The music scene in Muncie today is far different than it used to be.
"It changes every four years with the politics," Dan Schepper, drummer for the well-known Muncie band Everything, Now!, said. In 2003, a revolution of sorts was taking place here with the formation of new bands and shows being thrown. Many of those involved with the growing scene look back on it today and see it as unparalleled.
Brandon Beaver, drummer for We Are Hex and the disbanded ari.ari., said kids were "more interested" at the time and were the ones who made it what it was. From 2003 to 2006, a wave of these interested musicians started working together and putting on shows. There were three main venues at the time: The Speakeasy, Doc's Downtown and The Talley. The latter of these was housed in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The venue hosted Margot and the Nuclear So & So's release show for the album Dust of Retreat, as well as Everything, Now!'s release show for Police, Police. The Talley was an important place for the budding scene, but is now gone due to the reconstruction happening at the Student Center.
In addition to the venues, people's houses were commonly used to host bands. Shows that take place in a living room or basement can be a rewarding scenario for a band, because a sense of community is being used. The 525 House, located on Marsh Street, was a common host of many shows. This "community" Muncie displayed was a driving force behind the scene.
"There was always someone playing in the basement," Jill Weiss, another member of We Are Hex, said. "People would play just to play." Weiss also said she would host shows in her house to expose Muncie locals to the different sounds and music touring bands brought. Even if few people showed up, the bands enjoyed playing to each other. Bands like The Lou Reeds were popular because "they made music with what they had," Weiss added. "They had crappy amps and cheap guitars, but were making records and music for the love of it."
So, how does the Muncie scene compare today? There's a bit of a difference. Prominent bands like Brazil, People Bomb, Archer Avenue and Arcade have either broken up or relocated. The closing of The Talley and graduation of many musicians brought about a major change.
"It doesn't have the same feel," Beaver said about the lack of collectiveness in today's scene. Because the range of genres now is far greater - from folk pop to thrash metal to noise punk - it becomes difficult to put shows together or have musicians work with each other. Bands then produced a similar sound that enabled more playability.
Beaver explains that Muncie is susceptible to constant change, being a college town, but the new waves of kids coming in don't seem to have the appreciation for a music community like those in the past and "it's never been replaced." Shepper thinks the problem can be attributed to technology. "The new crowd is more focused on video games or staying inside," he said. "That and just listening to music online, not going anywhere." He also said the lack of places to play is hurting things.
However, Village Green Records is doing a large part in rebuilding the scene. Normally, shows held are free - a donation bowl is passed around - leaving it up to whoever attends to support the bands. Not having a cover charge encourages more people to show up, but can be a concern for the out-of-town bands needing money for gas. If donations are low, merchandise such as shirts or CD's have to be relied upon. But the VGR is still holding on to the ideal that Weiss talked about, by bringing different sounds and styles to Muncie and encouraging new music.
The legacy the old crowd left behind casts a large shadow for today's scene, but there are people working to restore it. Muncie bands like Bonesetters, Small Wonders, The Wolves' Pursuit and Osteoferocious are working towards the restoration of what once was. Finding bands, setting up house shows and promoting takes hard work, but those who know what it takes are striving for it.
Schepper felt uneasy about the direction Muncie's scene was headed, but remains optimistic.
"Hopefully some band will come along and change everything," he said.
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