Moved from VT to CT late in high school, Was in Providence at least 2x a month on weekends. Babyhead & Living Room were incredible. National bands touring, Providence was hot. Hardcore, Punk, Ska, alternative, emerging hip hop, RISD was still weird, tunnel parties, incredible.
It appears as though Providence is losing 3 of its mid-size original music venues. There are several reasons for this, which I will touch on in an upcoming podcast. Bottom line: indie music used to be quasi-mainstream, like college basketball or something. Today, it is closer to professional bowling. Major artists are struggling to tour across the country, leaving the industry or shifting to part time/local. The magic of Pitchfork/MySpace is ancient history. The creative space has shifted to TikTok. Covid was the final deathblow for a lot of original music. Content has replaced art. I am thankful to have found a lane or two to exist in as an original artist, but know that the pathway is nothing like it was just a few years ago when silverteeth was touring full time. Some folks will blame the audience for “not supporting live music”, but the reality is that, the sands have shifted out from under the medium and innovation and shapeshifting, and most of all, staying authentic, is the key to where music goes in the coming decade.