Check Your Boy Out

Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: The Mix

Music-promoting Web site SceneSC not only promotes bands and supports the Columbia music scene, but it also connects fans with the musicians through show and album reviews and live videos.

SceneSC was created over the summer by David Russell Stringer, a USC alumnus, and is the first Web site of its kind in South Carolina.

“I started [SceneSC] July 1, and created it to help do my part in the music scene in South Carolina. There weren’t any Web sites out there for bands and fans to go and connect with other people and find out about new music,” Stringer said. “There used to be a Web site called SC Music, but there hasn’t been one in the past five years.”

The local music community has struggled over the past couple of years with being recognized as a great music source, but also with getting locals to actually attend shows and lend grassroots support to the musicians.

“I think there are a lot of good artists in Columbia but [locals] don’t know about them yet because there is no way for them to find out,” Stringer said. “We [at SceneSC], are trying to create more of a community to bring everyone together so that people will know there are other good artists out there and will be able to connect with them.”

Five bands shared a stage Thursday night at New Brookland Tavern. Columbia natives, Marry A Thief, This Machine Is Me, The Decade and Ghosts of the Great Highway played alongside Maryland-based Amen, The Animal, formerly of Columbia.

“For the kick-off party, we were trying to get as many big bands as possible,” Stringer said. “For future shows, we are trying to get two successful bands and then a few bands that we feel are ‘up and coming.’ We are going to try to do four SceneSC sponsored shows a year.”

Along with the five bands that performed Thursday night, several more will be featured on a SceneSC compilation CD that will include a lot of B-Sides from bigger bands in South Carolina which will be used to promote the bands and raise money for the site.

“I came up with the idea because we were trying to think of a fundraiser that would help bands and help us raise money to keep the Web site going,” Stinger said. “We decided to do the compilation and bands were really excited about it because it helps get their name out there.”

Stringer and many others involved in SceneSC would like to carry on the foundation work that they have already created. Along with continuing the Web site, they intend to create several more promotional items for the site to help the bands.

“We are going to start to do more professional videos next year [along with] a compilation CD that is coming out in January [and] a South Carolina bands DVD,” Stringer said. “We think we might [also] go more regional with the Web site, but not anytime soon.”