Cape's most creative scene

Last weekend I saw one of the best bands in Cape (though I saw them in Scott City).

And seeing them led to a good conversation about Cape's creative culture with one of the music scene's longest-standing veterans, Timexx Nasty, frontman of Drivin' Rain.

In the end, we were left wondering whether the majority of culture lovers in Cape even know or care about some of the area's most creative people, the musicians.

The show was by Fists of Phoenix, a young alt-rock five-piece that long ago established its credibility in my mind as one of the area's most talented groups of musicians. The Fists new material is even better -- soaring in scope, ambient, experimental, yet still full of feeling.

They represent everything that's good about music in the Cape area.

Timexx's brother Daniel is the singer in FOP, and after the show, Timexx sat down with me for a talk about the band, and local music in general.

What we found out from each other is what we already knew -- the most dynamic things in the local art culture happen at the hands of the musicians. Cape has dozens of bands of all sort. Most play original music. Some are great, some are just learning.

But almost any night of the week you can hear one of them.

Yet, in my experience, many of the "adults" in Cape (I'm talking 25-year-old-plus) think of the music scene as one for musicians and college kids only. Thus, much of our city's musical creativity goes unnoticed by a large, influential portion of the population.

Some don't go unnoticed. Artists like Bruce Zimmerman and Mike Renick have large followings made up of all ages.

And Mayor Jay Knudtson has told me many times that Cape's artistic soul is its music.

He's right. And maybe the tide is turning.

As the younger generations gain more influence, I see music taking more importance in Cape's culture and image.

We don't want to let the glut of talent in music go to waste. Jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, it's all out there if you know where to look. I suggest downtown on a Friday night.