Anthony Rogers lives in Portland.
When I first moved to Portland, it was the music scene that made me pause and consider my decision to stay and make it my home. Since that time, I have watched it grow and evolve to rival artistic communities of much larger populations. I credit this to the spirit of the artists that, from the beginning, has had inclusion at its foundation.
Portland artists hold up their peers. They celebrate them and selflessly promote the ethical consumption of artistic culture. These are ideals to hold on to. I have witnessed these ideals firsthand. First, observing from a distance, wary not to callously insert myself where I had yet to earn a voice. Then, slowly over time, I began to see how I would be able to contribute in my own way to the culture that convinced me to adopt Portland as my home.
I feel fortunate that we have so many wonderful and committed live music venues in the city. Some rooms can feel like home to some people and one might prefer the acoustics from one to another. That is a matter of taste and personal comfort. When you visualize the “scene” in your head you are most likely picturing yourself in your favorite venue. And, I hope in that visualization you are also seeing the humans beside you.
For it is the human connection we all make that creates the sense of there being a “scene” at all. The artists, devotees, production professionals and all manner of person you meet at a live music event in Portland are who matter. They are also your neighbors and fellow students. Their kids play with your kids. Maine is a small town, right?
If every venue went away today, we would all still find a way to gather and commune together with what we all need and love. Music … with each other.
I love putting on my headphones and being alone with the music as much as any other. That can be a very personal way to consume music. As a musician, you sometimes need intense focus to absorb a piece and therefore need that isolation to achieve total mental immersion. What communal space offers is the chance to partake in a shared experience of wonder. Being in a crowd of other humans, dancing, sweating, breathing, vibrating … letting the waves of sound wash over you and fully embracing each moment as it happens.
We live in a place where these experiences are happening on a daily basis, and I for one revel in that fact. Right now feels like a flashpoint in Portland. With the prospect of new venues and artistic spaces moving in to create their own space, the need to be vigilant and intentional seems paramount.
We must stay focused on the true goal of artistic independence. That is what makes
Portland so great, and what convinced me to stay all those years ago. So, let’s keep on selflessly promoting our beautiful and massively talented friends. This is what will eat away at the criminal, predatory conglomerates that threaten the independent nature of a home-grown scene.
Tell an old friend about a new band. Buy their merch. Buy advance tickets to help venues offset upfront costs, which in turn makes the experience at said venue all the more special. Show up and cheer on the scene you actively create. We are the creators. We are the music makers, the
dreamers of dreams. Let us go forth and keep Portland independent.