Being a lover of all things live original music, moving here was a return to a happy place. Living in a remote Iowa town last year really made me appreciate the music scene in my former Cincinnati. Growing up in an area where there was, in all likelihood, live original music in some setting 7 days a week and then moving to a town with weekly and sometimes monthly shows began to drain me. In a period where auto-tuned, talentless, morons with unlimited resources are able to record, tour, and and endlessly promote a soulless product ripe for youth consumption, watching and listening to something that a real person made with real analog instruments brings an enormous shit-eating grin to my face.

Don’t mistake my perspective for being instrument bias nor am I apart of the Analog Taliban who will make the dumbest choices in the name of analog purity. I cut my musical teeth on the best of 1980′s and early 90′s rap. In fact, I didn’t even listen to anything with a guitar until I started hanging out with the kid who pushed carts at Central Hardware. Seeing live music, has at this point in my life, has become a crucial part of creating my own happiness. With seemingly endless wars, the emergence of Police State USA, and horrible election fever, seeing a really loud rock band whilst having some adult sodas is a fine temporary vacation.

Last Friday I got the chance to see Jack Buck (the band, not the dead Cards announcer who made the 1990 world series a painful listen) and Shaved Women (Crass anyone?) from St. Louis. They were both loud, noisy, chaotic, and slightly dangerous on stage. I could name drop a bunch of bands that they sound like but that rarely works. You should also pick up Jack Buck’s brilliantly packaged 7″ vinyl record. Its pretty much the best thing I’ve bought since I moved here. They played at the Hairhole, a DIY art/show space here in CoMo. I had heard a lot about it and know some of the folks who help out there. It was a great time and much needed. Needless to say, I had fun and met some really genuine people creating some great sounds. Everyone should have the opportunity to do that every now and again. I’m just lucky enough to have a TEAM that supports it. For its size, this town has a boatload of live music venues. Not all of them book good music but its live and mostly original. Do yourself a favor and go see some. GOOD NEWS: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a couple of righteous gentlemen and we have a band now. Our debut will be sometime in the early part of 2012 which may spell the end of civilization according to the Mayans or if Newt Gingrich is elected president.