She Said She Wanted Something She Could Recognize, Something She Could Feel

Last Wednesday night, I was sitting at the bar at the Garden Bowl in Midtown Detroit. I was waiting for the Terrible Twos to go onstage upstairs in the Magic Stick.

Dave Z, the owner of the Majestic (Garden Bowl/Magic Stick/Majestic Theatre/Majestic Cafe) sat down next to me. I asked Dave what was up with lame shows on Saturday nights. On Saturdays, I DJ there and if there's a good show with lots of people, I get more into it and then people get more into it and stay longer. Win/win situation all around. He said "rock n' roll's changed..." No shit. I already knew that. Then he started saying something about garage rock, etc. His venues did really well in the late '90s and early '00s when garage rock in Detroit blew up.

But it isn't like that anymore. Jack White lives in Tennessee and claims he's from there. The Sights are on a major label, but you'd never know it considering their low profile. The Electric 6's second to last album took over a year to come out in this country. Bands from out of state who made a name for themselves here, like the Soledad Brothers and the Greenhornes are changing significantly. The SB broke up last month, and the Greenhornes are down to three members from the five they started out with. Not to mention Jack and Patrick from the Greenhornes are busy being the rhythm section for the Raconteurs. The Clone Defects shattered into Human Eye and The Valentinos, but the former are on an indefinite hiatus, and The Valentinos just can't seem to catch a break despite their excellent Television/Roxy Music inspired sounds. Bantam Rooster splintered into various acts including The Dirtbombs, The Buzzards, The Detroit City Council, and The Detroit Cobras.

Plus a lot of the acts from outside of Detroit who loved playing here because of the friendly scene are either all done, or they've moved on to significantly different sounds. If Sweden's Hellacopters haven't already broken up, then they should considering the watered down crap they're pushing now. The Supersuckers play more acoustic country than "Born With A Tail" rock n' roll. New Bomb Turks? Remember them? Yeah, barely. They haven't put out a good record in years. The Oblivians broke up, went back to their earlier incarnation of The Compulsive Gamblers, then they broke up, too. Greg Oblivian's Reigning Sound is great, but they don't fill the clubs. Neither does Jack Oblivians solo stuff. Remember Jay Reatard and The Lost Sounds? It's all but a memory...they broke up, too. Murder City Devils: done.

Most of the acts that helped build this late '90s scene in Detroit are completely different than what they once were. Bands grow and evolve, and often the fans can't do the same. Add onto that an over-saturated concert venue scene in Detroit, and you have too much going on and what is going on is lacking in the energy or substance it once had.

As soon as Dave mentioned 'garage rock', I interjected and pointed upstairs, "the Terrible Twos are what happened to garage rock. It isn't what it used to be. Garage rock has morphed more into a dirty avant punk rock n' roll type of thing." Those guys can't sell out a 500-person venue when they headline, but they sure as hell help. In fact, I think they are one of the most interesting things going on in Detroit music right now.

I think Detroit's main problem is over-saturation of venues, but the second problem is the people. The kids aren't willing to give a band a chance anymore.

This rant is all over the place, but I ain't apologizing. I had some things I wanted to say. This scene is frustrating.