on in my opinion. There is a lot of talent in this area that isn't getting noticed, just as I'm willing to bet there is a lot of talent in your area that gets about the same exposure. Something needs to be done to fix that. The only way to earn more exposure is by getting more people to show up for the shows, bringing us to our next topic of discussion.
The bands wouldn't be anything without the people who support them, whether through buying CDs and shirts or coming to the shows or checking out the bands' websites. Even though the majority of the shows that the bands put on attract a decent-sized crowd, I think that the turn-out could be a helluva lot better. In fact, a lot of the people that I talk to didn't know that Clarksville has as good a scene as it does. I personally think that sucks. These bands need incentive to continue playing their music, and nothing provides incentive like a huge crowd going off to the tunes. I'm not for sure what can be done to get more support; in fact, the bands themselves struggle with this issue. A big part of the problem is the lack of under-age venues in Clarksville. The age restrictions that the clubs must impose on their patrons can't be circumvented. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to start an underage club. The only thing that I can do is keep bitching. Maybe someone with some stroke will hear.
That's about all that I can think of for this edition, so I'll sign off by saying support the local music in your area. All the big name bands had to start somewhere, so you just might get to see the next big thing before they were anything. Until next issue, peace out.
