Santa, please...

Pris Sears asked some locals involved in the Blacksburg music scene what they would like from Santa for 2008. Here's what they said.

I would like Santa to bring us a venue that isn't someone's house, and also isn't a bar that happens to have music sometimes, with any and all profit going to directly to me, Dan Grubb. That or a really great salsa band.

- Dan Grubb, drummer for 300-lb Ghost and WUVT DJ, All New Improved Colossally Ginormous Big Waste of Time

Santa could bring some Kiosks back to Blacksburg for promoting band venues. All the cities I visit that have lively music scenes have places for free advertising within the vicinity. Blacksburg and Va Tech worked pretty hard to remove all the "ugly" advertising opportunities (in addition to outdoor venues) that they were unable to control, and by doing so they disabled a thriving music scene.

- Soupbone, local artist/musician

I would love for Santa to bring a cool music-oriented club/bar with sound & lights that caters to all types of music.

- George Penn, drummer with the Sol Creech Band (1st cd will be available around the 1st week of January!) and WUVT DJ, Soul Jones

Well, for one thing I'd like for there to be more venues. I think a venue that puts music first in Blacksburg would be all what Blacksburg musicians and promoters are hoping for right now. I think the most ideal sort of venue we can have in this town is a DIY space, because it would serve the purpose of an art gallery, a music venue and it can even hold workshops during the day or can serve as a meeting space. I think a cross between the XYZ Gallery and a community center would be amazing. Some people might ask what's stopping people from pursing such a space? Well, running a business isn't cheap. Which is why I wish Santa (if he existed) would bring the Blacksburg music scene a prepackaged venue deal.

- Rana Fayez, WUVT Special Events Coordinator

• The return of guerrilla music sessions in alleyways, or anywhere in the public domain
• Finding out about live music before instead of after (I miss all those awesome fliers everywhere!) and the music occurs on a day off
• Local bands that don't have a local cult following find a plethora of locations to play
• The return of Germinate, outside, loud, and chaotic, just how it should be.
• Jack Dangers, Richard H Kirk and JG Thirlwell wind up in town, sound system magically appears and a dance party of strange ensues
• Hillel somehow manages to top(!) bringing in Gogol Bordello and the Dub Trio (I think this is the most likely to come true)
• Flogging Molly, The Dropkick Murphys decide to stop here, followed by the Legendary Pink Dots playing with the Spiral Joy Band and the Black Twig Pickers, then Einsturzende Neubauten completes the madness
• Devo goes on reunion tour and shows up on WUVT's Local Zone show

- Sarah Brunner, music scene supporter and former WUVT DJ

My wish list:

1. The Lyric will return to letting the music play
2. The Lyric will let people dance in conjunction with the above
3. Bring me Michael Franti and Spearhead!
4. Bring me Grace Potter (I been real good this year)

- Roger Gupta, musician/photographer currently playing/guesting w/The Kind, Rolling Green, Jason Byrd and Friends and Ash Devine.

The music scene which interests me: blues. Blues is a hard sell in Blacksburg now, and even in the US. Most blues fans are over 30, like to have a few drinks with their blues, but don't particularly want to get busted for DUI. It's very easy for blues fans to just stay home and listen to their collection.

But staying home deprives them of being aware of, and enjoying, current live music. It also makes it hard for blues musicians like myself to continue to play in public. This is an unfortunate vicious circle which only serves to further marginalize blues in American culture. And blues is one of the genuine American creations, so we all lose if we allow this to happen.

Once upon a time Blacksburg had a vibrant blues scene. Bob Margolin, Nappy Brown, The Nighthawks, Loose Shoes, and many others were regulars here, and South Main Café/117 was packed. Santa, can we bring that back?

Perhaps I am just plain wrong in my assessment of what's wrong with the blues scene...maybe we just need to better publicize events, provide venues which are faithful in their presentation of blues, etc. This might require some start-up risk in order to establish the scene, but preservation of American culture is a worthwhile goal--even worth subsidizing via public funds in the short- to mid-term. If we can use public funds for bad things, like the war in Iraq, how much more we should channel support to an American cultural treasure. Santa, I'm asking you to be bold and creative with this year's wish list!

- Rich Rittenhouse, harmonica player with the blues duo Chickenwings & Gravy and with the trio The Good Sons. He can also be heard with Doc's Blues Revue at the Blue Monday blues jam at The Cellar in beautiful downtown Blacksburg.

What do you want Santa to bring to the Blacksburg music scene in 2008? Tell us in the comments.