Going Underground

Picture this: It is a Saturday night, a small group of 20 or so people are crowded around a stage while the band plays their hearts out, sharing with those in the room the passion that is their music; meanwhile, on the other side of town 500 people crowd into a concert venue and listen to a couple of bands playing the most recent releases and maybe some older favorites. What is the difference here? Nothing. Both scenes are that of music lovers coming together to enjoy the bands that satisfy their musical cravings. One band is underground, otherwise unknown other than those fans that are local and maybe a semi-large online following thanks to the beauty of YouTube while the others are mainstream, “popular” bands whose music can be recognized at times by the first few chords.

While reading stories of how bands that you love got their start, was it right there on a big stage with instant notoriety and fame, known the whole world over and beloved by all? Not at all…had they had to work hard and be discovered somehow. What seems to happen though is that some stay beneath the radar even though they are absolutely deserving of stardom…but the question comes to mind…do they want it? Perhaps this is their preference. I don’t think that all musicians want their names in lights, but they do want to be appreciated.

There seems to be a divide between those who are into the mainstream music scene and those who prefer to research and find music that is lesser known; there is truly no reason for this, because both of these types of music go hand-in-hand. Every band started as “underground” before something catapulted them to the public eye, and there are bands that still do small shows to give thanks to the hometowns or show appreciation to their fans by being in a more intimate setting rather than a large scale concert hall.

When you hear a song, and it just grips you, does it matter to you how popular the band is? Whether they are a part of mainstream or not? Some people may feel that way, but most of us just love music, and when we take a closer look, we have to remember that the music that is blasting from the speakers had to start somewhere. Feel the music,horns up, and Metal on Loud!

Tabatha Spears

Tabatha is a Metal On Loud author who writes the 'Metal Minute' columns and takes the occasional band interview.

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