Amarillo's Rock Scene

A few years ago, I helped Brock create and maintain Amarillo Nights, to give Amarillo a place to go for local entertainment information. Then after a few years things never did really take off. Then almost two years ago I started Project Amarillo, with a focus on the local bands and scene. Things have been going pretty well and I had hoped the local scene would pick up and be great once again. Things are moving along, and though slowly, the site is gaining more attention all the time and I'm getting more bands added and more information all the time.

My preference in music is rock, so you'll notice the site leans a bit in that direction. I listen to country and other genres all the time, but I will get to the rock shows before the rest if given a choice. I don't have anything against any other types of music and I encouage them to give any info and have it shown here also. Even the home page is fair game to anything the local scene is willing to have me promote.

Two of my best friends own Avenue X and I do spend a lot of time there and get lots of notice on the shows coming up. I get those posted on the front page more than much of anything else. Not that I'm trying to work against the other venues. It's just that I get more info from them than the other venue owners and promoters. And again I welcome anyone to give me their promotional material and have it shown along with the Avenue X shows.

That being said, I now want to express my disappoint with the Amarillo rock crowd. There was a show last night at Avenue X. Cage 9, from Los Angeles headlined the show and they put on one hell of a show. Sans Gravity opened up the show, and the cost to get in was only $5.00. My disappointment was about how many were there to see the show. The place had about 30 there and they all great time. I mean come on, the cover was only $5.00 and it's not that this show was not advertised. I had it in the calendar here, the Avenue X website had it on the front page and the calendar. The myspace pages had them at the top of the friends list and it was put in the bulletins a bunch of times before the show. I heard it on Rock108 all week long. It seems if it's not played for 3 months before the show and blasted at you every 15 minutes on Rock108, nobody wants to go see the shows. Hell, I'm sure the Jet show will be sold out and they are charging a hell of a lot more for the cover to that show. Amarillo rock fans just don't seem to want to go out and listen to rock music when it's not the latest and greatest band and they have it drilled into their heads 100 times a day. And I'm not saying anything bad about Rock108 here, I'm just pointing out that the shows they blast over the airwaves 24/7 for a few months are the only ones you guys are willing to go check out!

This is not the first time that I have noticed this either. Avenue X had Frank Hannon and his band a few weeks ago. Maybe you don't recognise the name, unless your a Tesla fan. This guy is the lead guitarist of Tesla and in my opinion the biggest talent of Tesla. It was another kick ass show that had a less than sell out crowd. Then there was Winger a month or so ago. They can still rock just as well as they did 15 years ago when they were in the mainstream, and their new stuff though a little different, rocked out and they put on a great show, and the place wasn't even half full. Then came Neverset and Faktion a couple of weeks ago, and yes it sold out. But I heard this show promoted on Rock108 for weeks, and many times a day.

So why now is it that I feel like everyone wants to bitch but they don't follow though when you give them what they are asking for. For so long, I kept hearing that the local scene sucked and none of the good rock bands were coming here. Well, here you go guys, the rock bands are coming to Amarillo all the time. Fast Lane puts on shows at the Midnight Rodeo and a few other venues, Avenue X is bringing in some awesome shows, but you guys don't go and show your support and see these guys. I remember hearing a while back on Rock108 that when you guys don't go out and see these shows, then they will skip Amarillo in favor of towns and cites that will sell out their shows. Believe it or not, most if not all of these guys are out to make money, not just play to just a few folks for the fun of it!

The other thing I notice is that the Amarillo rock crowd seems to like the cover bands more than the original bands that don't play a jukebox of songs that everyone knows by heart. The Electric Gypsies and Skratch always seem to bring in a huge crowd when they play. What's the problem in checking out the out of town bands coming through Amarillo that play their own original songs and put on some great shows. This is why these guys will go to Albuquerque then straight to Oklahoma City, skipping Amarillo, because they know you guys won't go out and see them play here. Oh and don't get me wrong here guys, I love the Gypsies and Skratch, I'm just using them as an example of what you guys prefer to see.

A few times I had thought of giving up on Project Amarillo and just letting the local scene rot. That was because of this lack of interest from you guys in the local scene. When you keep hearing the local scene sucks and you are just wasting your time, and only a few saying you are doing a great job, it gets frustrating and you really get to wondering if you are just wasting your time and should give it up. I'm not giving up, I want a huge local scene and I will show my support if and when I can. I just wish the rest of you felt the same and were willing to go check out a band that you haven't heard of and catch some of the great talent coming through Amarillo.