Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Heavy bands get it



THERE IS A DECENT hard rock scene in Quincy. While the acoustic acts and classic rock cover bands tend to get most of the gigs around here, the heavy dudes keep plugging away and share their passion for music.

Some of these bands prefer deafening volumes and screaming vocals you can't understand, but I learned a long time ago not to judge certain genres, and these guys bust their butts with little reward. The heavy bands don't have many places to play around here, but it doesn't stop them from forging ahead and believing in what they do.

The irony of the hard rock guys is that they are some of the nicest people you will meet. They sing ballads like "I DRINK YOUR CHILDREN'S BLOOD" and "MY BOSS IS LUCIFER AND I HOPE HE ROTS IN HELL" and "I WANNA BEAT YOUR BRAINS IN" and other lovely and delicate tunes. Then you talk to them and find out they are family men with kids and jobs and interesting stories. A few of our local heavy bands have some really interesting songs with some thought-provoking lyrics.

The local heavy guys are good Second String Music customers and appreciate what a local music store does for them. A couple of them were in the store the other day talking about Mallstock this weekend, and when it was mentioned there were few places for heavy bands to play, one of the guys said, "It's the Midwest."

True. It's little old Quincy, Illinois. But there might be more than a few casual heavy music fans out there, and for a local heavy band, it's never about the massive crowds or adoration. It's about playing music you believe in and want people to hear.

The Mallstock lineup Friday and Saturday is interesting. It has rap singers, punk bands and extremely heavy rock groups. All I know is the bands involved are super excited, and the fact it's the second Mallstock means they must be doing something right. Our man Seth Fenton is one of the guys behind the scenes and he's worked really hard to promote the event, and Seth is one of the smartest and nicest guys you will ever meet.

I'm going to try and venture out there this weekend. I salute local bands who believe in themselves and love to play, and here's to hoping this weekend's Mallstock rocks and people have a great time.

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