Lokal Loudness | Slippin into the Twilight Zone

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Slippin into the Twilight Zone

By Stoney ⋅ June 29, 2008 ⋅

Most of time, despite celebrating the passing of one year into the next, a new year generally feels like the old year kinda like the old who song: “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. Sometimes we hold out for hope that things will change in the new year but mostly we don’t expect much difference in Augusta so we usually “won’t get fooled again”. Well folks…we’ve been fooled…and in the words of Def Leppard, I ain’t “f-f-f-foolin’”.

Unexpectedly this year has started off strong with new music and as we’ve waited for things to settle down…well they haven’t. Just in the past couple of days word has crept out about yet more new music afoot by the likes of The Adjustmentz, the Shaun Piazza Band and even Josh Kelley has some new tunes on his MySpace page! Veara has also posted the first tune with their new vocalist called “Those Days are Over”. When is this craziness gonna end cuz between us lokal music folks here…we’ve slipped into some kinda warp drive twilight zone complete with new bands, new music, new venues, new this, new that. Things are moving so fast I feel like the new tattoo I got just yesterday is already old and out of date! (Stoney takes hands off keyboard and prays for Augusta not to receive a major letdown in the future).

Speaking of new, has anyone else noticed that turntables have taken over in a big way? Sure we’ve always had DJ’s in Augusta but in the space of a few weeks Sky City has kicked off Wednesdays with a trio of DJ’s who go by the title of Loot and the Red Lion Pub has now decided that Tuesdays are ripe for scratchin’ and mixin’. And we thought the graffiti craze of 2007 was merely some bored kids? It was notice that hip hop culture is set to make it’s mark in the A-U-G and I don’t just mean on the Southside. Wonder if VH1 Classic showing “Beat Street” over and over has anything to do with all of this?

So if anyone out there needs further proof that Augusta is growing, lemme just submit a couple of things into evidence:

While the miraculous visions of Mary in Conyers have long since stopped and the visions of Jesus in a Pizza Hut spaghetti billboard have long been forgotten, miracles in the great state of Georgia continue as it would appear that an agreement has been made on how to handle the James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium. The Coliseum Authority hits one right?!?!?! WOW!

And finally…for further proof: I’m driving home…just on the outskirts of Savannah and what do I see? A giant Arts Council billboard with the Westobou logo on it! I almost had to pull over…that’s how surprised I was! Looks like Westobou is taking this week-long event seriously. Advertising like that doesn’t come cheap! I wanna lay down this challenge: Anyone heading out of town, no matter what direction, add a new fun game to your drive…the hunt for Westobou is on! If you spot Elvis who cares…he’s from Mississippi.

This ain’t your parent’s Augusta Music Scene…

Before I go…solo artist/Strange View bassist Liz Bramlett posted this bulletin on MySpace. Not sure if it was a personal reflection or something she reposted. Just found it interesting enough to share.

Your Brother-in-Arms,

Stoney…now here’s a copy of that bulletin:

SAVEtheSCENE

Don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t some crappy group dedicated to scene trains. Rather, it is a dedication to what Augusta, Georgia used to be, what Augusta, Georgia needs to be. I remember when I first started going to shows early in my high school career. That was a time when everyone that you’d count yourself lucky to see at a show nowadays would flock downtown, regardless of who was playing, regardless of how good or bad the bands happened to be. If you didn’t want or have to go home on any night of the week, you knew you could spend the time at a show.

The steady decline of our once great music scene that prompted my friends and I to take a hand in restoring something that meant so much to all of us. I’m not going to attempt to win you over with stories of how shows have changed my life because I’m confident that if you’re still reading this, you know exactly what I mean. If you can relate to this, then you must know how much it hurts to go to Sector to see a local show on a Friday night only pulling twenty to thirty kids, if that. Kids standing with crossed arms outside of Sector while bands play their hearts out disgust me, but the kids that forgot what those bands mean to all of us disgust me even more.

That’s why I’m calling for a return to Augusta’s greatness. Bring back the 706, the 803, GSS, SHIPS, and DSDS, everyone that ever went to an Augusta show. I don’t care who you are, whether the next show is your first or your hundredth, make it the best. Make the Augusta music scene a place where someone can have the night of his or her life, make it a place that you can go to if there is no where else to go, and still have a great time doing it. Augusta was a shining star in its day for music and for the kids that need that music.

I want to see every local I’ve ever seen at every show to be at Brandonfest 5. Not just because I’ll be playing that show, but also because my friends will be playing that show, my friends will be booking that show, but most of all, my friends will be WATCHING that show. Brandonfest pulled hundreds of kids every year before this one. From what I saw at Sausagefest 3, that reputation has turned to nothing. If you’ve ever been to any Augusta fest, you know how amazing it feels to be in that crowd. But if you choose to ignore this plea either by choosing not to go to Brandonfest or any other upcoming show, or if you simply decide that breathing life back into Augusta is not worth your time, then those crowds will never be the same.

I ask of all of you, remember the sweat, the heat, the blood, the screams, the sing-a-longs, the stage dives, the pits, the dancing, the lights, the bands, and the crowd. Come out to Brandonfest. Prove to me that Augusta is not dead. Prove to me that Augusta is still the best place in the world for music. I know that something important has happened to each and every one of you because of downtown Augusta music at some point. Don’t be the person that tosses a rose on the coffin on such a great and positive thing. Augusta’s scene WILL die without your help. If you can’t make Brandonfest because of something like work, vacation, family, I understand. If you can’t make Brandonfest because you don’t feel like it, then I never want to speak with you again.

Go to Brandonfest. Do it for your favorite band, do it for bands like Estrela, 88mph, Darkened by Reason, bands that, despite no longer standing on a stage, helped shape us into the people we are today. Do it for all of the memories of a scene that is as vital as flesh and blood, the memories that remain memories, never to be experienced again, unless they are rekindled by the boys and girls that SAVEtheSCENE.

The end of this scene marks the end of something special, something irreplaceable. Don’t let mainstream win. Don’t let MTV show you what shows are; find out for yourself.

Come out to the Shade Coffee House on July 12th. Repost this blog on your page. Post bulletins about it. Add a [SAVEtheSCENE] tag to your display name. If you can’t make Brandonfest, go to another local show for the hell of it. Do SOMETHING for Augusta. Without your support, Augusta will wither away. Make Brandonfest 5 and bring back the Augusta music scene.