Mason County Scene

It’s been a while since I spent some time here with all of you. Life’s been a bit crazy, but in a good way. We’ve had some great success with shows as of late. Earthfest was the most intense I’ve seen any show in this area. Nothing can compare to this day with what happened on that night. The bands were stellar. Everyone stepped up to the plate and really put on a true show. The fans were amazing too. You guys really got into it, didnt you? The good news is, we’re far from done.

June will mark a major time for all of us. XPerience Games will celebrate 1 year as a business. And, to celebrate that milestone, we decided to go big. The headliner for that show - The Plot In You! That’s right, we got a national artist to come to our little town and give you all a great show. The lineup is killer, with Know Lyfe returning from their tour on that day to join us, Local favorites Cold Eddy and Before We Drop Anchor, as well as new to the area Tall Tales, from Grand Rapids. We’ll bring the same stellar entertainment that you’ve grown to love when this show happens. Who knows, maybe we’ll “raise the bar” yet again. I may just take that bar and throw it into the street. Who knows.

All that being said, I am thinking I may be done calling it a scene. A scene grows and dies. A scene is one way in. A scene usually ends up sucking. I don’t like that idea. What we’ve created is an entertainment community. A family. We’re not a scene, we’re a family. Plain and simple. We support each other even when we’re down. We pick each other up and keep each other in line. We’ve got each others backs, here and away. It’s the best family a guy could ask for.

For several months now, it’s been an uphill battle. We’ve had to build a scene in a town that was dead. This has been no easy task, but we dove in head first and have managed not only to swim, but swim fast. Our most recent show, Earthfest, which was hosted at XPerience Games by Oh! DB Shows, was a huge success. Over 80 people attended this show. All of the bands were amazing. They each had a unique sound with a stage presence that fit who they were. The crowd was phenomenal. They interacted with the bands and each other, and made several comments about how much better the scene is here in comparison to other places.

We’re doing something right. To quote Charlie Sheen… “WINNING!”. It’s phenomenal to get so much support for something like this. There is a lot on the horizon too. April 23rd, don’t miss the next Champagne Sessions from IOS Sound. Experience a night life sound you’ve never seen in this area with live DJ’s and great sound and lights. This event is hosted at The Alley Bar on James St. April 30th is XPerience Unplugged at XPerience Games, which will feature some of the best the area has to offer in acoustic music, including Max and Kyle, and local favorite Caleb James. May is packed to the gills with shows, as Beard Approved Shows pops up to join the fun of growing a scene.

There are plenty of ways to get involved with MC Scene. People have helped create fliers and tickets. Some have promoted like crazy with our facebook events(visit Beard Approved Shows or add Deej Miller as a friend on facebook). And some even hand out fliers at schools. What do you want to do to help?

Today’s MCScene post is more about being behind the scenes. Pulling of an event isn’t easy. Pulling off multiple events, even less easy. When attending a show, you see lights, people, bands, and hear sound. What you don’t know is the hours, days and months that went into that one event. Many people are involved that aren’t seen or heard from. Some bands have booking agents with special requests. The venue needs to prepare space for loading and storage of gear. Sound is loaded up and prepared hours, or even days, before the show. Lights have to be setup and tested. Sound levels need to be prepared. The space needs to be clean and organized. People to handle the door and to handle people on the floor are needed. Someone to run the register(if selling foods/drinks) and so on. It’s an event just preparing for a show.

Am I complaining? Not hardly. This is something I live to do. I love being a part of this. We’re already in the planning stages for shows in June and July. Why so far in advance? Other events happen during the summer, and we need to book bands before they book other shows. That, and we want to avoid clashing with those bigger events. Why compete with something, when we can compliment it? Plus, it gives us time to prepare if someone needs to drop, or if gear goes down(as we recently experienced). The trick to all of this, from a venue/promoter/booking stand point, is to avoid the appearance of trouble. Keeping it together and looking like as is well is the biggest key to a successful show. Don’t let anyone know something is wrong. Keep the issues to those involved and things go well.

Relationships with everyone running an event can really effect the outcome of the event itself, so it’s nice to have the family we have working on this scene. I want to personally take a moment to thank specific people. First, and foremost, Beard - You are the driving force behind keeping us alive. Without your passion, this would be much more difficult. Jeremy, you provide a sound others can only BEG to have. And, you created a whole new series in Ludington with Champagne Sessions. Know Lyfe, and namely, Alfonso - Your motivation to actually go somewhere with music in the area, and your constant introduction of new bands and music to the area help keep the scene fresh and enjoyable. Dave G and Chad - Your help with sound at shows is also well appreciated. And of course, ALL of the bands we’ve had and hope to have in the future. This family is growing all the time, and I hope to see it continue to be tightly woven.

I love this job.

\m/DEEJ\m/

Two weeks - four shows. Wait, what? In Mason County? Yes!! It’s true!

Day 1 - Know Lyfe rolled back into town on March 18th with Virginia Wolf, Cold Eddy and Saint Augustine. The turnout has been gradually increasing with each show, and this was no exception. Over 50 people showed up to support this show. And it was an entertaining throwdown. I’ll be completely open and honest about this show, as you’ve come to expect. Saint Augustine has been improving, musically speaking. Every show, they sound better and better. But, the problem here is that they’re not improving their presence. I love those guys, but what would help the show is forcing the crowd to get involved. They’re a young group, so they’ve got time to grow and a ton of potential to do so. They’ll just have to work on the crowd interaction and really get involved with their fans, since they always bring a crowd with them. Cold Eddy was the second band, and is my band. From the band side, I had a fantastic time. The crowd was all about being a part of the show. If someone wants to comment from the fan side of things, that’s what the comments section is for :-) Tell me what YOU saw.

Virginia Wolf, driving from Pontiac, put on an amazing show. These guys are going places. They interact, they sound amazing, and they’re just fun and cool guys to hang with. We’ll bring them back again, for sure! Know Lyfe was, well, Know Lyfe. Charismatic, energetic and amazing. Not to mention, we managed to squeeze an encore out of them. What a great night that turned out to be. I had a serious metal hangover the next day. Awesome!

Day 2 of Mason County’s Entertainment Scene - Champagne Room Sessions. I believe this happened on March 19th. This event series is set to redefine the night life in downtown Ludington. Live DJ’s spinning real beats and throwing down real entertainment, rather than dance grooves. I’ve heard great things about this but haven’t made my way there to experience it. Any witnesses care to “testify”?

Day 3 - Will Spit 4 Food Tour hits The Alley Bar. DuhJuanYay and Phillmee with a slew of other talent joining them. Spit/Spat, Maniacal, Dante LaSalle, and Chantron all joined the show to entertain. Again, I was unable to witness this event, but have heard amazing things about what happened that night. I’ve seen DuhJuanYay and Phillmee, so I can imagine the entertainment that happened that night. It’s great to see another venue helping the scene grow.

Day 4 - March 26th : Audrey and Friends @ XPerience Games. What could be better than Audrey returning to town? Bringing Good Weather For Airstrikes, Chad Rushing, Maddie Parker, Max Dougherty and Bob Conklin with them! 6 amazing artists in one place. Attendance was wonderful for this event, with over 50 people enjoying this show. It’s always a pleasure to see such support for an infant like our scene. Audrey and Good Weather both entertained in a way others can only wish to attain. Their interaction with the crowd is unmatched in this area. I mean, seriously. Corey from Audrey was having a conversation with the crowd in between songs. He kept it going and never lost his place. They sang happy birthday to Marcus Lunning from Before We Drop Anchor. Good Weather and Beard from Before We Drop Anchor joined them on stage for Rhapsody on a Windy Night(Part II) - and the crowd was STILL louder then they were! What’s THAT say about who loves Audrey?

The scene isn’t slowing down. We’re just getting started. Some new ideas on the horizon. Jeremy VerStrat and Jeff Erndteman have created the Champagne Room Sessions in an attempt to create a new night life for the county. It’s another avenue for the scene to grow. The Alley Bar is starting to support more local music and Fritz’s Pourhouse has expressed interest in the scene as well. Add The Alley Bar and Fritz’s Pourhouse to your friends on facebook. Tell them you’d like to see more music at their places. Flood them with love for your favorite bands, and then support those shows when it happens! The biggest way to help a scene grow is to spread the word. Share it with your friends. Tell everyone, and then show up to the events. If you don’t like rap, don’t go. But, don’t bad mouth it. Same goes for metal, indie, dance. Anything. Tell your friends. Someone likes it. You don’t have to.

There is more on the horizon. April 2nd is the next Champagne Sessions Event at The Alley Bar. April 9th is the next hard rock/metal show at XPerience Games. May 14th Know Lyfe returns with Seneca Falls. Early June, a pop/punk show is in the works. We’re just getting started.

What do YOU want to see in the scene? It’s your scene. I’m just a player in keeping it growing.

\m/ Dee-J \m/

I took a trip to Muskegon on Saturday to visit with some friends and see a wonderful show at Johnson Hall, called Beard Fest. The show was organized by OH! DB Shows, and featured like 12 bands. I missed the opening bands, unfortunately, so I can’t say how they did. The place was filled with people, I believe the final count came to 194? Among the bands that performed were Mickey Lane, Dismember the Fallen, Virginia Wolf, Vices, We Call This Irony, Call It Karma, Lakeland, Before We Drop Anchor, Vittoria, My Heart My Stronghold and a few others I can’t recall at the moment. What did I think of the show? Keep reading!

Up until Vices performed, the crowd seemed dead to the world. Not a lot of action or movement. It wasn’t the bands fault really. They were doing what they could to interact, the crowd just wasnt being responsive. Vices changed the game when they entered the stage. Not only were they interacting with the crowd, they were IN the crowd. They made sure the crowd got into it, or got out of the way! The remaining bands each had their ways of making the crowd respond, and only one was unsuccessful. Why? Persistence. The other bands kept after the crowd, pushing them to come unglued. The bands showed an important element to crowd interaction, consistency. As artists and performers, it’s important that we don’t give up during those moments. Sometimes, the crowd is testing us to see if we’re worth their energy. We have to remember bands like Vices, Mickey Lane, Virginia Wolf and Lakeland. Even when the crowd was trying to slow down, they wouldn’t let it happen. That’s how you build a fan base and that’s how a show becomes a SHOW.

As for the presentation, it was simple. Not a huge sound system, and only a few shop lights for the stage. It was enough to keep the show going, but lacked a certain flair. Call It Karma was the first to change that. Sure, a lot of the bands had their own stage boxes with names on them and such. That’s not enough. CIK brought out milk crates for stage boxes. Within those crates were colored lights. They killed the stage lights to use their own setup, which was run to match their show. That element alone got my attention. Mickey Lane came to the stage with two large stage banners and their own boxes. Again, I was drawn in. Then, they smashed a box during their set. More entertainment for the crowd. Virginia Wolf brought a few of their own lights to the stage along with some boxes. And then, Lakeland hit the stage.

Lakeland came to the stage with two American flags blocking their amps. Then, the had their own sweet lighting rigs that sat next to the drummer on each side. How did they top it all off? By having fun with one of the other bands, Mickey Lane. They snagged a Mickey Lane banner and placed it behind their drummer. They put on an amazing show, despite a few moments of distress(stink bomb and a punch to the face). Sure, the singer made some threats to those responsible, but rightly so. Why would anyone interrupt a show by doing stupid things like that? Let the band do their thing, and in this case, do it well!

Overall, it was a great learning experience. Great to see some amazing bands and great to learn a few things to improve our scene. Lights really can make a difference. Sound is only part of the presentation equation. I bet that if we laid it out as a math equation, it would look something like this:

sound + lights(numOfLights / roomSize + levelOfAwesome) + interaction(crowdEnergy * bandEnergy + kickAssness) = awesomeShow

Sounds about right. Don’t you think? Leave your comments.

This past weekend, Mason County got the chance to experience another musical style as the scene continues to grow. DuhJuanYay and Phillmee, along with support from funk rap/rock group King Crabapple, brought hip hop to the area. It was a memorable show, with a last minute surprise additionto the show, local rockers Saint Augustine.

This show was as diverse as we could possibly get right now. The different styles in one show. And it was great. An all ages show, which had attendees ranging from 4 to 40.

Entertainment in Mason County is being challenge by our neighbors to the south in Muskegon. Its time for us to step up to the challenge and show them we still own our backyard. Its time for Mason County artists and performers to pick up the gauntlet that’s slapped our face and return the gesture. Its time for us to throwdown!

Are you ready?

   As we attempt to grow this entertainment scene, the biggest challenge that must be faced is how to avoid becoming stale. How do we accomplish that? Bring new acts to the area. Find new ways to add to the entertainment. And keep generating buzz. Everyone needs to be willing to try new things and support new music. We’ve already had some great variety. We’ve had hard rock and metal acts like Know Lyfe and Wilson, death metal like Morbid Decay, erased From Existence, and Bury the Silence, indie rock like Audrey, and even acoustic from Chad Rushing and Caleb James.

   So, what’s next? Well, we’re going to bring rap along on our journey. March 5Th marks our first rap show. Its another way to diversify and improve the scene. If its going to thrive, we have to be willing to support ANY performing arts. This is another branch on our growing entertainment tree. Do you have ideas to help the tree grow? email us ar deej@xperience-games.com Its your tree. Our tree. Help it grow.

-Gumby

Mason County has been dormant, musically speaking, for several years now. When the Body Gallery closed down, local artists lost a place to play original music. Bars were the only place bands could play, and most of the time you either had to be 21 or be a cover band to even be considered. About 2 years ago, that started to change. With some enthusiasm for original music to be performed, The Rock Shop was born. For several months, this show would happen with many local rock bands and a few out of towners playing live. This had fueled a movement. However, it lost momentum, became stale and dissappeared. I’m sure other issues were involved, but none-the-less, it went away.

Welcome to 2011. With the opening of XPerience Games in Scottville, a resurgence of local music is happening. Many bands have already appeared and played shows, and more are surfacing. Bands are coming from Detroit, Lansing, Muskegon, Grand Rapids and more to play at this new venue. Original music is regaining the respect it deserves and bands finally have an all ages atmosphere to play their music. The scene is growing, and it’s amazing to see the support from local musicians and some local businesses.

We’re not out of the water yet, though. It has to continue to grow. More people need to know about it. More people need to talk about it. We can’t be quiet. If this is to continue, everyone has to shout to all their friends that it’s happening. Get involved. If you can’t make it to a show, tell people who can. Pass out fliers, post on facebook, call the radio station and request local music. Make a big deal out of this and get involved. It’s YOUR scene. It’s OUR scene. It’s Mason County’s Scene!

-Gumby