RTP-area local music and culture

[DJ Stevo <djstevo AT wknc.org>]

If you can believe it, there are even a few decent bands out of Cary.
Mindblowing, I know.  For a prescient example, may I present the work
of one Hunter Macdermut, otherwise known as The Tourist.  His jazzy
blend of folky, intelligent pop is good enough to make me forget about
the last time my diminuitive Geo Prizm was phalanxed by crazed SUV
drivers on a recent trip to Crossroads Plaza.

Now, being a staunch Raleighite, I'd like to respectfully refute your
point regarding the allegedly malodorous composition of Raleigh
music.  Granted, Raleigh's taken a lot of hits lately; we lost Kings
last year, the Lincoln Theatre has become the domain of the cover
band, and the Hideaway closed a month ago, but we sure as hell ain't
dead over here.  Grab your headphones, open your ears widely, and
check out groups like The T's, Dan Bryk, The Love Language, Goner, A
Rooster for the Masses, Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kicking
Team, The Whistlestop, The Magic Babies, Black Taj, TV Knife, Birds of
Avalon, Strange, and Heads on Sticks for naught but a taste of the
quality of our music.  While you're at it, do a quick Google search
for 'Comboland' and learn about the rich history of our music scene,
much of it focused on Raleigh as well.

On a similar topic, I guess the thing that really gets me about your
column/blog is the fact that it's so easy to learn about local music
around here.  As Kelly said, there are three excellent weekly local
music radio shows, like Ross' superlative show on XDU from 4-7PM on
Sundays, Robin/Will's Backyard BBQ on XYC from 8-9PM on Sundays, or
even my own show, The Local Beat, on KNC from 5-8PM on Fridays.  If
the radio isn't your bag, read Bryan's Diversions section over in the
Daily Tar Heel, Ross' trianglerock.com listings, David Menconi's music
blog, or Grayson's tireless local music coverage in the Indy.  All of
these things should convince you that you're sitting squarely in the
middle of the best damn music scene in the world right now.  At least
that's what I believe, after 3 years of working with local music, and
you should too if you're going to write about it.

So...  I hereby extend an open invitation for you to come out with us
KNC folk on Friday nights to check out the awesome world that is
Triangle live music.  You haven't lived until you've sung your heart
out with the band and an undulating blob of your best friends at a Red
Collar show, danced to the sheer joy that is an Old Ceremony release
party show, had your heart broken by the plaintive musings of a
Prayers and Tears or DKD song, rocked out hardcore with the entire
town of Durham at the Duke Coffeehouse to the strains of Hammer No
More the Fingers, or a hundred other experiences I could talk about.
Local music is something profoundly moving, with brilliance and great
emotional power, a balm to the soul, and a bit of an obsession to
those who have figured it all out.  I'll reiterate one of Kelly's
points, as it doesn't sound like you've been properly exposed, and we
too would be glad to help you discover your new favorite bands.

Just please, please don't write stuff like 'the music scene around
here stinks' without doing the proper research.  I know that you
wanted to confine your ire to Cary and Raleigh, but it ain't true,
it's bad journalism, and irresponsible to the bands and media who work
hard to make this music scene as awesome as it is.  If, after you go
to some awesome rock shows and listen to some of the area's best
bands, you still think so, that's fine by me, but I think that that's
probably impossible.
-Stevo
djstevo AT wknc.org