When one thinks of Columbia, MO, music is not the first thing to come to mind. In fact, to this Illinois music lover, Missouri doesn’t seem to be the place to find musical satisfaction at all. Fortunately for Missouri, and myself, I was pleasantly surprised to find a budding cornucopia of talent hidden in the small towns filling the midwestern state.
At a small hookah bar and music venue in Lake Villa, IL I came across the joys of the Missouri bands Scouts and Let Lions. My first introduction with the musicians came from bassist Jawnny Hankely of Scouts, who said Hello and suggested I stay to see his band play that night, just as I was walking into the entrance of the venue. Right off the bat I was interested, which goes to prove the point I’m constantly trying to make to musicians coming through the Jstreet studio: Self Promotion is key. Little did I know then that such behavior was a staple for these bands. The effort went along with the tour these two bands had been on was full of dropping fliers at local malls, chatting up show goers and shamelessly pushing merch.
With my initial curiosity sparked I made sure I had a good spot as Scouts set up and was anything but disappointed. A band with a remarkably soothing sound, amicable and light, topped with the energy and unabashed joy in their performance, I was hooked two minutes into the first song.
Once again based on the urging of Jawnny Hankley, I got into position to listen to their friends and tourmates, Let Lions. Another band from Columbia, MO, but with a very different sound compared to that of Scouts. For a moment I was shocked at the difference between the two, having already made the assumption that since they were touring together that they might at least be from the same vein of sound, but I was immediately distracted from that thought as their show kicked off.
Let Lions proves to hold a similarity to Scouts, not in sound, but definitely in energy. Vocalist Johnathon McDowell took the stage by storm, pacing and climbing on top of amps as he gave his all to the microphone. His fellow musicians have a similar intensity for the music their playing, though each portrays it very differently. Differences of hardcore and indie aside both these bands sucked me in at that initial performance. I was itching to get my hands on a copy of their EP’s as soon as the set ended, and once introduced, couldn’t stop complimenting both bands.
On top of being immensely talented musicians, the members of Scouts and Let Lions hold an extremely affable and easy going persona, and as a person of experience when it comes to talking to bands, I can say that they have their musically inclined heads on perfectly straight. The right combination of humility and confidence made both these bands ones I couldn’t wait to set up an interview with and work towards promoting. Now having all this knowledge I can’t imagine one being surprised at all at my excitement when I was invited to finish the remainder of their tour with them and sell merch.
Having had the tour experience before, I knew what I was getting into. However, my expertise on the Missouri music scene at the time went no further than remembering high school choir trips to Branson, MO for vocal concerts and workshops. While I’m told I didn’t experience what some of Missouri’s cities had to offer to its fullest extent, I still have gathered sense of respect and interest in the Missouri scene.
With shows mostly around the Kansas City area, and in the bands hometown of Columbia, I experienced a fair share of small and quaint venues. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Missouri local music scene is thriving, but it definitely has a lot more growth than I anticipated. One of my favorite parts of this tour was my discovery of a Kansas City band, called Snake Eater, who shared the same hard edge as Let Lions, and accompanied the tour for two Missouri shows. The first show with the three bands on the bill was in Concordia, MO, a town outside the Blue Springs/Kansas City area, at a small venue dubbed “The Hanger”. While at first unimpressive, the Hanger offered a decent space, decorative lighting, and better sound than I had anticipated upon entering it. There was a fair sized crowd at the show, which was impressive because as a frequent show go-er here in Lake County, I know that the support for local music has significantly dwindled. A line outside of a venue is a big deal anywhere.
Throughout this entire tour, both bands proved that the right attitude, hard work, and yes, just a smidge of talent can push you over the edge. I expect great things for all the musicians I met, and if you’re ever in Columbia area, be sure to be on the look out for a line show-goers; it just might be the show to re-instill your faith that local music is alive.
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