By Frankie Shayne
Reports from The Scene
There is something about live music that is difficult to explain to someone who doesn’t experience it very often. You can listen to a recording through your headphones, turn the volume up in your car or stream an artist from halfway around the world, but there is something different about hearing music performed by someone standing a few feet away from you. It’s the emotion that you can’t get from a recording. A feeling in the room that cannot be felt through your speakers.
Maybe it is the imperfections. Maybe it is the connection between the performer and the audience. Maybe it is simply knowing that the person standing on that little stage is someone you might pass by everyday in the grocery store or mowing their lawn.
Whatever it is, music has a way of changing a place.
And that is why I continue to believe that giving local musicians a platform is about much more than simply filling a stage.
For the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of hosting the Scene Singer/Songwriter Showcase. What started as an idea to give some of our local artists an opportunity to perform has grown into something I think is becoming an important part of our local music community. It seems to have taken on a life of its own, and rightfully so.
The concept is pretty simple. Each artist gets roughly 15 minutes to perform, which means an audience can experience several different musicians in one evening. Some are seasoned performers. Some are just beginning to discover what they can do. Some have played around town for years, while others are standing in front of an audience for their first time.
And that’s the important part.
They have a place to stand.
I’ve watched artists who were relatively unknown when they first stepped onto the Showcase stage return months later with more confidence, better material and a larger audience. I’ve watched new artists make their debut. I’ve watched musicians discover other musicians and audiences discover artists they otherwise might never have heard.
That is how a music scene grows.
It isn’t always one giant concert or one big-name act that changes things. Sometimes it is a small room, a microphone, a guitar and 30 people who decided to come listen.
That’s why I’m looking forward to this month’s Singer/Songwriter Showcase on Sept. 26. I hope you’ll make plans to come out. There is always something interesting about a showcase because you never quite know what you’re going to hear. That’s part of the fun.
And speaking of opportunities for local musicians, the Kansas State Fair is just around the corner. The fair has long provided stages for local and regional performers, and this year offers another particularly exciting opportunity for one of our own.
Hutchinson’s Wabash & Lake will be opening Rock Fest at the Kansas State Fair Grandstand on Sept. 19. The lineup includes From Ashes to New, Saliva and Saving Abel.
That’s a pretty big stage.
More importantly, it is a local band standing on that stage because they have earned the opportunity to be there. It gives an audience that may have never heard Wabash & Lake before a chance to discover them, and that’s exactly what platforms are supposed to do.
You never know who is going to be in the audience.
The person watching a local band from the front row today might be the person buying their album tomorrow. The kid standing near the stage might pick up a guitar next year. Another musician might see someone performing and decide that maybe they should start writing songs again.
Music has a ripple effect.
One opportunity creates another, which creates another. Eventually, those ripples become what we call a scene.
That is why I want to issue a friendly challenge to our local venues and businesses.
Don’t discount an artist simply because they are local.
Being local should not be treated as an indication that an artist is less talented, less professional or less worthy of an audience. In fact, some of the most interesting music you can hear is being created by people who live right here.
Yes, I understand the economics. I understand that venues have bills to pay and audiences have expectations. I also understand that bringing in a recognizable touring act can bring people in the door.
But local musicians are part of the bigger picture.
They are the people who live here, work here, raise their families here and contribute to the cultural identity of this community. When a venue gives a local artist a stage, it isn’t doing that artist a favor. It is investing in the musical ecosystem of the community.
And that investment matters.
If we want Hutch to have a vibrant music scene, we have to give musicians somewhere to play. If we want people to support local music, we have to give them opportunities to discover it. And if we want the next Wabash & Lake to come out of our community, we have to give today’s musicians a chance to become tomorrow’s success stories.
The talent is here.
The songs are here.
The musicians are here.
All they need is a place to be heard.
This is your boy Frankie Shayne and I. Am. Out!
Frankie Shayne is a radio show host, a local singer/songwriter, and an advocate for local artists and musicians. He can be reached at fsp7774@gmail.com.