In the Beginning there were the Widgets

And they were good.

It's been about 10 years since they started playing around Salem and their influence is still felt. I've been active in the local music scene since, well, since a bunch of my friends started a band called the Widgets. I created and ran their official website which I keep up for posterity. It's funny to go back and look at where they were playing when they first started. Salem just did not have any venues that interested in hosting local bands for all ages shows. It use to be that a band would need to rent out a space at their own expense if they wanted to play.

Things got better as the Widgets became more popular. Soon places like the Governor's Cup would gladly host free shows and the kids would pack the place to the gills. They could play on an outdoor stage during the Summer in the City festival or in some of the local bars. They even got enough attention to play a few gigs in Portland, Corvallis and Eugene. They never toured, though, and after two CDs the band broke up. They would remain a local legend, but that still meant a lot.

Today in Salem we have venues like The Ike Box and The Space which cater specifically to the needs of local musicians and fans. Many of the coffee shops downtown include live music from local and touring artists as part of their regular weekend business. And there are a lot of Salem bands, many of them featuring members who came of age going to Widgets shows downtown.

Lots of kids these days escape to the greener pastures of the Portland scene at their earliest opportunity, but they cut their teeth in Salem and carry that influence with them. Take the boys and girls of Typhoon, for example. They bill themselves as a Portland band these days, but we know where it really started.

And that brings me to today (well, tonight, properly). For a long time I've enjoyed the fruits of local music and I've always been sure to share my passion with as many as possible. Running thewidgets.com offered me an outlet for a while, but I wanted a broader canvas upon which to express myself, so I've started this blog. I plan on using it to record my experiences in the local music scene and hopefully share my excitement with the rest of you. I can't promise to restain myself to only those bands with explicit Salem ties, but I can tell you I rarely go to a show these days without a local act on the bill.

So stayed tuned, and if you're in a Salem band, feel free to get in touch!