Now I am not gonna paint things here with too broad a brush, but Tidewater has got nothing on Roanoke for musical diversity. The venues, performances, variety of artists and events is every bit as vibrant in Roanoke as anywhere out this way (within proportional reason).

I moved back to Roanoke from 2007-11 for family reasons and absolutely fell in love with the music and arts scene that has grown up there.

With maybe the exception of Monday nights, there are no less than 5 choices for live music somewhere in the Valley, most of it free. From the Jefferson Center’s series of music to Kirk Avenue Music Hall and Gary Jackson’s ability to lure national artists, from the Third Street Coffee House and Village Grill’s open mike nights, to traditional bars like Growler’s, Awful Arthur’s, Blue 5, Blues BBQ, Martin’s, Fork in the City and many others, there is a venue somewhere hosting some guy or gal who wants to play their music.

Roanoke is a musical smorgasbord. It is a gem. It is happening and residents should know that it just isn’t like that everywhere. There is nothing quite like that scene in the Hampton/Newport News area — and that is nearly half a million in population, easily much larger than Roanoke.

And my input here doesn’t really take into account the dozens of occasional venues like churches, other restaurants, like the Floyd Country Store and such that host quasi-regular jam sessions throughout the year.

Yes, in my opinion, Roanoke is a rich vein of musical nuggets just there for the mining of anyone willing to go out and have a listen, to take a gander, to explore new sonic frontiers or even to find a place to revel in the traditional and the classic.

I miss it. I love it. It keeps me young.

And if you are interested, I have taken photos at some of these places and posted them on my Flickr account. Not all are from Roanoke, but many are. Here’s the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintbridge/sets/72157594430579175/

Get out and go see some of the best musicians anywhere: just walk out your door.

The music industry has changed as a whole with more and more music being delivered digitally. CDs are practically a thing of the past. People can find live videos of their favorite bands on YouTube and other sites. It has become harder to engage an audience so wrapped up in technology. And while these things can make it hard to build a live audience, they can also make it easier. Bands don’t have to rely on major labels anymore to make a good living. The indie scene has thrived for decades but the tools are different now.

I’d say that there are more local bands that are successful now then there have been in the past. We have our locals on CMJ comps, Rolling Stone mentions and they get to tour.

But no matter how successful one band may get we must always recognize bands that have come before. A Rhesus and Swank reunion show honor just that. Most of those musicians have moved onto other musical projects, while some only do it as a hobby. Both shows will be excellent and people will be celebrating and remembering the time when they first heard Swank or Rhesus play.

As for a good music scene in Roanoke, it is already happening. From the indie bands at The Bazaar to top pop and rock acts at Growler’s and Martin’s to Americana favorites at Kirk Avenue Music Hall, there are venues for local, regional and national players.

Last night at Fork in the City, Swank trumpet man John Stump was part of a deeply grooving act of locals called Funk Cousins (No Relation). Sam Lunsford, of the Young Sinclairs and other Magic Twig Community bands, showed again his wild versatility, going all jazz/funk with some great guitar work. That’s just one example.

Locally, bands such as Another Roadside Attraction, The Floorboards, My Radio, Tobacco Apache, Electric Chameleon, the Bastards of Fate and Eternal Summers (just off the top of my head) are at the center of something really interesting happening in this town. You can catch these acts regularly. In fact, The Floorboards have a CD release party for a strong disc at Martin’s on Saturday.

If none of these acts are your thing, I feel confident you can find something worthwhile around here in one of the passel of local venues regularly booking live music.