Outside-the-box ideas...
First off, a major THANK YOU goes out to Peter Bothum of the York Daily Record for writing an article on local music web-based promoters and fans. A second shout out goes to Tony Ryder of Wayne Supergenius for the awesome compliments quoted in the article. A third shout out to the others running web sites similar to mine... the ones mentioned in the article as well as all the others I've just run accross or have yet to visit.
Click here to view the article online!
NEW! A series of articles on the re-birth of a local band has begun. The articles are being written by a new contributor to the site, Maynard. Check them out under the COLUMNS section of the site!
I've had some time to think during all of the reboots and reinstallations I've done to revive my computer to working conditions... (See the message board for details on what happened.) and I got to thinking... How many of us would invest in building a music scene for real?
By for real, I mean a physical location to hold concerts, network bands together, and even jam together to see what music results. I fully admit to being an idealist and nieve... but can you imagine?? A little society of musicians that actually DOES something proactive to build and create an environment more condusive to original music... We often complain that the community just doesn't support us... Why should they? ...We aren't supporting ourselves! I say this now, and you might think I'm full of it or that I don't mean it... but trust me, I'm driven to do what needs to be done to change the way people think about the central Pennsylvania area. The legacy of bands starting here and leaving has got to change...
I dream that we are a destination rather than a starting point. Is there anyone out here that is up for a challenge and willing to put into it more than you expect to get out of it? What could happen if we all got together as a music community and did the things that make people listen? If we build it, will they come? This is NOT a rhetorical rant... this is more or less a call to arms. I cannot do this alone. I need your help. Please check out the message board for some of the ideas, and to add yours!
I am looking forward to one of the things that really gets me going. The Millenium Music Conference in Harrisburg last year was one of the highlights of the entire year. I met an incredible number of extremely talented musicians, and had the opportunity to experience live music the way most people can only dream of.Have you ever dreamed of meeting your favorite band? You can at Millenium... when one of the bands you're experiencing for the first time becomes your favorite band.
The event begins on Thursday, February 13th, 2003. There will be many venues and many artists to see, including my Featured Artist, 7 Days Torn. (They will be playing at Underdog's in Harrisburg with Cyphilis, Seventh Hour, Hyper Chyld, and Balistic.) Check the message board for conversations and opinions regarding the conference. I have posted the conference showcases schedule in the MMC7 Info area located on the main menu. You can also check out more details and a more up-to-date schedule at: http://musicconference.net.
I cannot even begin to explain the euphoria you can experience at a music conference. Once the high from the seventh annual Millenium Music Conference fades, the first ever IMC 2003, Independent Musicians Conference will take place in Philladelphia August 28th - 31st, 2003. See the official site for details: http://www.IMC2003.com.
Following that conference,will be the second annual Dewey Beach Music Festival and Conference (http://www.deweybeachfest.com/) September 25-28 and the CMJ in New York shortly thereafter. There is a section of the message board for music conferences. If you know of any I haven't listed, or more details about the ones I have, PLEASE POST THEM!
That's all for now, folks...but many, many more updates and reviews are forthcoming! I have finally cought up on the photos I've taken and now have the opportunity to expand the links and reviews on the site. Again, happy new year, and I'll see you out there!
Oh... by the way... I've posted a few new reviews and my first rant of 2003 in the Reviews section. Be sure to leave me feedback on the message board. Good, bad, or indifferent... More reviews, etc to come. See you out there! - Ang
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