Local/Live Music During the Age of New Wave
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 5:26 amI was very into the local music scene during the age new wave. I’m curious if anyone else has some cool reflections from their old local music scene?
For me, after spending so much time in discos, it was a true delight to actually hear and dance to live music, to see performers live, watch them evolve over time. Although Syracuse wasn’t really a new wave or punk town (we majored in AOR side of things here, with a concentration in Charlie Daniels,) we had some great bands. I’m not sure if I was so fond of the live scene because I liked the bands or because it was so immediate, and exciting – the whole atmosphere of live music and the sometimes awful little bars they played in.
One of the bands, The Flashcubes ended up on one of Rhino’s DIY comps. I recall an all woman group called The Pop Tarts around ’78 or so, unfortunately I never got to see them in their heyday, but as a later incarnation. I do remember there was a lot of sneering about them because “girls just don’t play guitars…” which made me want to see them all the more.
I was a pretty big fan of The Natives, some really nice jangly power pop. We’d go see them a few times a month. It really opened me up to other power pop bands. We had a slicker power pop trio called Screen Test, who released a few local singles. They were “the big dogs” in the local scene. I wasn’t really into them, but loved their singles. (I have a few songs from both groups up on the Hub.)
I had so much excitement at the time over the bands. I was always torn about wishing they would get signed to a label, but then that would mean we wouldn’t be able to see them every week. It was a cool time, crappy clubs with warped dance floors, light systems that didn’t work all the time, no a/c except an open door, bands whose ideas of a light show was a strobe light that went off at odd times, floors with carpeting that your feet stuck to, and all that sweaty pogo-ing!
I recently drove by one of the clubs I used to haunt (used to be called the Lost Horizon,) and saw a line out front. It really took me back & made me think of all those nights.
What was your experience? Bad hole-in the wall clubs, cool bands, anyone make it big? One night/band/club that stands out over the others?
For me, after spending so much time in discos, it was a true delight to actually hear and dance to live music, to see performers live, watch them evolve over time. Although Syracuse wasn’t really a new wave or punk town (we majored in AOR side of things here, with a concentration in Charlie Daniels,) we had some great bands. I’m not sure if I was so fond of the live scene because I liked the bands or because it was so immediate, and exciting – the whole atmosphere of live music and the sometimes awful little bars they played in.
One of the bands, The Flashcubes ended up on one of Rhino’s DIY comps. I recall an all woman group called The Pop Tarts around ’78 or so, unfortunately I never got to see them in their heyday, but as a later incarnation. I do remember there was a lot of sneering about them because “girls just don’t play guitars…” which made me want to see them all the more.
I was a pretty big fan of The Natives, some really nice jangly power pop. We’d go see them a few times a month. It really opened me up to other power pop bands. We had a slicker power pop trio called Screen Test, who released a few local singles. They were “the big dogs” in the local scene. I wasn’t really into them, but loved their singles. (I have a few songs from both groups up on the Hub.)
I had so much excitement at the time over the bands. I was always torn about wishing they would get signed to a label, but then that would mean we wouldn’t be able to see them every week. It was a cool time, crappy clubs with warped dance floors, light systems that didn’t work all the time, no a/c except an open door, bands whose ideas of a light show was a strobe light that went off at odd times, floors with carpeting that your feet stuck to, and all that sweaty pogo-ing!
I recently drove by one of the clubs I used to haunt (used to be called the Lost Horizon,) and saw a line out front. It really took me back & made me think of all those nights.
What was your experience? Bad hole-in the wall clubs, cool bands, anyone make it big? One night/band/club that stands out over the others?