When did Indy get so savvy?

Every city has a music scene. I can remember being in high school and going to shows and concerts every weekend in Cincinnati. Bands were always breaking up and reforming with the same members, lots of my friends were always in the audiences and on stage and the big touring bands I liked seemed to randomly stop through, too.

Then I came to Indy for school and a lot of the shows I wanted to go to were 21 and over. Lame-o. I saw the all-ages shows I could, but I fell out of touch in the old Cincinnati scene, too.

But in being a part of the Peggy Sues, I've been lucky enough to gain the performer perspective of a scene in addition to being an audience member. There's a scene to be a part of here, and it's a very good one with very talented and generous people.

But someone's always gotta remind you that, while your scene may be good, there's always something better. I have friends that live in Las Vegas and San Diego who call me from intimate concerts with bands like Bloc Party that they've somehow negotiated a ticket to so I can hear one of my favorite songs live through my cell phone. When the song's over, they always scream into the phone, "MOVE OUT OF THE MIDWEST!", keenly reminding me that, while the local scene might be thriving, Indy sometimes gets overlooked for bigger touring bands.

But I've finally got something to throw back at my Las Vegas and San Diego friends.

I mean, have you heard of all the great shows that've been going on? All the great ones coming up? Morrissey, the Old 97s, Bob Dylan, Tokyo Police Club with Dappled Cities, VHS or Beta, Third Eye Blind, Interpol (which, by the way, has been a band that my west coast friends have seen twice in the past year and called me both times - now I get to call them), 311 with Matisyahu, The Bravery, Harry & the Potters, Bang Bang Bang, Snow Patrol with Hot Hot Heat, Girltalk, Bloc Party (so there, west coasters!), Ani Difranco, Gin Blossoms, Nada Surf and I could talk about the couple good bands that are going to be at Warped Tour but I'm trying to avoid glares from all the tattooed kids in skinny jeans.

Just suffice it to say that suddenly touring bands are paying attention to Indianapolis in a way that seems like they never had before, at least not in any way I've seen in the past couple years. And they're all coming to our town, like, now.

So when did Indy get so savvy, huh? Or were you always this savvy and no one ever noticed?

It's time to save your money, kids. There's some rockin' and rollin' to do.