Oct 14, 2013
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Jake Wixom
Provo on the Rise
Over the past few years, Provo has stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight of legendary music cities. San Francisco helped bring about the reign of rock legends like Jimi Hendrix. Detroit gave us Motown. New Orleans will forever be known as the birthplace of jazz. Nashville, Seattle, Austin… Each one of these great music cities has given us a genre to remember it by, and now Provo has joined the ranks at the forefront of the indie music scene.
Not Just the Guys Dressed Up Like Their Pioneer Ancestors
Now, when I say indie music I’m not referring only to the hipster-heavy low-fi that you may be thinking of. I mean indie in the original sense of the word: Bands that get their start performing and recording music without the pressures of being signed to a major record label. Something about the culture of Provo continues to pump out incredible talent and then keep it under her wing, away from major labels long enough for it to develop. Bands in the area find overwhelming support from local venues and concert goers and are therefore able to get the wheels turning, so to speak, without depending on much outside help.
The Big Names
A few years ago Provo turned heads with the huge success of local band Neon Trees. Later, Imagine Dragons went from playing in local venues to a world-wide tour almost overnight. Right now long-time local favorite Fictionist is getting ready to make huge strides onto the global music scene and many others follow closely in its footsteps. It seems that every month there is a new band on the scene and they almost never cease to amaze. The music in the area may have a homemade feel, but the talent is definitely world-class.