When was the last time you went to a good local show? Many would say that their last local shows were two or three years ago in the Gilroy’s basement aka “The Anthole”.

  Those shows were great to go to because they contained such a raw energy. When a loud enough band played, it always brought out spasms from the audience.

  Bands such as Mahi Mahi, Ebu-Gogo, Hogg, Second Hand Charity, Next Haven and Phil n’ Crew played there often.

  Unfortunately, a show at the Anthole hasn’t taken place in almost two years.

  “The shows just got too blown up”, says Tyler Gilroy, the youngest member of the Gilroy family. “I’d rather host a show over the summer because a larger number of actual fans would show up rather than a bunch of students who want to party.”

  “Another reason that we ceased having shows here was the fact that my brother Matt went to college. A slew of bands stopped playing also for that reason.” The last show at the Anthole was in the winter of 2006.

  Since then, there have been other shows but none that provide the same energetic environment.

  If there was another show in The Ant-hole, the turnout would be smaller. Is it because people suddenly don’t care about seeing music? Partly. If everyone wanted to see live music, than the shows would have been bigger than they were two or three years ago. The strongest factor that made the change is that the interest among students of obscure ruthless music has shifted into more mild interests.

  This didn’t just happen because bands stopped playing due to post high school plans. Overall the performers and the audience had lost enthusiasm just watching the same bands play in the same places.

  People who were going to the shows just for fun got even more sick of it. But most of all, nobody was coming out with any new material that people would see more noticeably different than any other bands.

  Most of the bands who played had stale acts before they stopped playing.

  Even Project Venue, a group dedicated to host concerts and live art shows tried to hold up the scene, they were unable to because no matter if they renovated a spot for shows, no bands did anything new. So ultimately, the interest deteriorated.

  Another reason why the shows in the Anthole kept happening and kept bringing in people was the fact that out of town or out of state bands were booked at every show. “There was always at least one out state that played at every show.” Says Gilroy “They were always bands that we wanted to see.”

  When the obscure shows were winding down, there was a new focus for SK students. A mix breed of bands started putting shows on. Ska, pop-punk and bluesy bands started getting more attention.

  Off Target is one of those bands that pushed the new scene where it needed to be. Off Target had a kinder approach so automatically, a lot of the chaos was cut back from local shows. You never went to show and watched someone run around in a thong anymore. People no longer got trampled on and there was no more moshing.

   “There was a lot of dancing, head bobbing, and standing around at the shows” said Off Target and Ticonderogas drummer Dylan Sevey. “People pay attention to the music, so they stand there and watch.”

  Off Target has also played close to 30 shows. Most of the shows were put on in rented venues such as the VFW hall, so everybody had to pay to get in. Sometimes donations were taken but in order pay for the venues, there needed to be admissions.

  There were some shows that had a mixed line up of bands all playing different kinds of music but students paid more attention to the fresh material. Bands such as Phil n’ Crew, Satansemen, Off Target and Special guests would play a show together here or there. Despite the different styles of music, they all played without any problems. Since most of the bands members in those bands have graduated, those shows eventually, recently faded.

  The end of shows left the local music interest among the youth in shards.

  There are plenty of upperclassmen and graduates who look at those two individual types of shows as nostalgic. The shows were mostly fun for all, no matter what the content of the bands were.

  As long as people showed up, performers and the audience had fun. So it doesn’t make sense that it is hard to draw people to shows now. Even when they are free and well advertised.