Welcoming students back to Muncie's music scene with open arms, this year's "Back 2 School" shows at Village Green Records feature a diverse collection of local and Midwestern acts, all stopping by the Martin St. lawn to give newcomers a taste of independent music fervency.
This year's annual "Back 2 School" festivities will take place Sept. 9 and 10 at VGR, showcasing many Indiana bands, as well as a few touring acts from Cincinnati.
"One thing I always think about for a back to school show is I want to give a show the new freshmen student body will be able to appreciate," Travis Harvey, owner of VGR, said. "But I also want it to be a show where I'm consciously choosing acts that I think are good for a new year.
"I understand that a lot of the new faces that I anticipate on coming may not be familiar with Support the Troopz or Bonesetters, some of the local acts. At the same time, I want them to be paired up with other bands that are touring in to give the impression that when we do a show at the record store, it's going to be a diverse affair with bands from around the area."
The Chocolate Horse, a folk/rock band out of Cincinnati, learned of VGR through another friend who had played the venue a few years back. Frontman Jason Snell knows the culture-driving power that a record store possesses, having explored unfamiliar territories on the East Coast and Midwest during previous tours.
"For me, whenever I go out on tour or even travel, a big part of the experience for me is you go to the record shop there," he said. "I think that speaks for the culture of the city. During this week, I was up in Grand Rapids. I'm like, ‘I've never been here. I've gotta go to the record shop and get a vibe for it.'"
Led by frontman Chad Serhal, who lived at VGR during its early days, She Does Is Magic will be returning for its second show at the shop. Having lived and played in the store, Serhal is familiar with the "oasis" of Muncie's music scene.
"The kids are really excited and they're not snobby in anyway, in my opinion," he said. "They're just excited about hearing new music. It's unlike any town, especially college town. There's a high percentage of kids who are at that impressionable age where they're ready to go any direction, and it seems like you can blow their minds a lot easier."
Blake Mellencamp, freshman English education major, has attended numerous shows at the shop since his first successful visit three years ago, even returning for summer shows despite the hour drive from his hometown.
"It almost seems like I can't go that long without seeing a show," he said. "I feed off of that energy and it lasts me a while. I feel that at a show, I can behave a certain way that I can't in my everyday life. I feel restrained at times, but I can really let loose, be myself, really connect with the musicians, [and] feel the trembling of the speakers. It's just a really fun and raw experience."
Josh Condon, who will be performing with his recently formed band Peach Tree, is also aware of VGR's relentless appeal to the everyday music seeker.
"I've always come to the shows here," Condon said, now in his third year of living in Muncie. "It's pretty easy. Ride by and see that they're playing outside. Stop in and take a listen. If you have a weird, obscure record that you want to order, he [Travis] will search and destroy for it."
With the past year's "FORGETABOUTIT" back to school show, Harvey sought out a "gnarly" rock ‘n' roll theme for the event. This year, however, his efforts are less genre driven.
"Arguably the theme is to have a good time, but there's a lot more at it than trying to have a good time," he said. "It's trying to show a good time."
On the Facebook event pages, VGR said that if the weather is bad, the shows will still happen, but at Be Here Now, which is just around the corner. The shows will still be free, unless VGR decides to ask for a $1 fee, according to the event pages. For a complete list of performers, check out the event pages on Facebook.
Day 1-
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135157196573738
Day 2-
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146970762054560
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