Artists are like plants, they need attention to thrive. Bands have been playing underground and local shows since the concept of basement shows began. Nirvana was playing basement shows in 1987, covering Led Zeppelin songs almost 30 years ago. One of the most easily recognized bands today was covering a band in a basement in Seattle. From humble roots to near god-like stature in the grunge scene, local bands start out small. From hardcore to hip hop, EDM and punk; if you live in a semi-decently sized city the odds are that there is a scene to support.
Being from Philadelphia, there is no shortage of small shows and undergrounds venues. Just last week I was in the basement of the Underground Arts off of North 13th St, moshing to the sounds of punk bands from New York to Houston and even had the pleasure of seeing Leftöver Crack, a band that has been banned from certain venues and parts of Canada. Their opening act was a small band from New York called All Torn Up! Their political punk messages of anti-misogyny and anti-fascism were mixed in with heavy guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and a front man who had a serious set of pipes on him. If it were not for support from somewhere in New York, then I more than likely would have never found this band.
I had the pleasure of speaking to Adeedus, who operates on TrueWave, and is one half of Digital Youth. To quote, "Truewave is a feeling we're trying to cultivate, first thing we worry more about the music than anything else." TrueWave's current base of operations is an apartment in the city that several artists stream from. You can catch TrueWave broadcasting from Twitch every Thursday over on their website. Adeedus said he was inspired by Aphex Twin, from Scotland, who started out Dj'ing small pubs in the United Kingdom. Without someone supporting Aphex all the way back in 1989, I could have never seen my friend become a DJ.
In conclusion, whatever genre you support, you can find a scene for. And these scenes are important; they are what make or break artists. Bands do not move all the way across the country without the hopes of being signed to a record label, to be heard. No artist wants their work to not being viewed. Buy that T-shirt from that band you saw at open mic night at the bar. Know somebody who is in a band? Share their music on social media. Supporting your local artists is how we keep music alive.