Throughout the year and a half of me running shows for Lancaster and Greencastle the one thing that I have continually noticed is that a microcosm of larger society is created. Regardless of how much work one does for the scene, the fact is that you are the authority, and individuals who feel that the leaders of real society are working against them will work against you. This is because you are fallible: it is much harder to affect society in any meaningful way. That�s right � there are individuals who will fight any progress tooth and nail because they can�t see that a little authority in a society can actually be a good thing.

There are individuals in both Greencastle and Lancaster, and I�m sure in countless other local scenes throughout the world, that would rather have no scene than having anyone succeed in their operations. Instead of mobilizing around one individual and allowing the scene to gain some notoriety because of that, they start umpteen record labels and zines based on the success of one individual. Lets take Lancaster, for example. I had been lambasted for doing NeuFutur and InterStitial for a number of years, but as soon as the name reached enough of the local scene, everyone decided to start their own zine, without any desire to join the established zine � for them, it represented the larger society. Instead of having one zine with three equally-empowered editors actually getting a larger circulation and readership base, we are stuck with three single-focus, backwards, and unknown magazines (including mine).

When someone has power, an entire bevy of Oliver Twists pop up � individuals that ask �please sir, I want some more�. Now, the best course here would be for everyone to join into creating a viable environment for shows, for releases, for a healthier scene. What actually happens is that ten, twelve, fifteen different individuals come up to me and say �man, you need to get some crust�, �we won�t play unless you have more indie rock bands�, or �that band is emo, they suck�. If you don�t cater to each and every request of theirs, they will do anything to ensure that no one gets that little jump ahead. This is not digging on any specific type of music, and every style has their few bands that do complain in the same way.

What becomes extremely infuriating then are bands that rely on a single individual to set up shows, but will do nothing to set shows up themselves. A number of times in both Greencastle and Lancaster, I have given the proper contact information, told the band in question that I would do anything to help as long as they did most of the organizational work, and to this date, no band has taken me up on this offer. Not all the bands around have this singular reliance, however: in the Lancaster area, we have Cruci-Fetus, Deadwillrise, Dying Moment, and The Specifics just as we have The Goodlife, Silver in December, and Willis in Greencastle all setting up semi-regular shows on their own, and all benefit their scenes thusly.

Having one individual being the person who sets up the shows is a dangerous thing. Their will can be imposed much too easily, and it sets up an us/them dichotomy that in no way benefits the scene. Other individuals in Lancaster and Greencastle, just as throughout America and the world, need to go and help and guide the courses of their local music scenes. No one deserves or needs to monopolize the scene with their idea; the construction of the scene must continually be revolutionary instead of reactionary. That is to say, if someone is doing something you don�t like in your local scene, don�t do the direct opposite. Don�t trash their shows, don�t do a half-assed zine or website or record label, just stop by their house one day and talk to them. You think the style of music that the person has at their show isn�t indicative of what is around? Go and talk to them, maybe do shows on different days of a weekend or a month to properly cover all the currents of local music. Keep in mind that the shows still operate under the auspices of the larger society. Shows can�t start at 6PM in small cities and end at 1AM because they will be shut down by the cops. Don�t lash out at the person doing the show, lash out at the society that puts shitty laws like that in place.

Unity is what we need. To get anywhere, everyone needs to throw in. A scene can�t be led by one individual, or by eight other people that have eight competing visions of what would be best for the scene. One goal must be chosen that properly addresses people�s concerns and is fair. Both of the scenes I work with are rapidly gaining prominence � Deadwillrise is headlining shows at the big underground venue in Columbus, Cruci-Fetus is being played in Indiana, Minnesota, and California, The Goodlife was printed in Jersey Beat, Willis and Burn the Red Sky are pulling in large numbers in Terra Haute (the nearest big city to Greencastle), and there are more bands than ever in Lancaster (~60) and Greencastle (~15).

The scene is Lancaster is still trying to reach the level it had in 1996, when 17 Tight got on a Moon Ska (the largest Ska label), 1998, when Jerkwater Jive was tapped to be on the Columbus date of the Warped Tour, and 2000, when White Trash was approached by Joe Queer. Darfus of The Refills is starting a recording studio, while John Thompson (Deadwillrise), and Jamie Brown (Nothings From Nowhere) have provided incredibly cheap (at times, free) recording for anyone who wants it. Lancaster�s scene isn�t dead, to the contrary, it is the most alive it ever has been. It can only go up from here when people set aside stupid and petty differences and work on trying to change the world. Politics and music don�t mix? Don�t fool yourself.