by joel myrene
The music scene is an odd thing. In every city/town, it’s constantly evolving, sometimes it’s incredibly vibrant, while at other times nearly non-existent. For myself, in the 90’s/early 2000’s in Wenatchee the all ages music scene was incredible. Venues such as The Franklin House, The Barn, The IOOF, The Eagles and others at times were host to many shows throughout the years. Those shows, catering to the younger crowd, were directly responsible for jumpstarting dozens of bands. All it takes is one show, for a handful of kids to see how easy it is to pick up an instrument, and learn how to play a simple three chord song. Gone are the days (thankfully) of having to go to some weird dude’s apartment, to take guitar, bass or drum lessons. Plenty of options to learn how to play an instrument, at a local shop, online or from a friend. Those same kids play a show a few months later, and the cycle repeats itself.
Many of us from that scene are now in our 40’s and 50’s. Some of us still play music, others have long since abandoned playing, but I would imagine music remains a big part of our lives, whether it’s catching a live show, or just listening.
Music itself evolves, what styles are popular and even the instrumentation in how it is being played. The days of the standard drum, bass and guitar band being king, are seemingly a thing of the past, at least at this time. And that’s fine. Music evolves just as music scenes do. There does not seem to be many teenage bands locally doing the drum, guitar and bass guitar format. It’ll probably cycle around again, and be popular. Or maybe not, who knows.
So this is the reason why I have started doing shows at the IOOF again, after 20 years. There is absolutely a need for a venue where music is played by the younger crowd to their friends. It’s less of trying to recreate the past for myself and my friends, but more to give the younger generation a space where they can play music, in whatever style/format that takes shape, to their peers. I believe strongly that all it takes is a few shows, for kids to realize how easy it can be to start a band, and play a show. I played my first show about two months after picking up a bass guitar, inspired by seeing my friends do the same. Sure, we weren’t perfect, but nobody cared and it’s an experience (playing my first show) that i’ll never forget. You don’t have to be anywhere near perfect to get out and play in front of people, just have a desire to play and a love for the music and being creative. The rest just falls into place. I hope we can kickstart MANY kids to start their own bands, or just find a space where they fall in love with music, in whatever genre/format it comes in.
Icarus
“Playing the show at the IOOF hall was a great experience. We enjoyed how interactive the crowd was. They seemed to be engaged with the music we played and even sang along to our cover of Enter Sandman. There was a big difference from the other shows we’ve played. My bandmates and I were able to feel the music which created a fun and exciting environment. We all had an amazing time. The band was pleased with the sound system, including multiple feedback speakers and a quick and easy setup. We also got a chance to be a part of the crowd, listening to Dryland and Datura, which sounded incredible from an onlooker’s ear. The event organizer Joel, was extremely kind. He constantly supported us and gave us the confidence to perform at our best. Our band had an amazing time and were very glad to receive an invitation back. We look forward to seeing you at our next event in January!” ~ Rayce Jones, vocalist and rhythm guitar, Icarus
“When Joel asked us to play the first all-ages show at the IOOF hall in 20 years, we immediately said yes. Datura strongly believes in the DIY all-ages scene, so this was the opportunity in Wenatchee we’d been seeking for a long time. During COVID, we were able to play a few outdoor shows here rather than bars, and it was common to see families and kids out dancing, so Joel’s initiative to provide this space to our community certainly addresses a need. No one knew how the IOOF show was going to go, but it exceeded all our expectations. Families with babies, toddlers, and kids–teenage rockers–folks in their 40s with their parents–the mainstay punk veterans–all rallied, raised their fists, and proved that Wenatchee supports all-ages spaces. We are grateful. We are optimistic. We are inspired.” ~ DATURA
Dryland
“On Saturday we traveled to Wenatchee to play a one-off all ages show at the IOOF Hall. It was a bit of a gamble commiting to eight hours of driving (round trip) to play 40ish minutes of music. It was a gamble that paid off, BIG TIME. The sold out show was comprised mostly of teens and younger who were starving to see live music in a post-COVID era. For many, this was the first live music they had seen, period. The Hall hasn’t hosted a show in 20 years and there are virtually zero other spaces to see a local show like this. The kids I spoke to were over the moon. We shook many hands, gave out high fives and fist bumps left and right, and even signed lots of autographs (laugh/cry emoji). I asked every excited kid who approached me:”do you play music? What instrument? Well, KEEP IT UP!” The night was one big, mushy reminder why we do what we do. We sold twice as many albums as we did at our record release show, and I wouldn’t be surprised if each copy doesn’t help kickstart a young Wenatchee metal band.” ~ Bradley from Dryland
Upcoming all-ages show: Otho, Nightmares and Icarus
Saturday, January 20 @ 7PM Tickets Here