BLOG: Ride Some Village Vibes
- Published: August 19, 2011
Life in Yellow Springs is a uniquely sensuous experience. Lush trees and colorful street art please the eye; tantalizing scents flow from downtown restaurants, and fresh, gourmet foods please our palates.
The auditory pleasures are no less special. Street musicians can add a tenor of merriment to Xenia Avenue. Even a lone drummer seems to lend downtown a heartbeat and put a spring in one’s step. And in venues around town our talented local musicians give voice to the village.
In Yellow Springs, the local music scene is thriving. And it is wildly diverse. We have buskers getting their first audience; established bands, choirs and orchestras offering concerts and releasing albums; group chanting for spiritual healing, top-notch DJs spinning tunes and major touring acts coming through town.
Musical styles are diverse, too. A healthy dose of rock ‘n roll, alt rock, heavy metal, rhythm and blues, singer/songwriter, reggae, blues, jazz and classical complements the bluegrass and folk we inherit from this part of the country. Plus we have post-rock, electronic, psychedelica, college rock, rockabilly, punk, pop and many more sub-genres to speak of.
In my new online blog at ysnews.com — Village Vibes — I’ll profile local bands for those who want to catch more local tunes and stay current with new groups and upcoming shows. There will be videos of live performances and studio sessions, concert and album reviews, audio streaming of favorite tracks, and artist profiles with everything you might want to know about the styles, influences and personal histories of our local acts.
Who am I to write a music blog? I don’t claim to be an expert. But I am an avid hunter of new and obscure independent music, an audiophile with a vinyl addiction, a sometimes-vocalist in Beverly Logan’s choirs, a chanter in circles and a frequent local concert-goer. I’m a fan of many of our local bands; profiled and produced videos of Kuan, Wheels and The Show in recent editions of the News; have been known to hit the dance floor when Crazy Joe and His Mad River Outlaws play and was once a self-anointed “Skillethead.”
The oft-touted creativity of our community members may be the source, but the local music scene is sound for other reasons too. Over the years, Antioch College and the village schools have hired top musical educators; professional singers and instrumentalists live here; our more traditional bands, orchestras and choirs are going strong; musicians can record original material at local studios; a record store serves up new vinyl; weekly open mic nights help new voices hone their skills, and band lineups at Bluesfest and the Street Fair draw crowds from the region.
As you will see, in Yellow Springs we make music for art, entertainment, healing and fun. Stay tuned for some good vibrations.
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