A simple sign o’ the times: Our music scene is generationally bound to our past. Case in point is the similarities between The Ozark Mountain Daredevils and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.
Let’s start with the marks on history the Daredevils left. They established the music scene during the 70’s with songs that made it to Top 40 radio stations in the nation. With those songs they made it into the media of the day appearing in magazines like Rolling Stone. They played a great live show. And though they garnered all this attention, they were never as big as The Eagles or similar bands of that time.
SSLYBY is making their mark for our generation by appearing on Carson Daly, having songs on TV shows and touring the US. Their albums have been reviewed by the music mags and e-zines of our time. They play great live shows to packed houses when they play in Springfield. They have a music video. And though they garnered this attention, they probably will never be as big as similar bands (that are not as good) of our time.
Of course, these are abbreviated comparisons made in the name of blog, but the truth of the matter is SSLYBY will leave the biggest impression of our music scene for this decade whether we like it or not. And Springfield is the reason. Both bands are great. If the home base had more community support or was a bigger media market, then both of these bands would have had greater success. More bands would have greater success. Just think: if every musician raised their game to the level of playing in big markets we could change the cycle and rise above. But, more bands would have less words to make long band names with though…
Tags: carson daly, comparisons, eagles, ozark mountain daredevils, someone still loves you boris yeltsin, sslyby, the eagles, yeltsin
July 16, 2008 at 3:35 pm
this reminds me of a PRP article headline…
but I agree, lets get this scene boomin’
July 16, 2008 at 4:41 pm
“Just think: if every musician raised their game to the level of playing in big markets we could change the cycle and rise above.”
This is 100% true. We all get off of our collective ass and start making people realize that Yeltsin is not the only band from Springfield. Too many musicians in this town are far too placid with being big fish in a small pond. In their defense, the comfort and security of playing to their hometown friends is quite alluring. It isn’t acceptable for me to remain complacent. We’re taking a chance this August with a two week run. We will most assuredly return destitute, but we will have made new contacts in hopes to return to these places in the future. It would help Springfield music as a whole if several bands from town down similar things. Alas, I am only responsible for myself, and that is the way I prefer to keep it.
July 16, 2008 at 10:53 pm
i agree… except about the size of this market. springfield is over 125,000 people, extend that out into the 5 county metro area and you get up around 425,000. the people are nearby, they just aren’t coming to shows in droves. some can blame a ‘weak economy,’ but the reality is that for whatever reason most people don’t go to see music for going to see music’s sake. we have a deeper, stronger more diverse scene than STL, KC, Tulsa, Fayetteville or Little Rock, but we don’t get the credit. Take a moment and consider the variety of music performed by local artists on a given weekend, then open up a newspaper from another metro area and compare. from hillbilly swagger to shoe-gaze lather, we hit pretty much every niche. only with a coordinated approach to ensuring that the very best practitioners are in the best venues consistently will draw these teeming Idol-watching masses to their feet. if we finally get the people out to the bar and they are punished by mediocrity they can’t identify with, they won’t come back.
July 17, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Something for consideration: Yeltsin started playing out in 2000 and didn’t start drawing decent springfield crowds til 2004-05. Still, they kinda suck.