Music has become stagnant. Combat this and support your local music scene. That’s right this is YOUR music scene. These musicians are from your hometown, they went to school with your sister, work with your cousin, and have the same favorite coffee shop as you . And many of them write about things that locals relate to and understand. This isn’t a endless soundtrack of sappy love songs and computer generated beats this is real humans doing what they love and promoting their art.

Local music has a DIY ethic. Most local bands and artists book their own gigs and design their own posters (and hang them up) before their show. Day of the show they haul all of their gear, usually in the back of an old van or a borrowed truck, set it up themselves and do their own sound check. If they rest of us could imagine the amount of time and energy spent just to share what they do, we would probably put down that beer and save the rest of our conversation for later to really listen to what they were showing us.

Just because we haven’t heard of them or because they play small local venues does not mean that local artist have less talent than our favorite big name bands. What is the difference between these local bands and big name bands? … Exposure. Venues like The Boiler Room provide the space for them to get this exposure but the real responsibility lies with you, the fans, the audience, the locals. Yes the Flathead has a local music scene. Get to know your local venues and try out a band that sounds interesting to you. Most of them are cheaper than going to a movie and trust me the entertainment and atmosphere is better too. Your time and a few of your dollars are all that is needed to encourage a thriving local music scene. Make the Boiler Room your first stop in supporting local music.

Check out this list of reasons to support local music from http://ohms.nu/localmusic.htm

Suff’s Top Thirteen Reasons to Support Local Music:

Reason 13: A typical rock concert costs $40. For $40 you can see 5-8 local shows at a cost of $5 – $8 to get in the door.

Reason 12: A typical rock concert features 2 or 3 bands. A local show typically features 3 to 5 bands, or more.

Reason 11: Typical rock concerts are generally held in large venues. Often it is difficult to see the performers as well as if you’d watched it on TV.

Reason 10: Cameras and recording devices are usually not allowed at a typical rock concert. Local bands usually let you tape their shows and take photos to your heart’s content.

Reason 9: You usually have to drive further to go to a typical rock concert, and park far away once you get there.

Reason 8: You often have to pay for parking.

Reason 7: You frequently have to wait for a long time in a traffic jam to get out of the parking lot.

Reason 6: You usually can’t dance at a typical rock concert.

Reason 5: You probably won’t make any new friends at a typical rock concert.

Reason 4: You usually can’t meet the band members at the typical rock concert. At a local show, you can often become friends with them.

Reason 3: CDs from typical rock bands cost about $15. CDs from local bands usually cost between $5-$10.

Reason 2: Regular t-shirts from typical rock bands are going for around $30!!!!! Local bands usually charge about $5-$10, and you sometimes have your choice of shirt styles. (Hey wait a minute, aren’t we advertising for you when we wear them?)

Reason 1: It is a myth that nationally known musicians with record contracts are any better than local musical acts. The nationally known acts are usually marketed to us in the same way the latest big movie is sold. Yes, the Strokes sound really good, have very well produced videos, and have an appealing look. But you could take Strange Division, a band from Akron, and give them the same budget, and voila! you have the Next Big Thing.