By Marty Morris

January 21, 2007 8:55 PM | Link to this

It’s a hard concept to accept that the Dayton music scene is any less vibrant than it was thirty + years ago when the Ohio Players put Dayton on the World Map of music and were followed by Heatwave, Sun, Slave, Lakeside, Roger Troutman, Zapp and others. Dayton has always had a strong music scene based in various genres that, in the past, had been aided by clubs that booked bands three and four and five nights per week, clubs that, sadly, no longer exist. I’m sure that some people reading this will remember The She, under Forest Park Shopping Center, Obadiah’s in Centerville (now Diamonds, with a decidedly different brand of nightly entertainment), and Silvers in Belmont. These clubs not only booked local bands, such as Flyweil and the Lovers, and any band that Dale Walton had at any given time, but national acts as well — the original James Gang (with Joe Walsh), Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, after he became the frontman instead of just a hotshot guitar player, and too many more to mention. How about the Union Depot, before it became the First Stop, and the original Walnut Hills, on Wayne Avenue and even after it moved to First St. downtown. Before that, the Diamond Club and the LT Club — Dayton has long had a thriving music scene. The local radio stations such as WTUE (and WEBN in Cincinnati) supported local musicians with their “Homegrown” albums, talent contests where ten to twelve local groups would be selected to record original material to be put on a compilation album and have their own night of station supported acknowledgement for their efforts. In 1980 or ‘81, a local band named “Mariner” had, as their first live show, had the warm-up slot for Loverboy at a WTUE anniversary show right after Loverboy had hit big with “Turn Me Loose”, at the Dixie Electric on Woodman Drive in Dayton. But now, many bar owners, in their efforts, understandably, to create bigger profit margins and cut costs, book DJ’s who make a name for themselves by playing whatever recorded material people want to hear, and Karaoke machines which allow the average person to walk in off the street, indulge themselves in a little liquid courage and, in some cases, get up and make fools of themselves trying to find their fifteen seconds of “fame”, such as it is. Few bars locally will book a band for more than one night per weekend and bands are lucky if they can develop a following in this type of situation. It would be absolutely unforgivable if I failed to mention Jerry Gilotti and his nightclub, “Gilly’s”. Jerry has consistently, over the years, presented nothing but excellent entertainment, both local and national acts, and while Jerry primarily features jazz, he’s always made room on his schedule for local acts which weren’t necessarily jazz oriented. There’s been some decent local rock, as well as acoustic music played there, and don’t forget the blues, funk, and R&B, as well. If the time ever comes when “Gilly’s” has a last show — well, that’s not something I’d care to consider. Just give me a little less karaoke,a few less DJ’s, and a few more clubs where bands are welcomed for their talent and ability to play the quality music that’s always come out of this area, and not just booked in on a Friday or Saturday night as a change of pace from an already dull schedule.

By tom

January 14, 2007 2:07 PM | Link to this

I agree that there are some very good bands in the area (along with an over abundance of garage bands who call themselves a combination of screamo/emo/metal/post hardcore). I guess my question is: Who is going out to watch local music? I go out on a regular basis, but i feel i am one of the few in the area that takes a chance and goes to watch an unkown band. This weekend i took the advice on the band second echo and watched them at the nite owl, i really enjoyed it and would recommend them to anyone who likes rock from the early 90’s. My point in all of this people that enjoy music in Dayton need to get off the couch and go out to hear what the scene has to offer.

By Nat

January 12, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this

I agree with Jordan. Every town has horrible garage bands, but Dayton is also blessed with some great acts. Unfortunately, they don’t get as much attention as they deserve or can afford. And are these conversations going on with musicians or with the general public? The public tends to like radio-friendly pop, so the #1 Band in the DDN Reader’s Poll is Element. Nothing against Element—they’re good at what they do, but they aren’t doing anything new and I hope no one thinks they’re the best Dayton has to offer. Critically, we’ve got bands like Sleepybird and the Bull and the Bear who are doing original things, but not necessarily appealing to the masses. So there’s 2 ways (at least) to look at it. Hawthorne Heights made it big but has no local street cred at all…just something to think about…overall, it takes the whole city—good bands, reputable club owners, professional sound engineers, some great local studios (we have several in Dayton), local radio support (generally lacking, but getting better), a receptive audience, and so on.

By Jordan

January 11, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this

Is Dayton the next Austin or Seattle? Probably not, but who cares? In my opinion, Dayton has more local talent than a city of its size deserves. When compared to similar midwestern cities, Dayton’s scene is downright vibrant. I lived in Akron for several years, and only found a couple decent local bands (and hardly any good venues in which to hear them). If I wanted to see something good, I drove my booty to Cleveland. Dayton, on the other hand, just had the second annual Dayton Music Fest with a lineup that was crammed with good bands (see daytonmusicfest.com). If fans of Dayton music want the scene to have a bigger slice of the spotlight, it’s on them. The bands are doing their part and then some. The grass is not always greener on the other side. If you’re a fan of local, original music, you could do a lot worse than the Gem City.