RTP-area local music and culture

[James Hepler <jameshepler AT yahoo.com>]

> Hey Hepler, I'll bet En Garde is big with The Kids,
> isn't it? What do 
> they tell you after the shows?

First of all, allow me to thank you for the flattery
in supposing that those kids want to have anything to
do with me after a show.  I remain convinced that few
of them even realize that I'm in the band.

One thing I have perceived is some kind of conscious
resistance to the local music community.  A backlash
against all the bands we love so much, particularly
the Archers and Polvo.  The campus is not made up of
vinyl loving low-philes, it's made up of Blink 182
fans.

Perhaps this is a product of how close to decent
todays popular rock music is?  I think to most college
students, AOL would sound amateur with its dissonance
and its tidal wave of sound.  The kids are used to
overproduction.  Superclean and supertight.

So before the En Garde/Criteria show, I emailed the
DTH about either writing a blurb about the show
beforehand or writing a review of the show.  I never
got a response.  I emailed one of the board members of
CUAB, offering admission to the show with the hopes
that we could talk about booking a show on campus. 
Never got a response on that one either.  Business,
laziness, apathy, scorn, who knows?  It's not
ignorance.

Within the last six weeks, you have seen me here
waxing optimistic about breaking down walls, and I
still am.  But I don't think the lack of interest has
anything to do with people not knowing that there are
shows or not knowing what shows are going on in which
clubs.  This area is SO well known for it's music.  

Ask me this again in six months.  That'll be when most
of my indie rock loving friends will have fulfilled
their obligation to see us play because they're
friends.  Hell, that'll probably be when I'm let go so
that the band can hire some no-soul studio drummer. 
The Soul Asylum plan!

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