Do You Remember Rock ‘N Roll Radio?
Ever get the feeling you’re in a dream and everyone can see you standing there in your underwear as you munch on smelts and banana ice cream? No? OK then, neither do I, forget I mentioned anything.
One of the oddest dichotomies of independent music is “I saw them back in the day” syndrome. It’s a highly unstable contagion that generally first hits you when you realize that your friends’ band is more than just say, a shitty 7 Seconds or Bikini Kill tribute like everything else in your dead-end local music scene. They might actually have something there. You stumble across an unknown opening band at a show or in a bar one night when your initial interest in the evening is drinking until your face melts off. And they’re good. Like, real good. You can’t believe it, even though you don’t know the words you’re still tapping your foot or, in some cases, throwing yourself around on the floor, slamming around like crazy over how great this band is.
You get a copy of their demo. Maybe a shirt as well. See them whenever you can, whenever they play. It’s your band; they’ve got that one song that you totally know what it’s about because hey, you guys run in similar circles or whatever, how can you not? Regardless, they slowly become the best band you’ve heard in ages. And quite frankly, there’s nowhere to go but up. And this, mes amis, is where the problems start.
You know what I mean, and don’t deny that you haven’t done it either.
Too often you’ll see it. He or she is the person at the back of the room or at the bar loudly proclaiming to anyone who’s stupid enough to listen that (s)he remembers them BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THEY WERE GOOD. “You mean back in the day when only you knew about them, right?”
Exactly.
Has the dream started yet? No? Never mind then, forget I mentioned that, OK?
Nowadays with the almost overflow of reunions that seem to be moving in as the “cool” thing to do (some of which I do approve of, by the way, like Lifetime and American Steel), there are even more of these assholes around. And of course, who can forget the Internet? Any message board worth it’s salt will have at least one long-time poster who will insistently remind anyone who bothers to read about “seeing Rage Against The Machine before they went corporate and sold out, man” or “hanging out and seeing the Bouncing Souls play in a basement in Jersey when they were starting out.”
God, I fucking hate that sort of shit.
Anyway, like I said, it’s a dichotomy. Why, you might ask? After all, punks have always been a fickle and shallow bunch. Same with indie kids, except they’re just not as angry about being called on it like punk kids. Why should I be surprised?
First off, I’m not surprised, so back off. Secondly, it makes me think. When I was younger all I ever wanted was to have friends who understood me, who had the same tastes in books and movies and MUSIC. And every time I had a chance I’d try to explain my favorite bands to other people. The impression that I’ve always gotten from the truly honest and true believer is that music you encounter and know is meant to be shared.
What good is a band that’s done so much for you and could possibly do the same thing for someone else, when they’re in the same town playing the same basements to the same group of people? What good is keeping something like that contained against its will? That’s not to say that there aren’t bands out there content to simply play and have fun in their own communities, not really wanting to become part of a larger industry because they feel content with where they currently are. But that’s not everyone, which is something that I don’t think people realize. With their perverted and twisted definitions of “community,” instead you get whole tracts of people decrying even an ounce of success simply because they feel left out.
It generally baffles me. Community, at least in 2007, should have absconded from the definitions of physical boundaries within a geographic area a long time ago. I encounter new bands all the time, a lot of them up-and-coming. If I like them, I’ll mention them any chance I get. To my friends, my family (who don’t really care), to total strangers on the streets, at shows, and on the Internet over distances I can’t cover on the subway.
Now, I’d like to clarify that I’m not advocating the mindless acceptance of every band that’s out there. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of prick in terms of what I like and what I’ll insult to within an inch of sanity. There are a lot of bands out there that, sad to admit, would take advantage of the “reunion” craze for a quick cash buzz or an attempt to try and “solidify” their so-called legacy of having been just one of many shit bands out there. Of course not to mention all those bands that’ll blow off their original fan base the instant they smell an inkling of success.
But these aren’t enough reasons to totally give up hope. To cast aside your idealism and revel in the cynicism of “back in the day” syndrome. Trust me, I’ve seen some bad cases and the treatment for curing it isn’t pretty.
It involves lots of sing-alongs and sitting in a chair getting electroshock while wearing headphones. And no one wants that, no matter how much fun you had as a kid sticking your finger in a wall socket.
