Local Venues

I just found out that one of my favorite music cafes from my old college town officially closed its doors for good, and that really hit me hard. Throughout my time in that town I made quite a few memories, and a lot of them were at that spot. I performed at an open mic night there my freshman year and spent time at the location pretty frequently throughout my time at the university and even a bit after graduation. I'll never forget all the performances I saw, all the laughs I had, and all the friends I made there. It got me thinking about how there are places like that all over that have a special spot in countless peoples hearts. It's local cafes and bars where not only memories are made, but countless musicians and groups get their starts. When going to a local show, you never know if you're watching the next booming success at one of their early shows. You never know if that band you're seeing is just about to get their big break and you'll be able to say you were there before they made it big. Yes, I know that's rarely the case, but it's always a possibility. I saw so many talented individuals at the House Café that definitely deserved to get recognized on a larger scale but tragically never did. That's just a part of the music world unfortunately. It's why I try my best to check out local upcoming artists and see what they have to show. It's why I try to search the lesser known corners of the world for hidden musical gems that most people will never find, and a lot of those gems are found at local venues. As heartbreaking as it is to know that a spot that was particularly special to me has closed its doors for good, I can still smile knowing that there are still countless locales throughout the world serving the same community purpose and even more that have yet to come about. My college town was pretty small so there wasn't a whole lot to do, but it was places like that café that gave the place a unique character and tied the community together. It was full of some of the weirdest, kindest, most unique and talented people I've ever met, and I'll never let go of all of the times that I had there. Now I live in a new city, one that's considerably larger and also happens to be a college town, where you can pretty much throw a rock and hit a spot like the House Café. I look forward to spending many years frequenting all of these spots and finding more musical treasures that are bound to be hiding here. If you have nothing to do on a Friday or Saturday night, try exploring some local venues and enjoy the scene before they're gone.