Idaho Statesman Logo

Deeds: Valley's music scene would benefit from lower metal volume | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Words & Deeds

Words & Deeds

Deeds: Valley's music scene would benefit from lower metal volume

Michael Deeds - The Idaho Statesman

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 01, 2006 12:00 AM

Five years ago, Dorsey Music guitar teacher John Mays couldn't give away a metal riff.

"I couldn't teach any of that stuff. Nobody wanted to learn it," says Mays, who also plays lead guitar for Boise metal band Paylface. "They wanted to learn Weezer tunes or something to that effect."

But nowadays?

"These kids are coming to me and wanting to learn songs that I learned when I was first learning. They want to learn the entire Randy Rhoads catalog. They want to learn 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden."

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Bang your head, Boise. Whether you realize it or not, you're in heavy metal heaven.

Every day, it seems, a local musician contacts me hoping for press. Nine times out of 10? Some form of heavy band.

Go to teen-friendly club The Venue on any given night: You'll find hardcore, screamo and metal acts tearing it up.

Seventy to 80 percent of the local groups contacting The Bouquet for original-music gigs are heavy rock or metal bands, says co-owner Erich Walton.

Besides driving aspirin sales, what impact does this sonic assault have on Boise? I'd argue that one-dimensionality prevents any music scene from reaching its potential.

But before we breach that subject, a more basic question needs to be asked about noisy Boise.

Why? Why is this town so saturated with aggro local bands?

Bottom line: Heavy music is thriving globally, from MySpace friends to Hot Topic fashions.

Check out the Record Exchange's metal and underground CD sections: "There's so many bands coming out right now, we can't even keep track of it," says sales clerk Justin Prescott.

Yet get this: Spokane's local scene is even more metal-massacred than Boise's, according to Bravo Entertainment talent buyer Greg Marchant, who used to run The Big Easy there.

"The younger generation likes to play hard music," Marchant says. "It's fun, it's energetic. And when you talk about the live music scene, a lot of the people that pack clubs are going to be high school and college-age kids ... ."

For years, young musicians have gravitated to metal for two reasons: a) It's aggressive; b) Playing basic power chords takes as much skill as tying shoelaces.

Many Treasure Valley metal musicians have evolved way past that. But it's becoming difficult to appreciate. The viral proliferation of heavy bands here is souring even lifetime headbangers.

"I love metal," Mays says. "But there's just a point. I love funk. There's no good funk bands. There's no good jazz bands. There's old guys that have been doing it forever, but there's nobody fresh out there. ... And I don't understand why. I would like to see a rockabilly band — anything like that would be great."

Esther Shepherd, assistant talent buyer for Bravo, has the challenging task of booking local bands to open for Big Easy headliners. Two weeks ago, she found it nearly impossible to locate a suitable group for Irish rockers The Young Dubliners. On Wednesday, Shepherd was struggling to book a local band to complement Bitter:Sweet, an electronic pop duo from Los Angeles.

"The only thing I have to pull from is hard rock or metal," Shepherd says. "And it makes it difficult."

Like, yo, local musician, want to make Shepherd's day? Do something unique: Emulate Built To Spill! (Is it me, or is Boise's miniscule pool of indie-rock bands bizarre considering that Doug Martsch lives here?)

Better yet, form a funky hip-hop act like Kamphire Collective.

There is no local band like Kamphire Collective, which also happens to be one of the only Boise groups to build a following in 2006. Coincidence?

Every person in this article wanted to make one thing clear: They all support local metal. That includes me. Believe it or not, I crank metal CDs all the time.

But maybe one or two local bands could try something else?

It's like Mays says: "I don't think a Starbucks on every corner is good, either."

  Comments  

Videos

Here’s what it feels like to be caressed at a Snuggle Buddiez session

The Record Exchange in Boise bought 64,000 records from the Yesteryear Shoppe in Nampa

View More Video

Trending Stories

This employee worried ITD’s radiation tools were missing. Then he got fired. Now, he’s suing

February 17, 2019 01:00 AM

Man identified who police say broke into home, brandished handgun, fled into Kuna desert

February 17, 2019 07:05 PM

53rd straight win gives Soda Springs another championship; District Three struggles

February 16, 2019 12:16 PM

University of Idaho football player sidelined with kidney cancer

February 16, 2019 12:22 AM

Girlfriend let him have sex with another woman, but he lost his pants and $10K, NC cops say

February 17, 2019 03:25 PM

Read Next

After ‘amazing transformation,’ here’s when Knitting Factory Concert House will reopen

Words & Deeds

After ‘amazing transformation,’ here’s when Knitting Factory Concert House will reopen

By Michael Deeds

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 14, 2019 02:27 PM

The Knitting Factory Concert House in Boise, which closed for remodeling after a fire in September 2018, plans to reopen during the first week of March. Improvements include better sight lines and a new bar.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE WORDS & DEEDS

‘More modern. More fun. Super authentic.’ New Asian restaurant plans to open in Boise

Words & Deeds

‘More modern. More fun. Super authentic.’ New Asian restaurant plans to open in Boise

February 14, 2019 12:28 PM
5 Things to Do This Weekend in Boise: concerts, comedy, sports, free ice skating

Words & Deeds

5 Things to Do This Weekend in Boise: concerts, comedy, sports, free ice skating

February 14, 2019 10:21 AM
Californians love this ‘amazing’ Boise restaurant. Locals, too. Now a 2nd one will open

Words & Deeds

Californians love this ‘amazing’ Boise restaurant. Locals, too. Now a 2nd one will open

February 13, 2019 11:08 AM
New Outlaw Field concert is a smokin’ deal. (Also, the band has its own brand of weed.)

Words & Deeds

New Outlaw Field concert is a smokin’ deal. (Also, the band has its own brand of weed.)

February 12, 2019 10:00 AM
Mom! A new Outlaw Field summer concert! It’s spendy — but he’s ‘absolutely wonderful’

Words & Deeds

Mom! A new Outlaw Field summer concert! It’s spendy — but he’s ‘absolutely wonderful’

February 11, 2019 05:00 AM
Don’t waffle, Idaho. Wait, do! Eat burgers, fries AND Belgian delights at new restaurant

Words & Deeds

Don’t waffle, Idaho. Wait, do! Eat burgers, fries AND Belgian delights at new restaurant

February 07, 2019 03:54 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story