A return to the local scene

Two springs ago when the world shut down, the irreplaceable experience of a sweaty bar with live music went with it. Small independent music venues across the country experienced hardships beyond the typical thin margins of independent venues, and Bozeman was no different. Local venues such as The Haufbrau, El Camino and The Filling Station did their best to stay afloat and, although not a music venue, one of the pillars of the “Barmuda Triangle,” The Scoop, closed its doors in May. In September, Bozeman welcomed Logjam’s new venue The Elm (see Ethan Cumby’s review of The Elm on page 12 of this edition). “Nationally touring artists have long needed a dedicated venue in Bozeman. With The Elm, Bozemanites now have an opportunity to experience world-class entertainment in a state-of-the-art venue right in their own backyard,” says Logjam VP of Marketing Ryan Torres. The Elm’s inaugural show was played by Death Cab For Cutie, and the venue will welcome Reggie Watts later this year.

Alongside local venues, the musicians that call those venues home also took blows during the height of the pandemic. With no gatherings of any kind allowed, concerts became impossible. Many bands improvised, turning to virtual concerts and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok for viewership. In March of 2020, the music platform Bandcamp began waiving its revenue share on the first Friday of each month to help its artists offset the impact of canceled tours. Since then, there have been 15 Bandcamp Fridays, and fans have spent upwards of $61 million, an average of 93% of those funds reaching artists after payment processing fees. Now that the world is opening back up, many small bands are experiencing a bottleneck of sorts trying to book shows. With fewer indie-friendly venues post-pandemic, and larger venues still struggling to keep the lights on, popular acts that are guaranteed to bring in revenue are prioritized. However, as we have seen throughout history, where there is a will to play music, and a desire for said music to be heard, there is a way.

On Thursday, Oct. 7, I went to my first live music event since the pandemic. A friend’s band, ORNJ, was playing El Camino. I coerced my roommate into going with me, and we filed into the bar at 10:30 p.m. I always forget how comparably peaceful downtown is on a weeknight versus a Friday or Saturday. A random man introduced himself to us as “Crazy,” and after we procured some Whiteclaws, we took up a post far away from Crazy. Once ORNJ got going, there was a smile on my face that didn’t leave until we got home. Formed in 2019, ORNJ played a pleasantly surprising blend of covers, ranging from Modest Mouse to MGMT to Dinosaur Jr. to The Meters, as well as originals reminiscent of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Tally Hall. There simply is nothing like sipping a drink, enjoying some great loud live music and watching some drunk guy tear it up on the dance floor. If you feel comfortable enough to do so, go see a local band, have a beer and enjoy yourself. You don’t have to wait for your favorite out of town act to finally make it somewhere near Bozeman. Keep an ear out and go support local music!