Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, July 13, 2008

COMMUNITY COLUMNIST: La Crosse blessed with vibrant local music scene

By Mike Caucut

Dr. Tractor and the Garlic Stackers. Buzz Butler. Disorient Express. Bob. Gravel Road. The Wails. If you don’t recognize these band names you probably were not going to see live music in La Crosse 20 years ago.

And if you never saw The Wails with their three guitar wall of sound, you really missed a show. La Crosse for some reason has always had a vibrant and eclectic music scene, and it keeps getting better.

I tell people that La Crosse has a better live music scene than Madison, and they look at me with skeptical eyes. But go out in La Crosse on a Saturday and you can catch probably eight to 10 acts in a single night.

And it’s not just on Saturday nights. Multiple jams dot the weeknights at Del’s, Popcorn, Nighthawk’s, Recovery Room, Alumni Inn and Houghton’s.

La Crosse has everything from acoustic acts at the Freight House to Big Bands at Riverside Park. Steve Harm brings in hundreds of bands for all-ages shows at the Warehouse, and regional and national acts fill up the Pump House and La Crosse Center.

Maybe it’s because of the three colleges in town, or a concentrated entertainment area downtown, but there is a real appreciation for live music here in La Crosse.

Maybe it’s because of all the music stores here or the education value we put on music and arts. The city seems to have something in the water because the homegrown musicians in town are very good.

Although the La Crosse music scene is good, it could be better. People still bristle at a cover charge — don’t. Usually the money taken at the door goes directly to the musicians. The Vibe was an awesome venue, but for some reason couldn’t make it as a medium-size live music club.

More radio play of local original music would help promote the bands.

And when La Crosse (or Wisconsin) finally bans smoking in the bars (you know it’s coming someday) you’ll see a lot more musicians wanting to play live again and more lovers of live music wanting to enjoy themselves without smelling like a dirty ashtray. (Thanks, Bodega).

There have been towns the same size as La Crosse that have had similar concentrations of musicians and are world-renowned for their musicality. Could La Crosse become another Athens, Georgia, or Austin, Texas? Perhaps. I think it would take a city-wide change of thinking on what is entertaining. Instead of packed bars that offer drink specials and jukeboxes, people need to go to a place that provides live music.

So get off the couch and put down your iPod. There is really something for everyone (yes even hip hop) here in La Crosse.

There are real live musicians slogging it out every weekend in your town. The Smokin’ Bandits, Adam Palm, String Ties, Moon Boot Posse and many more. They would love your support — just don’t yell “Freebird” at them. That quit being funny 20 years ago.

Mike Caucut is a local musician and one of 13 Tribune community columnists, whose writing appears on the Sunday Opinion pages.