'Twas the week after Christmas, when all through the Tri-states,
local musicians were stirring, not wanting to be late;

The guitars and amps were loaded in the venues with care,
In hopes that the fans soon would be there;

The fans were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of rockers danced through their heads;

And engineers at their boards, and DJs with their headphones
had just settled in checking the musical tones;

When out in the winter air arose a screech of vocals,
The fans sprang from their beds to see the guitar solos;

Away from their beds they flew like a flash,
ran up to the venue doors in their hands was cover cash;

The music whaled through the speakers to the crowd below,
making the treacherous trek worth it through the snow;

When what to the fans eyes should appear,
but Jubal's Lantern reunited, and La Dispute playing near;

With Predawn Hour releasing new songs,
the fans raced to buy merch fighting through the throng;

More shows than ever all the fans came,
and they whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! Cheeks, now! Funerals, now! Renae and Fielder,
On! Jubal's, on! Antidote, on! Torque and Snake Eater;"

"To the top of the stage! To the top of the crowd!
Now dash and play! Dash and play! Play so loud!"

But we heard the lead singers exclaim as they came into sight
— "We're glad you all came to rock on through the night!

I saw that La Dispute, who is touring through Eolia, Mo., recorded the original version of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and it inspired that little live show rant above. There really are a ton of shows available in the next week and a lot worth checking out, or I would not of spent time writing that!

Please check out the plethora of events below with new shows added from The Threshing Floor, Movin On Band and Spirit Knob.

Also, we plan on shedding more light on the closing of The Crux, an all ages venue in Hannibal, but for now please check out those who are trying to bring it back at www.myspace.com/bringbackthecrux. We did a story on what the Crux was doing for area music in February and it is posted at the end of this blog. Good luck to everyone striving to BRING BACK THE CRUX and in the mean time check out similar all ages venues in Keokuk at Music @ the Mall and in Eolia at The Threshing Floor.

Happy New Year and SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC while being safe this holiday season!

CHRISTMAS WEEKEND

After X-Mas Bash with Fielder and Jubal’s Lantern (jam)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 26
WHERE: Turner Hall, 926 Hampshire
INFO: www.myspace.com/fielderband

Winedown with Cheeks McGee (acoustic)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 26
WHERE: Spirit Knob Winery, Ursa, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/cheeksmusic

Texas Funerals (surf/western), Kentucky Knife Fight, The Trashingtons and Mob Action
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Turner Hall, 926 Hampshire
INFO: www.myspace.com/thetexasfunerals

Cheeks McGee (acoustic)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Brix Wine Bar, Fourth Street
INFO: www.myspace.com/cheeksmusic

Pike County Theatre Guild benefit show with The Business Casuals,
The Usual Suspects and Brad Fox
WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Crossroads, Pittsfield, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/thebusinesscasuals

Snake Eater, The Red Beard Conspiracy, Bury The Ocean, Siva (hardcore)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall

Antidote (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: The Back Alley Bar & Grill, 113 Williams Dr., Pittsfield, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/thebackalleybarandgrill

Gabe Meyer and Jacob Best (blues/country)
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Rumor Has It, Hannibal, Mo.
HOW MUCH: No cover
INFO: www.myspace.com/gabemeyerandjacobbest

 Movin On Band (variety)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 27
WHERE: Idol Times, Quincy

Renae, The Rose McCoy and La Dispute (post hardcore)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 30
WHERE: The Threshing Floor, Eolia, MO
HOW MUCH: $8, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/threshingfloorshows

NEW YEAR’S EVE

The Masquerade and Predawn Hour CD release with Downcast (rock)
and DJs Hausgeist, Phelo and J-Lanx (electronic)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Winter’s West Wing, 415 Hampshire (next to O’Griff’s)
HOW MUCH: $6/person and $10/couple, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/qcymasquerade and www.myspace.com/predawnhour

Impakt (country/classic rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Eagles Club, 3737 N. Fifth
HOW MUCH: $15
INFO: www.myspace.com/impaktband

TORQUE (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Twilight Zone, 906 Hampshire
INFO: www.myspace.com/torquerocks

Hillbilly Bash with Jerad Harness and the Martini Time Cowboys (rockabilly)
WHEN: 10:30 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Shady Cats, Warsaw, Ill.

Thru the Ashes (rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Scribbles, Hannibal, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/thrutheashesacoustic

Staggard (Southern rock/country)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Warsaw Brewery, Warsaw, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/staggard

Argyle Road (country/classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Mean Girls, Wayland, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/argyleroad

Infacy (hip hop/rap)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Blue Print Lounge, Hannibal, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/infacy618

Movin On Band (variety)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31
WHERE: Adams Trading Post
HOW MUCH: $10

NEW YEAR’S WEEKEND

Blend (a'cappella/Christian)
WHEN: 7p.m. Jan. 1
WHERE: State Room, 434 S. Eighth
HOW MUCH: $12 at the door and $10 in advance
INFO: www.myspace.com/blendspace

Esther Moore CD release show (acoustic)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 2
WHERE: Spirit Knob Winery, Ursa, Ill.
INFO: www.spiritknob.com

Blend (a'cappella/Christian)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2
WHERE: Star Theatre, 215 S. Main, Hannibal, Mo.
HOW MUCH: $8 at the door and $7 in advance
INFO: www.myspace.com/blendspace

Kidnap The Sun’s CD release with A No Coast November and Shindig (screamo/pop)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 3
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall and www.myspace.com/kidnapthesun

Sweet Diesel, The Collapse, Rectified, Almost Famous and Predawn Hour (rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Jan. 3
WHERE: Turner Hall, 926 Hampshire
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/predawnhour

Raised On Radio (classic rock/blues)
WHEN: Jan. 3
WHERE: The Dock, Quincy
INFO: www.myspace.com/raisedonradiolive

PUBLISHED IN THE QUINCY HERALD-WHIG FEBRUARY 2008:
The Crux boasts nationally touring bands in shows for all ages

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Tim Fenton wants people in the area to know there is a thriving local music scene.

Fenton manages the Crux at 421 Broadway in Hannibal. Opened in October, the Crux has three or four shows a month and hosts a big concert Wednesday, when Michigan band the Skies Revolt plays.

"I want this to be a place for touring artists, but also for local artists to play," Fenton said. "Most shows we have three bands play, one a touring artists, one a regional band and a local Hannibal or Quincy band."

Fenton and his wife, Courtney, helped Believer's Church start in the Crux building at 421 Broadway. When the church outgrew the facility, it agreed to let Fenton continue to use it rent-free to have shows.

"I've wanted to do something like this for a long time," Fenton said. "There were no shows in Hannibal at all. I found myself usually driving to Macomb, St. Louis, to see shows."

Most of the bands are hardcore, punk, indie, acoustic or emo, attracting a young audience. The room is simple and small, and the crowd has been at the capacity of 50 the past few shows.

Fenton charges $5 a show and splits the gate with the bands. Sometimes the touring acts will stay at Fenton's house and he'll cook them breakfast.

All proceeds go to paying for the sound system and making improvements to the room. Fenton has college and high school kids volunteering during shows, as well.

He also has a strict code of conduct for both bands and fans.

Bands sign a contract before they play and promise to not use profanity, vulgarity, or sexually explicit or violent behavior or lyrics while performing.

"If they do, they'll be kicked off the stage and they won't get paid," Fenton said.

The Crux also has a no-preaching policy. Fenton says the venue is not an appropriate place for bands to rant and rave about political, religious or social views.

Band members are also expected to do their part in promoting themselves. If a band wants to gain Fenton's respect, it has to bring paying people to the show.

Fans are also expected to behave, and Fenton says they've been well-behaved so far.

It must be working — Fenton says he has about 10 bands a week contact him and ask about playing at the Crux.

Fenton is also thinking about having other artists — improv groups and painters, for example — use the facility.

"We want to bring in creativity and artistic expression that Hannibal is known for and bring it to the younger generation," he said.

— rhart@whig.com

Local bands/artists, please send show listings to Jessica Martin at jmartin@whig.com.

There are not a ton of shows locally this weekend, but out of the ones below, I have heard great things about Esther Moore.

If you want to go chill with a warm yummy coffee beverage and hear some great acoustic music then check out Esther Moore and Blake Gardner at Coffee On Broadway Friday!

Also, Coffee On Broadway is a great place to hang in general and they don't charge for Wifi, so go early and hang out for awhile.

Esther Moore and Blake Gardner (acoustic)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Coffee on Broadway, 2831 Broadway St.
INFO: www.myspace.com/esthermoore

Siva, The Flood and Coffin Builder (rock/metal)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall
NOTE: Music @ the Mall would appreciate it if attendees would use the back entrance from now on to avoid disrupting other mall businesses.

Vertigo (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Back Alley Bar & Grill, 113 Williams, Pittsfield, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $3
INFO: www.myspace.com/thebackalleybarandgrill

Pike Station (blues)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Club Mississippi, Louisiana, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/pikestation

As always, SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC and go see a show.

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.

Pink Floyd

An employee at The Herald-Whig kept "threatening" to submit a Mixed Tape for the Weekender page but kept saying constantly, "You won't like it."

I would print a MIxed Tape whether I "liked it" or not, and he finally made good on that threat.

And he was wrong.

It's great, it's not greatly diverse, but definitely some fine choices and I own at least three of the bands work (Black Sabbath on vinyl, Alice in Chains and Pink Floyd).

Here is Paul Reagan's Mixed Tape:
“Warning,” by Black Sabbath
“Sweet Child in Time/Burn,” by Deep Purple
“Babes in Arms,” by April Wine
“Fake Healer,” by Metal Church
“Open Up the Door,” by Head East
“(Ghost) Riders in the Sky,” by Outlaws
“Fear the Voices,” by Alice in Chains
“Wish You Were Here,” by Pink Floyd
“Spirit of Radio,” by Rush
“I’m Lost,” by Forever

I love when people surprise you with their musical choices, so don't be so quick to judge. The newsroom alone has a hip hop-loving sports editor, jazz adoring copy desk chief and an assistant copy desk chief who digs Buckcherry.

The playlist I'm listening to as I write this is:

"Snuff," by Slipknot (radio metal), shown at right
"Lavinia," by The Veils (indie)
"Flesh for Bones," by Terra Naomi (acoustic)
"Price of Fame," by Submersed (alternative)
"Ladylike," by Storm Large and the Ball featuring Dave Navarro (alternative)
"Laid to Rest," by Lamb of God (heavy metal)
"House of the Rising Sun," by Walls of Jericho (metal)
"Drive Off a Mountain," by Cex (progressive/pop)
"Mama," by Beth Hart (blues)
"Blood On Our Hands," by Death From Above 1979 (noise indie)

Please support local music and go to a show!

WEEKEND SHOWS
Holiday music with Mannhardt Music Studio Choirs (classical)
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Symphony of Trees, The Ambiance
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com-/mannhardtmusicstudio

Chuck Dyer & The Mudcats (classic country/rockabilly)
WHEN: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Quincy Eagles Club

Bonus show with Binding Isaac and Jordan Rhea
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: The Threshing Floor, 131 W. Outer Rd., Eolia, Mo.
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/threshingfloorshows

TORQUE (rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Back Alley Bar & Grill, 113 Williams Dr., Pittsfield, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/thebackalleybarandgrill

Code 30, Factor-4 and Mob Action (rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall

Number 2 and White Jesus with Phillip Morris and Cochise Soulstar (hip hop)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Day Old Basement, Macomb, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $4
INFO: www.myspace.com/thedayoldbasement

Staggard (classic and Southern rock)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: North Side Bar, Mendon, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/staggard

Raised On Radio (blues/classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Rookies, Hannibal, Mo.
HOW MUCH: No cover

Movin On Band (variety)
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Grove Inn

Chuck Dyer & The Mudcats (classic country/rockabilly)
WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Quincy American Legion

Go to our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/whig_weekender to see up-to-date show listings!

I spoke to guitarist Ben DeWitt of the Springfield band Renae this week for the band spotlight for Weekender, because they are returning to Music @ the Mall in Keokuk.

I intended to do a quick interview and write the piece, but ended up talking for awhile about their band and music in general.

Check out more from the interview below and the article is at www.whig.com:

Ben DeWitt, guitarist
BAND: Renae
TOWN: Springfield, Ill.

"We don't want to be a part of what's happening, we want to make something happen."

GENRE: Post punk/post hardcore. "The way that I play guitar is bluesy or westerny. We're trying to do our own thing." They have some "Christian elements" in their music and are "not a screamo band, we have a heavier side like the hardcore movement."

"I've been a DIY kid since I was 16, the punk rock is in me."

LATEST RELEASE: Concept EP, "The Coward, the Storm and the Outlaw" last September.

INFLUENCES: At The Drive In, Before the March of Flames, Underoath, As Cities Burn and Fugazi

ABOUT MUSIC @ THE MALL: "They take care of you while you're there. It feels like a local show with how many kids come out."

ABOUT SPRINGFIELD: "We have a really good scene built there. We like to call our scene Posi, everybody believed in positivity. Kids started out respecting each other and everybody takes care of one another. Its an underground thing."

IDEAL SHOW LINEUP: Thrice, The Mars Volta, At The Drive In and The Chariot

WARPED TOUR: "We snuck into Warped Tour and sold over 800 CD's in a week, we got to know one of the stage managers and we got passes for the rest of the week. We met Poison the Well and their really nice guys." They got on Poison the Well's stage and thought, "this is how it would feel if we played main-stage at Warped Tour."

LOSING A FELLOW MUSICIAN AND FRIEND: Marion band James the Great's lead-singer Jacob Cato, 17, died in a car accident Nov. 8. "It really sucks, he was driving and he didn't make it.We are playing a benefit show with This Hollywood Machine from Troy, Ill. Dec. 12." Check out more benefit shows at www.myspace.com/jamesthefreakingreat.

ABOUT PLAYING MUSIC: "We had to start over and now I think we have a staying power for awhile. We're trying to make something that has staying power. It's all trickery, playing music is. I don't make music with a premiss, I like to make music for music's sake."

WEEKEND SHOWS

Renae, Transfer To Red and Siva (hardcore/rock)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Music @ the Mall, 300 Main, Keokuk, Iowa
HOW MUCH: $5, all ages
INFO: www.myspace.com/musicatthemall

Cheeks McGee (acoustic)
WHEN: 9 p.m. today
WHERE: Jed’s Brewhouse, 18th and Chestnut
INFO: www.myspace.com/cheeksmusic

Predawn Hour (rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Kerley’s Pub, Hannibal, Mo.
HOW MUCH: $5
INFO: www.myspace.com/predawnhour

Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames
WHEN: Friday
WHERE: The Club, 1023 N. 10th
INFO: www.daveweld.com

Raised On Radio (classic rock/blues)
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Elks Club, Quincy, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/raisedonradiolive

Blue Voodoo
WHEN: Saturday
WHERE: The Club, 1023 N. 10th
INFO: Call 222-7169

Cheeks McGee (acoustic) and Nugget (Cake tribute band)
WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: The Cafe, Macomb, Ill.
INFO: www.myspace.com/cheeksmusic

Burt Shackleton (acoustic)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Brix
INFO: www.myspace.com/burtshackleton

Longshot (classic rock)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Wildfire Saloon,
Vandalia, Mo.
INFO: www.myspace.com/longshot5

Tenth Avenue North (Christian)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday Nov. 16
WHERE: La Harpe Junior High School, La Harpe, Ill.
HOW MUCH: $9 individual; $10 groups (10 or more), all ages
INFO: concert@unionchurch.com or call (309) 313-2513

Contact me at jmartin@whig.com.

Panos Panay is the creator and founder of Sonicbids, a site that helps bands get gigs and promoters book the right bands.

It was amazing to talk to someone who has been on the business side of music for so long.

If you are a band or promoter, then you are probably thinking, "That's awesome."

If you are neither of these, you may be wondering what I'm talking about.

Panay says Sonicbids is the "only site that's purely devoted to getting bands gigs, connect with promoters and develop a career of doing what you love the most." They believe a promoter is out there for every band, and they help them find each other.

Panay was a music agent for 6 1/2 years after he graduated from the Berklee College of Music, and he has seen firsthand how "challenging it was for artists to get attention from a talent agent."

Panay is a musician, and he began Sonicbids with his own savings out of his apartment. He can really understand and believe that the "best thing that ever happens to you in life is having no money."  He thinks that once bands make money, "their music quality declines."

Since working in the industry for awhile, he is first to admit that "the business has a bad reputation." However, everybody he meets loves music. He says "you just don't see that passion in any other industry."

Check out his thoughts on his company and the music industry below.

PANOS PANAY (check out his blog HERE)
HOMETOWN: Cyrus Island
EDUCATION: Berklee College of Music, music business major
PROFESSION: Founder of Sonicbids, sonicbids.com

THE BEGINNING
Sonicbids was founded in 2001. "In 2001, people were really skeptical of the Internet," Panay said. "People said, 'But I really like getting a CD and looking at the pictures.' As Internet adoption has increased, people have not only became accustomed to it, but demand that music be available online."

WHY SHOULD A BAND JOIN?
The online community has over 150,000 musical acts and more than 14,000 music buyers, which are the people in charge of putting together lineups for tours and venue shows. Sonicbids is 100% member-funded, which means it makes its money "from musicians, and that's who we serve," Panay said.

GIG LISTINGS
"What we bring to a band, the depth and the breadth of the network is the most valuable thing by belonging to Sonicbids," Panay said. By making tours easier to book, it "changes the way that bands are connecting with their fans." From day one, they looked outside of America's borders for music, and 20% of their gig listings are from outside of the U.S.

FESTIVALS
A lot of big music festivals, such as SXSW in Austin, Texas, and Summerfest in Milwaukee, use Sonicbids as the way for bands to apply to perform at their events.

EXPANDING
Sonicbids plans to use feedback from bands that have played, submitted and attended an event to add more description to each listing. It gives them the chance to rate the sound quality of a venue or their ability to sell your merchandise. Also, it plans to have more community-driven information, such as demographics, to help with booking gigs. Sonicbids recently entered into a partnership with MTV to allow artists to submit their songs to be played during all of MTV's reality shows.

PANAY SAYS BANDS SHOULD …

• PLAN: An artist should lay down a plan and determine "what do I want to be, what I'm trying to do and approach what you do like a mini-business. Be smart about it."

• SCHEDULE: Pay attention to the Sonicbids calendar and update it often. Understand that a promoter is going to care about a band's performance history, and if a promoter sees that they are just a local band, it could hurt them. A promoter wants to know that they are thinking about their career strategically. "It's worth expanding your reach, even if you aren't making any money."

• NOT WORRY ABOUT PAYMENT: Don't insist that there be a payment for everything you do. Maybe you're not getting payment for everything you do, but strategically, it may differentiate you from another band. Basically, if the gig gets you seen by potential fans and/or promoters, then it is worth doing it for less than normal or free.

PANAY'S THOUGHTS ON THE INDUSTRY

• INDEPENDENT MUSIC: It was once thought that you defined your independence by what you didn't do. Today, independence is more about empowerment and people are defining themselves by what they ARE doing. You don't need a major label to fund a record, find a producer, manufacture and distribute the CD. An independent artist with an Apple laptop can record, signup for CD Baby and Sonicbids and get their music sounding the same and looking the exact same way and in front of the same people. Panay sees the decline of labels and the rise of this middle class of artists doing it themselves. He'd like to see independent bands and major label artists not differentiated.

• IMAGE: Band image matters less today, because "when I download songs onto my iPod, I really don't care what you look like." He says Itunes is flattening that difference between artists that are image driven and regular artists.

• CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP: Prejudice against using a corporate sponsor is going away. Bands realize it is promoting their craft and are saying, 'I don't care ultimately where my money is coming from, I know I'm authentic.'"

• COMPETITION: People will soon no longer talking about a domestic and international market but a global market. Artists need to understand that a band from Boston is competing with a local gig with a band from Berlin.

Sonicbids is passionate about making a difference. They have set out to fundamentally change the music business and the way that it works.

If you are a band or a promoter, sign up for Sonicbids. It makes finding gigs, festivals and contests  easier and more fun. A few area bands that already use Sonicbids are Fielder, Cheeks McGee and Predawn Hour.

If you have any questions, please contact me at jmartin@whig.com or go to Sonicbids. Thanks and have a great week!