I've always wanted to be able to speak my mind, and this column often gives me the medium to do so. Of course, not entirely. I do have to censor myself, or risk flaming someone unjustly. Fire signs have a tendency to do that. So what I will attempt to do this month is speak my mind, semi-censored of course, while diverting a bit from the more abstract topics and issues I've discussed here in the past.
What do I want to talk about this month? My local music scene (or lack thereof), as the title says. As some of you may have found out from past articles, I live on the island that is long, better known as Long Island, New York. In many ways, it is an island, cut off from the mainland by that stuff that makes up 80 % of our bodies. Yes, we live close to a big...a very big city, but you travel 120 miles east of that city to the end of our precious island, and you would barely know that you were in NY. You don't even have to go that far. 80 or so miles will get you into areas that are rural enough to be the Midwest.
And what does that have to do with the music scene? I'll tell you. People here have their own delusional views of what makes good music, most of them still lost in the supergroup heyday of the 70's and early 80's. Things change, but people will still preciously hold on with a death grip to the "good 'ol days"...the heyday when the 'ol folks can reminisce back to when life was good. Life is good, now. It could be better, but when you're in the prime of life, you don't want to think about things like that.
And you don't want to think about the lack of interest in things like new music, which there is plenty of on the island. L.I. has always had talent. Take a look at all the people that have come from here: Billy Joel, Steve Vai, Twisted Sister, Joe Satriani, The Stray Cats, to mention a few..and that's only the music. The number of actors and other entertainers are almost double the number of musical acts and artist that have been successful, so there's no problem there.
What is the problem, you ask? As I've said before...music needs a voice. Oh...it has a voice, more like a representative, anyway. Bar and club owners who think that they know what people want, when they never even ask people, much less come down to their establishment to see what works. Then they make decisions based on financial figures, rather than what is reality. This is nothing new, of course. Every business where the decision-making parties are segregated from the actual day to day situation has this problem. Instead of tactical decision-making, it's strategic, or at least, theoretical.
So, with the basic lack of a voice, and the customer not knowing any better because they've been force-fed with this situation so long they don't know any better, the music, and the musicians get lost in the whitewash of Long Island's idea of entertainment. There is only one large major venue for local talent, and that venue only uses bands that play other people's songs. Maybe they can sneak in a song or two that they've written, but get too greedy that way, and they're out the door. No more voice, or, at least a much smaller one. New music being forced to resign in small dark holes, where the few await the next coming of Van Halen or Led Zeppelin, as if there could ever be a replacement for either group. Sometimes, the bohemian singer/songwriter can be found crooning away in a coffee house, playing to those who think it's trendy to spend their time there, enlightening themselves with the lyrics of the angst filled musician.
A friend of mine, a very practical person, says, okay...well, we know the problem..what's the solution? Well...I don't have a complete solution as of yet, to a very complex situation. I have ideas...like musicians joining together to achieve a common goal, mutual support for mutual benefit. Of course, at this time that's a little idealistic. Some bands are so competitive that they will cut your throat to take your gigs from under you. Again, it's nothing new, it's just business completely disassociating itself from anything that used to be considered moral.
It could be too, that I'm like Ralph Waldo Emerson, calling upon the musical masses to transcend their oppression, and create something that may never occur because the environment isn't just right for it to take place, while I sit comfortable with my well-booked, and well paying (for L.I.) schedule. Then again, people need to be led, sometimes, and sometimes it's easier to view the big picture from the high ground.
I really don't know what I will do, if anything, besides complain about the situation. It's hard enough, sometimes just keeping my head above the water. How can one save other drowning victims, if one is drowning themselves? I've been to other places, other states, towns, etc. I see that people really do want to hear new music. Not every place is content to standby, and listen to the local music talent hash out something that they can go home and listen to. I can only hope that it's catching.
Pax perem musicum.
Ok y'all...this is your chance, tell it like it is...you have a band you're just dying to tell everyone about? (if it's your own, that's ok too). You just heard an album by someone new, or someone dead that's driving you bonkers every hour that you play it? Tell us!! We want to know!! This is a place to share good stuff that you think others might just enjoy. No negative reviews, please...we don't do that here. You think someone sucks? Tell them to their face, and see how well everyone takes constructive criticism...Oh..by the way...tell us when and where a band/solo artist/ensemble is performing, or where we can find the album/single/soundbyte, some of us just might want to check it out. Also, if anyone has music they want to share via the Net, send it here...we'll give it a listen...but we make no promises..
I want to send in my ideas to the Music Clinic!
I want to send you my Music Reviews! I know that all responses will be considered, and those selected for the article will be duly credited to the author.