Where are the shows?
By Danny R. Phillips
As I return to St. Joseph after a self-imposed exile, where Louis and I endured many unfortunate side quests, disappointments, and stumbling blocks, I can’t help but think of the past while I get reacquainted with the city.
I go back to a time that feels both like yesterday and eons ago; back to a place and time where nearly every bar in St. Joseph featured a band on their stage. Whether it be outfits cranking out their own creations, or people having a great time listening to covers, there was music in the streets.
When I began writing about St. Joe music around 1998, there were shows seemingly every weekend. The Rendezvous was packed to the rafters with lovers of all things alternative. Cafe Acoustic entertained the singer/songwriter crowd before becoming a place for heavy rock. Unplugged catered to the softer side of music. Our town was vibrant, the downtown alive, and the music-minded were out en masse.
An ebb and flow would ride through our fair city over those years, alternating between excitement for the music blasting from speakers, to a sad, deafening silence. As I reconnect with friends, I hear each of them echo the same sentiment: “The scene is dying, where are the shows?”
What happened? Where did it all go?
Not so long ago, there were bands in town. REALLY good ones. Out-of-town musicians included a stop in St. Joseph on their tours across the country. The downtown music scene was glowing, thriving, and breathing, even in the dead of night. People traded ideas on the sidewalks, punk rumbled from the speakers, and a future brightened for just a moment.
But then, the inevitable happens. Venues close, bands fold up, and the cycle begins anew.
Where does it begin again? How can we bring it all back home? What can be done to breathe life into a scene that I know is waiting to scream, yet is currently quietly sleeping?
Perhaps it starts with like-minded people coming together to share ideas and hopefully, in turn, form bands. Or, maybe it will be a new venue opening that embraces the music, nurturing a scene back from the brink, a place that could be the home base that some of us had for just a moment.
In the meantime, local bands could and should support one another regardless of genre or circle, because a supported scene is a growing scene. Think outside the box, stretch your legs, and check out a band that you wouldn’t normally for the sake of support and solidarity.
So, tell me, readers: where are all the shows? Seriously, I need to know. It’s been too long since I’ve seen a live band.
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