Late Introduction: Meet Cameron

Before you start saying to yourself, “Hasn’t this guy been posting for at least three weeks now? And we’re just now getting an introduction?”, know this – just about everything I do is late timing-wise. Not something that I’m proud of, but it’s the way things go and I’m trying to work on it. Consider this a retroactive introduction.

Now that we’ve cleared the air, my name is Cameron Powell (most people call me Cam) and I’m a Scene SC intern along with Rupert Hudson. I’m headed into my fourth year at USC and have lived in Columbia full time for two years now. I’ve known David for a good while through playing locally with my band, kemp ridley, and I’m extremely excited to have been absorbed into the Scene SC team and work with everyone involved.

I don’t think there’s really a good way/order to describe my influences or what defines me, so I’ll try and list a few things that might give you a better idea of where I’m coming from in my writing:

• I’M FROM VIRGINIA. Newport News, Virginia to be exact – area code 757. I’m proud of where I come from, but after living there for the first 18 years of my life, I had to get out and experience college elsewhere. You can only go to Patrick Henry Mall but so many times before you go absolutely insane.
• Sports are a huge part of my everyday life. Feel free to chat me up anytime about your favorite teams/current events if you’re tired of talking music.
• I tend to analyze music from a unique standpoint. When I was learning to play bass, my teacher pushed me to learn a lot of music theory and entered me into the jazz world. As a result, I love music that features GOOD improvisation – emphasis on good. Please check 80s wank-fest guitar solos at the door. Instead of only focusing on what other bands a band might sound like or how loud they are, I try to pay attention to how their guitar parts are arranged or if the drummer is able to make good use of tricky grooves/rhythms or just plays 4/4 beats like a jackass all night.
• I’m a terribly unconfident photographer, so any shows I go to where I want high quality pictures, I’ll probably bring along my friend and bandmate Cayla Fralick to help me out. Below are some great pictures she took of the Brooke Fraser show at the Music Farm May 2 that I didn’t end up using but really wanted to put in a post. Click to see them in high quality.

I apologize in advance if my posts get a bit lengthy. I’m a journalism major so I want to make sure that every detail of a band or show is completely covered. If you love/hate/agree with/disagree with/could care less about anything I write, leave a comment on the post. I’ll get back to you, probably a bit late, and we can discuss whatever.

I was influenced most growing up by what my dad didn’t like. If it wasn’t ok by Bob, then I hated it by default. I’ll leave you with a string of things I’ve grown up hating so that we can all be on the same page in that I will never speak favorably of them. FUCK: The Eagles (football team and band), Boston (just the band), Fleetwood Mac, the Yankees, the Cowboys, and most importantly…Duke.