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Originally Posted by m^a(t)h
Sorry I didnt come to your show, if you have another just tell me and ill come, its just I didnt want to go to a party at a person's house I didnt know...
Do you play anywhere besides people's houses?? It seems like theres not alot of places to play at around here except Beecher's in Zelie.
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It is cool. Most of the bands around here play in people's houses 90% of the time. The best places to set up shows around here either charge an obscene amount of money so you can't break even or charge an obscene amount of money and require you to pay a cop to be there the whole time.
There used to be shows at the Knob Hill Barn, but they sort of ended after I set one up a charity show there and lost money on it. There used to be shows at the Cranberry Community Center, but they don't allow people to set up shows there anymore. There used to be a yearly battle of the bands at Seneca Valley High School, but they banned it due to vandalism.
This fricking moron kid tried to start up a promotion company, and he set up 4 different shows- 3 at veteran's clubs in Butler, Zelie, and Elwood, and one in a parking lot by a pizza shop in Elwood. The problem was that he didn't really know any of the bands and so he booked his shows short with only 2 or 3 bands. Plus he didn't do so much as make flyers or anything.
Some kids set up shows in the Harmony Museum and the Harmony Moose when school is out, hopefully that will start up again this summer.
There are shows at public events- like Horse Trading days and July 4th at Cranberry Park, but I'm really nervous about performing with ring modulators and drum machines infront of hicks and people with mainstream tuned ears.
Beechers unfortunately is only good for low-key music. I've been intent on starting a low-key band for awhile, but I've never got around to it. I don't really hang out at Beechers very often that more because I always feel compelled to buy their overpriced gelatto. Plus everytime I go there alone the place is empty and I feel wierd just sitting there because there is nothing to do in Zelie. Not to mention last time I went there I got lectured by a girl who couldn't understand that I'm finding myself right now. Subway used to be the hangout place in Zelie, before the ownership changed, mainly because some of my friends and I worked there and gave people free food until we all got fired.
My friend Nic started putting a lot of shows on in his basement. He is now living full time up by Slippery Rock college, so people from other bands have sort of taken it up themselves.
The shows are not invitation only though. Sometimes there is someone's birthday involved, but anyone can really come. Most of these shows are in garages or basements with a decent PA and people have to pay to get in, usuall 1 to 3 dollars. I never pay, even when I'm not playing (in those instances usually I help my friends unpack their gear.) It is pretty easy to get away with not paying.
I've got another show at the same place in July. I'm also going to set up a show in my basement sometime in July, which I need to figure out pretty soon. What is great about my house is that I will be able to seal off every floor except the cellar and use my storm doors to let people in. My basement looks like a 19th century prison without bars, which makes it even better
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I could write a book about the history of youth culture in Zelienople from around 1990 onwards, although there would be a big gap from the time my oldest sister graduated high school to the time I hit 17, which would be about an 9 year gap from '93 to '02.
Back to the topic- when you are putting that line out on your keyboard, you should look for some good bends.
http://www.anti-theory.com/soundart/circuitbend/
The simplest bends just involve shorting 2 points on a circuit board with a wire until you find a sound you like, then soldering a switch on (really freaking simple.) You just have to make sure not to be plugged into the wall but be using batteries, or you can kill yourself.
I've been meaning to bend my yamaha, but it has been on loan to my friend Matt for quite awhile.
post-script: chances are we know a lot of the same people.