Fans of the local indie music scene, residents of American Fork and Provo/Orem, or anyone interested in a day of free entertainment must mark their calendars for October 16, 2010. Fork Fest is coming! This is an event sponsored by North Platte Records, Velour Live Music Gallery, and a number of other local radio stations and businesses, highlighting talent from the Wasatch front. Some of the performers in attendance will be Joshua James, Fictionist, Parlor Hawk, Allred, Night Night, and the Vibrant Sound, as well as countless other talented acts. The festival lasts from 12:00 noon to 11:00 at night and doesn’t cost a thing. It will take place at the American Fork Amphitheater, which is located at 851 East 700 North. Fork Fest is a great opportunity to hear some awesome music and spend a day in the sun before the fall season is over and winter comes!
News
As we all are well aware, Steven Slater of Jet Blue airlines quit his job in a daring and dramatic way last week. In fact he went “jet blue.” After being undermined, cursed at, and hit in the head with a passengers luggage, Steven Had enough! He swore at the arrogant passenger over the mic and with beer in hand, quickly made a get away from the plane’s emergency slide (don’t we all wish we could do that!).
Steven’s act, although over dramatized, has caused him to be an American hero to the hardships of many American jobs. With all this commotion, many artists have been hurrying to capture the story of a bizarre hero, Stevie Slater (as lead-singer of local band, Imagine Dragons like to call him).
Quickly after the news of Stevie’s bold quit, Imagine Dragons wrote this song:
This song and Stevie’s story might just be the beginning of the phrase going “jet blue”. No more going postal, we’re going jet blue.
Imagine Dragons hoped to introduce more people to their music, by capturing such a fascinating and viral story. A clever idea, might I add. Other artists and companies are doing the same thing.
Noah Needleman, did the same thing with his Jet Blue blues:
Here is a mark of active artists– when they are writing about viral news that is going on today. I wish both these bands the best of luck in getting more fans. Find new artists and upcoming artists when you search for “Stevie” Slater.
Every local music aficionado knows about Brooklyn. It’s a hotspot for local music and urban art. Many well-known bands from the 80′s and 90′s have roots tying back to Brooklyn’s independent music network, as well as more recent indie rock bands such as MGMT. Something about the diversity found in Brooklyn’s art scene makes it a hotbed for creative, indie expression.
What most people (sadly) don’t know is that another, similarly diverse city has been producing local independent music for nearly a decade in the most unlikeliest of places: Provo, Utah.
Provo’s unique creative atmosphere and expansive independent music network has birthed a number of high quality indie artists and bands, including Joshua James, Neon Trees, Fictionist, and most recently Parlor Hawk. These are some big names within the indie/local music community. Most of these bands have been at or near the top of iTunes’ download charts in last few months, and there is no sign of them letting up.
(Check out Neon Trees!)
There are a few things that Provo has that most cities don’t. First, the indie music community has a very strong hub, a high-quality venue called Velour Live Music Gallery, as well as a few other, smaller local venues. And it’s unique location in Utah allows it to disperse new creative indie rock to a very large audience.
Velour is designed like a vintage Baroque Indie Rock chapel, yet it is clear from the way Corey Fox, the owner, runs things that Velour is there to support the bands. Only the best bands are selected to play weekend shows, but up-and-coming bands are encouraged to play at the weekly acoustic nights and semi-annual and highly competitive Battle of the Bands concerts. It’s an incubator for indie rock and creative music.
Because Utah is a haven for Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), many come from all over the United States (and to a smaller extent, the rest of the world) to visit Utah. Then they take the new music they’ve found in Provo back home.
Double the effectiveness of this principle for the two college campuses (BYU and UVU) located in Provo. Indie rock attracts college students like ants to a spilled can of Classic Coke. The Indie Rock then steeps into the collective college soul throughout the semester. And the students become musical carriers when they return to their out-of-state hometowns for vacations.
This dissemination of new music has created Provo’s vast independent music network, while the local community generates lots of potential bands and different types of music.
Keep an eye out for any bands coming out of Provo. Odds are that they’ll go far.
