One topic of conversation I always have with fellow engineers centers around keeping up with new local music and how to go about getting recording gigs. Professional engineers can get locked away in endless sessions and, in the process, lose touch with the scene they'd originally been part of. Standing around a club waiting for a band to play after 12 hours of recording music can be trying. And simply keeping up with a city's music scene is a somewhat daunting task. In Portland, Oregon, there seems to be an endless supply of new groups and performers — keeping track of this could be a full-time job, not to mention all the established, talented artists in various genres.
I kept the third weekend of July open just so I could partake in PDX Pop Now!, a free three-day event featuring all local music. Before I jumped on my bike to head out for day one, I looked at the schedule and noted that out of 49 performers, I'd only heard of a few. A good sign, as I was hoping to see as many local bands that were fresh to me as possible. I had a great time. I saw so much new music. I met a few new people and handed out business cards to bands that I hope to see in my studio. But, best of all, I now know what a bunch of local artists sound like — ones that I'd never heard before. Somehow I doubt this will be a bad thing.
-Larry Crane, Editor