I don't know...exactly...yet.
I go to concerts, take pictures, and post them here. I only take black and white shots because I'm not an expert and it's just easier to stick with one medium, plus I like how they come out.
I don't want this to just be another page of concert photography and album reviews (though it's mostly just pictures right now). I don't know that I have much more to offer than any number of established sites, other than possibly a different perspective. Different to the world of music websites at least, but hopefully common among some population of music fans who share some similar genre preferences. What's also different is my rating system. A great idea from a good buddy of mine, each band mentioned on this site is accompanied by a rating of not their relative badassery, but by how well they match certain musical genres. So if you're strictly a fan of say, Americana, you can easily check the upcoming shows and see whether it's worth your time to check something out.
The rating system is pretty self explanatory, but just in case:
- 4 stars - right in your wheelhouse
- 3 stars - not a pure reflection of the category, but I'm pretty sure you'll like it
- 2 stars - has some influence, you'll probably find at least a few things you like
- 1 star - slightly related, you might like it, buy I'm not betting on it
- 0 star - totally unrelated, no clear influences
I will quickly point out that I'm aware my categories don't encompass all possible genres, and leave out some pretty big ones. For now the site has only myself behind it, and those are the genres I'm a fan of and most familiar with. If you're a fan of hip hop or classical music and want to help me with the ratings, let me know.
That's it for what's important to know, if you're interested in how I came to like the music I do, see if my likes might be the same as yours, or maybe just want a quick laugh, feel free to ready my story...
I grew up on a heavy diet of classic rock and Willie Nelson. The first CD I ever owned, a gift from my dad, was Steppenwolf's "16 Greatest Hits". My own musical journey took a few ill advised pit stops. The first album I bought myself was Meatloaf. I actually walked into the Wal-Mart music section and asked the guy, "Do you have 'Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell' ... by Meatloaf?". I wish I could say that my next purchase of Pearl Jam's "Ten" straightened everything out, but I'm pretty sure I followed that up with Ace of Base. I always had a tape in my stereo ready to record something off the radio. I remember ending up with a lot of Will Smith.
Eventually I was introduced to Metallica, Rage, and the Beastie Boys. I found what I liked, and somewhere along the way from then to a few years ago I picked up on The White Stripes, the Black Keys, and a few others big enough to make the radio. If you'd asked me what kind of music I liked, my response would have been, "Classic Rock and Metallica, I don't really listen to much new stuff". I didn't agree that rock was dead, but it was certainly dying. And then I found an entire world of music, most of which never made it outside Pandora and Spotify.
Do you think rock is dead? Do you want to see where Stevie Ray Vaughan's influences went? Check out his protege, Gary Clark Jr. Need to find a modern day outlaw who doesn't sound like the awful country on the radio? Sturgill Simpson's carrying that torch. Prefer a bit more Bob Dylan mixed in? Ryan Bingham. Or if you just want to listen to some new music that sounds almost exactly like the rock or soul you listened to from 1960, JD McPherson and Leon Bridges have got you covered.