From Rock to rap, lansing and east lansing provide music for everyone's tastes

---

Tweet One of the key ingredients in a college experience is the music scene. Whether you're into thrash metal or laid-back acoustic performances, the college music scenes offer quenchers for nearly any thirst.

But as of late, East Lansing's music scene has come under fire from the musicians who thrive on it. Bars and clubs, that at one time were breeding grounds for original music, have taken the safer route of continually booking cover bands to fill the oft-coveted weekend nights.

But musicians want their fans to know the original music scene here is by no means dead - music lovers just have to do a little legwork to find what they're looking for. The performers people crave have found other outlets for their creativity, manifested in the parties, open mikes and slightly out-of-town bars in the area.

"I like the scene. The main reason is that it's kind of secret," said singer and songwriter Carmen Electra Paradise, a prevalent figure in the Lansing area scene since 1999.

" When you find a musician nobody knows about it's kind of fun. It makes you feel closer to it."

Paradise likened the Lansing scene to the Seattle, Wash. scene of the early '90s, Lansing being a more dreary area that nonetheless harbors a great deal of quality local music.

"Lansing is amazing as far as musicians go," Hot-Toe-Mitty's Keith Billik said. "People may take it for granted that there are so many good musicians here."

But, as Paradise said, you need to find what you're looking for on your own. Musicians suggest people check listings in newspapers, read the flyers scattered around campus or listen to word-of-mouth to find the right party or venue.

And there aren't just a few different types of music available in area clubs, bars and parties. The Lansing and East Lansing area has musicians of all styles.

Rock

The local rock music scene is as diverse as the broad category it represents. You've got your choice between indie, alternative, folk and any other genre that involves rock. Take, for instance, Wanderjahr. The group, as described by guitarist and vocalist Mike Clauwaert, is decidedly different.

"Our song writing is above par," Clauwaert said. "It's a psychedelic, cerebral thing instead of cookie-cutter melodies and radio-friendly hooks."

He said the rock music scene in Lansing is as diverse as they come.

"It's not huge, but it's cool. How do you judge a music scene?" he said. "By the number of bands? By quality? When I see a good band around here I'm happy."

From the harmonic-screaming sounds of Ettison Clio to the instrumental sounds of Adam's Castle, rock music has been a dominant force in the Lansing area since it became a scene, peaking with the multi-platinum career of East Lansing's The Verve Pipe. Though the smoke from the multi-platinum band's success has cleared, rock music continues to grow in the area.

Other bands to watch for: The Fuzz, The Pusherz, Pushing 33, Calliope, Fallopian Dudes, Flatfoot, Red Swan, Black Tea, The Tease and The Lash.

Metal

Bands that play loud and with high-energy are another genre local music aficionados flock to see.

Summer Dying, a local metal mainstay, has established a large-area fan base due to support from fans and other groups.

"All the bands work together," said Kerry Cripe, Summer Dying vocalist. "We're not in competition with each other. There's unity within the scene."

Cripe said although metal and hard-core music has a somewhat negative image, area metal shows are decidedly positive.

"It's intense, but it's a positive scene," Cripe said. "There are no fights, there's no drama. The intensity is emotional intensity.

"We help a lot of different scenes out. We play with all kinds of musicians. We're involved with all kinds of different music. The scene here is a lot better than some areas. There are places like Caffe Latte doing the whole free show thing. There are more and more house venues popping up."

Other bands to watch for: Prevalent Dreams, Bestiary, Today I Wait, Nain Rouge, Kenshiro and Bloodline Calligraphy.

Bluegrass/roots

Perhaps one of the most curious musical attractions Lansing has to offer is its blooming bluegrass scene. Led by area groups Hot-Toe-Mitty and Steppin' In It, the scene offers traditional music with a modern twist.

"A lot of it came from the movie 'O Brother, Where Art Thou,'" said Keith Billik Hot-Toe-Mitty banjo player. "A lot of it comes from the lack of meaningful pop music. You've got to tip your hat to Steppin' In It. It's something different."The two groups have developed a scene all their own, rocking parties and bars with old time music, which Billik says anyone can enjoy.

"There are so many great musicians here, he said. "Lansing is crawling with great music.

"It's the kind of thing where people liked this kind of music all along and didn't know it. They just need to see it performed. A lot of people who see us may have never seen someone play a banjo or a mandolin before, so it's kind of foreign."

Other bands to watch for: Grasshoppah.

Acoustic/folk

Singer and songwriters tend to touch audiences on a personal level. Artists such as Wally Pleasant use humor while musicians such as Chris Dorman use their platform to vent and raise issues.

"There is such a broad spectrum of people at these shows," Carmen Electra Paradise said. "You see young people dancing in the front and older people sitting in the back. Everyone's just there because they love live music."

A mainstay of open mike nights and a favorite opener for full bands, the singer-songwriter scene in Lansing is vibrant, and ready to entertain audiences on many levels.

"I'd like to see people want to hear more original music," Paradise said of the scene. "There's a lot of great music here. It would be great if the rest of East Lansing realized there are so many great musicians in town."

Other artists to watch: Kate Peterson, Drew Nelson, Chris Raudebaugh and Sarah Stollak.

Hip-Hop

"It has nothing to do with skill or timing," said Christopher "Jai" Courtland, a hip-hop artist who, with his partner Reign, has sold 15,000 copies of his album. "It's simply perseverance and determination. If you're talking to people, like handing out flyers, you'll get people listening."

With local labels such as Jai's Phineqx Records and 8th Wonder Entertainment, the local hip-hop scene has risen to notoriety.

"It's really growing," he said. "People are being more open-minded. The scene is starting to take off."

Filling bars and parties with thick beats and fluid flows, artists such as Jai have taken the stage in MC battles, cross-promotional shows and hip-hop themed bashes year-round.

Other artists to watch: Christian, 3rd Deggree and DJ Benny Ben.

Jam Bands

If bandanas, dank beer and rampant improvisational style sounds appealing, Lansing area jam bands offer an eclectic blend of music. From the high-energy LeGusta (my band, shameless plug) to the psychedelic jams of Killer Miller, jam bands feed off their audiences, harnessing energy into unpredictable fits of musical stylization.

"I think there's been a great tendency of jam bands at large to pretend they are not a jam band," said Pete LeClair, guitarist of local jam favorite With Special Guest. "When you see a good jam band, it's not just people taking turns doing solos. It's everyone moving together in a constant motion."

LeClair said there is a tendency for jam bands to support one another constantly at gigs. Oftentimes the groups aid each other in getting gigs and sometimes take the stage with friend bands.

"When I go see another band 90 percent of the audience is from another band," he said. "It's an unspoken unity between bands."

Like many musicians, LeClair said he is anxious to see East Lansing embrace its wealth of original talent.

"I would like to see a place open in East Lansing that is more welcoming to original bands," he said. "Management of some venues doesn't embrace originality. If that keeps happening there will be no place for artistic music here."

Other bands to watch: Glowb, Puddin' Head, RhythMission, Hydrophonic and Smokestack.

---