Photos by Val Troyano, Stacy Mathis and Carrie Waite; the Cocktail Honeys, circa 2002, pictured at right.

art of me didn't want to comment on this subject. Part of me was content to just let it slip away and sit back while the rest told their side of things. One day, my grandchildren would gather at my feet and I would ramble on about how "Grandpa used to be a musician." But, recently, my friend and die-hard local music supporter, Julie Garisto, interviewed me via e-mail for a piece she's working on for the Soundcheck blog about the past 10 years in the local music scene. And answering her questions got me thinking about the past decade -- how I entered the scene around 1998 and fell in love with it -- and about my time as a musician, promoter and all-around local music supporter. Golly, I even won a Best of the Bay award from Creative Loafing in 2003 for "Best Local Cheerleader for the Music Scene," an award that I'm still hoping was tongue-in-cheek.

When I formed my first band in 1998, there were only a handful of artists from Tampa Bay who'd signed to a major label -- The Hazies (1996, EMI), Pee Shy (1996, Mercury), Home (1995, Sony), among others.

After playing locally and touring with my own band, I formed the Southeast Music Alliance in 2002 as a way to report on the local music community and for the community itself to network and share resources. We hosted the SMAsh Radio podcast from 2004 - 2008 and gave local musicians exposure to thousands of subscribers on iTunes and all over the world. Since then, we've ceased production of the podcast and the SMA Web site has shut down due to rising hosting costs, but others have picked up the torch (or pieces of it) and continue to tell the story.

Below are Julie's questions (and some I've added). My unedited and expanded answers follow.

Best live music show of the decade/year

There have been too many great shows at local venues to pick just one, but the CD release party for the first SMA compilation CD was the height of my excitement about the scene and stands out as one of my fondest memories. It was around October 2002, and there were a handful of Pinellas County bands doing their best at sticking together (gig referrals, multi-band shows, etc.) - The Gita, Rebekah Pulley, The Saturn 5, Cocktail Honeys, Four Star Riot, Misfortune 500, The Black Honkeys, Soulfound and a bunch more.

We planned a music conference in downtown St. Pete, brought some industry people to town, had 40 bands on four stages, and the whole community rallied around the prospect of "breaking" the scene (and this area) wide open -- a concept that, at the time, we thought we'd invented. (I would later discover the Florida Music Association and their similar efforts in the early '90s in Ybor City). Soon after the conference, the reality set in that every band has different career goals, and an industry showcase with panels on how to put together an effective press kit is not always the solution for everyone. It was also difficult to build excitement when the local critics and members of the press were burned out on the cyclical (and sometimes fickle) nature of the grass-roots movement and apathy about the scene in general. Some bands were pissed that they weren't included. And half of the industry people (read: Atlantic's Steve Robertson) flew home immediately after his panel and didn't see ANY of the bands. Having said all this, it was one of the most exhilarating and fun-filled weekends of my life.

Another highlight for me was the "In the Raw" acoustic singer/songwriter series that saw four seasons of programming from 2002 - 2006 (typically from November through May) at State Theatre. It will always hold a place in my heart as an institution that was sustained and supported by both the musicians and the public. The venues were instrumental and hands-on in creating and promoting the night, there were plenty of working songwriters to choose from, and also a number of great artists and photographers willing to come support the scene.

More recently, the "Summer Jam" events (now in their fourth year) produced by THX MGMT and held annually at New World Brewery and Crowbar have proven to be a place to catch a myriad of local and regional acts in one place (well, two places) in a celebratory and well-produced setting.

Most surprising act

B.C. - This local M.C., formerly of Red Tide (who delivered one of the most memorable spoken word performances at "In the Raw") had slowly faded into obscurity. Then this year, he suddenly released a phenomenal solo album. And what's more - it's part one of a trilogy!

Geri X - Geri came from curious and humble beginnings, and immediately we all knew she had a great voice and a great presence, but her writing and arranging has evolved by leaps and bounds. I'm very proud of what she's accomplished. She's ready for big things now and I wish her luck in Atlanta. (But that girl needs a manager).

Have Gun, Will Travel - Any up-and-coming songwriter needs to study frontman Matt Burke. Considering the hits he cranked out when The Chase Theory was still together, it's amazing to me that Burke's songwriting chops haven't flagged like an aging prizefighter. Where does that dude find his never-ending game?

The Semis - Honestly, I'm amazed that they're still around. Billy Summer has gone from a drunken, unpredictable train wreck to a hardened, sober and prolific writer. It's been great to see him mature and find balance in his life and music. It gives me hope for the rest of us.

Most oddly good or bad show/incident

In 2003, I took a trip to NYC to showcase The Saturn 5 for reps from Atlantic and Interscope at CBGB and The Mercury Lounge. At the label's request, the band had recorded some demos in Orlando, and they liked what they heard. Everyone felt strongly that the band was positioned to fill a hole in the "post-9/11 market" with their positive, funky rock n' roll revue. We spoke to the Interscope rep on his cell phone an hour before the show, confirming that his name was on the list and that we would "see him soon."

The band finished up their intense half-hour showcase, and sweat-drenched and hustling their stuff off stage, we looked around for our guy. He hadn't shown. Answering his cell phone, he immediately apologized for having missed the set. He had been "stuck in the studio," working with an up-and-coming artist on a last minute session. We asked who it was.

"No one you've heard of yet," he replied, "a new girl named Vanessa Carlton. But let me know the next time you guys are in town!"

Other warm, fuzzy anecdotes from memory:

Billy Summer literally "blowing" his chance at 97X radio airplay by telling the PD he was going to do some drugs in the bathroom. Stay classy. (Gasoline Alley, 2002)

Shawn Kyle shoving Chris Tolan off the stage during the second song of their set. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, 2007)

Will Quinlan getting into a fist fight on-stage, during a set, with his drummer. And then finishing the set as if nothing had happened. (The Bank, 2004)

Interesting performers to emerge on the scene

One of the bands I played with, Auditorium (2003 - 2008), flirted with a "we-think-we're-Pink-Floyd-big-rock-band" approach to things (backup singers,  two keyboards, two guitars, etc.) And other bands have pulled off the "lots of people making lots of sound" to varying degrees (History and Red Room Cinema come to mind).

There have been some truly great and quirky original jazz outfits to surface like Worldwide Zoo and The Jim Morey Band, comprised of serious players looking to do something other than play standards at the racetrack.

But what impress me the most are one-man-shows like Holiday [pictured right] and Ryan Wendell Bauer, who craft good songs, create a lot of sound and are still wildly (even unpredictably) entertaining.

As any folk artist or solo M.C. will tell you, it takes a lot of effort and energy for musicians to manage things by themselves (let alone set-up/tear down and play/program all the instruments). Full-scale solo performances like these also throw down the gauntlet to the assholes holed up in their bedrooms - recording elaborate music and thinking they'll never "make it" because they don't have a band. Guess what - the odds are better when you get out in front of people and play your songs.

Why the local music scene needs more support

There are never enough people at local shows. But if we've learned anything over the years, it's that the people who need to be there are there. The best we can do as musicians (and it's the same for small business owners, which should be a big clue to those artists who still don't see their music as a business) is better ourselves at growing new audience and gaining new fans using the tools of the day and not depend on the media (or the venue's pithy advertising budget) to bring people to the dancefloor.

The SMA saw it's largest showings around 2003 on the St. Pete side and saw gradual decline leading up to 2007. Toward the end, we had focused more on the podcast and less on attendance at fundraisers and showcases. Yet, around that time, promoters like Aestheticized, New Granada and THX MGMT had stepped up their game across the bridge in Tampa and were regularly booking bands like Auto!Automatic!!, The Sugar Oaks, Summerbirds in the Cellar, Candy Bars and more.

Around 2004, BAAMO had come on the scene from an artist/advocacy standpoint filling the gap with initiatives like health insurance for musicians and annual trips to Austin, TX to showcase Tampa Bay bands at South by Southwest.

REAX Magazine came on the scene in May 2006 (and carries on with an online-only format), filling the hole left in the market by a long line of Bay Area music publications: Focus, Jam, Players Magazine, etc. (and what ever happened to Ink 19?)

In 2008, The Artists and Writers Group began a music conference and showcase called "Homemade," now in it's third year. In fact, this past year's "State of the Scene" roundtable saw more promising and open discussion about potential collaborations and scene support than I think anyone had hoped for. A summary of those points is available here.

Why the local scene rules

Despite all of these factors (poor turnout/economy, an apathetic media, a big-ass bridge separating our two major markets, being stuck on the peninsula that is Florida and unable to run efficient tours, on-stage technical difficulties, etc.), local musicians continue to write, record and perform some of the best music in the country. Having traveled to markets like Orlando, Austin, New York (even Albuquerque), I can attest that on any given night of the week, on average, the music coming out of the pubs and clubs in downtown Tampa Bay is better written, better produced and better performed than any of these other markets known for their music scenes.

We stick together. We reach out to other bands we like when we put shows together. We collect the money at the door while the other band is playing. We tour together. We share backline. We share members. We're friends. We are a community. You don't see many assholes in Atlanta doing that.

Behavior I'd like to see change from musicians and/or audiences in the next decade

1. Drop the fucking ego / You are not famous / The sound man is your friend (Yes, even Fraggle).

2. More street-level promotion (as long as people still have hands, flyers will continue to be a viable marketing tool).

3. More online/social media engagement of the audience. And more innovation with the sale of your music/content. I want to see more "pay what you want" models online. I want to see picture books and 'zines for sale at shows with a promo code that gives me a downloadable version of the record. The resources are out there. Use them.

4. Leave certain things to the professionals. Those of us that can see live in a visual world - if you are not a designer, DO NOT design your own flyers, posters or Website (I'm lookin' at you, Matt Simmons, and those Microsoft Paint flyers you're so fond of).

5. Self-Management - If you don't have a manager, booking shows or appearances and dealing with venues, managers or studios should be handled in a professional manner.

6. Better recording techniques (See #4) - And never leak mixes online until they're finished.

7. And finally - If I had a dollar for everyone who came up to us and said, "Can we shoot your band, we're filming a documentary about the local music scene?" I would not be writing this. I'd be in Amsterdam, decorating my new loft. Where did all those people go with that footage? Did any of you finish your goddamn project?

Year-End Highlights

We saw a lot of great music venues come and go. Let's all take a minute to pour one out for Bombshell Gallery, The Bank, The Uptown, The Garage, Club More, The Rubb/Twilight, The Green Room, Kelly's Pub, Club Underground.

We also saw these things happen:

Tampa thrash metal outfit, The Absence, release From Your Grave on Metal Blade records. (2005)

Ronny Elliott's Valentine Roadkill was named one of the top 10 records of 2005 by UK-based Mojo Magazine. (2005)

Riddle of Steel (Ascetic Records, St. Louis, MO) claimed Tampa as their "home away from home" and were joined by Auto!Automatic!! for A!A!!'s CD release on AES>>> records. (2006)

Hat Trick Heroes signed a publishing deal with Nashville-based Combustion Music. (2007)

The Ditchflowers released Carried Away, a critically-acclaimed pop masterpiece. (2007)

Candy Bars and Have Gun, Will Travel were featured on NPR. (2007/2008)

Automatic Loveletter recorded a solid major label debut (including a track co-written by the legendary Anne Previn) and joined the Warped Tour. (2008)

Tres Bien were featured on FOX's Next Great American Band. (2008)

Damon Fowler signed to Blind Pig Records. (2008)

Matt Hires dumped his band (Brer) and signed to Atlantic. (2008)

The Beauvilles toured incessantly and showcased at both CMJ and SXSW in the same year. (2009)

In addition to releasing albums from Geri X, The Beauvilles and Win Win Winter,  Tampa-based label 24 Hour Service Station releases Ceremony - A Tribute to New Order worldwide. (2009)

Blind Man's Colour were mentioned on Kanye West's blog, discovered by Animal Collective, etc. (This reminded me of when Elle Macpherson told David Letterman and a live, national audience that her favorite band was "a band from Tampa called Harry Dash.") (2009)

The People Who Died:

Dave "Rat" Anderson (1970 - 2004)

Derek "Dirt Hooligan" Kopetsky - Skif Dank, Crizzy and the Punx (1973-2003)

Mike O'Neill - Monday Mornings, Nailbiters, Unrequited Loves (1965 - 2006)

Jeff Wood - Nutrajet, Joe Popp, Spiller, et. al. (1965 - 2007)

I know I've neglected and forgotten so many bands and so many people's efforts and hard work. Please comment and leave your own stories or memories of the 2000's in the Bay Area music scene.

And here's looking forward to a great 2010 - that is, as long as kids start to form real bands instead of playing video games.