Squeaking microphones and too-loud amps are the backdrop for the show. Add a nervous guitarist on stage performing and with hopes the audience will like what it hears, and it’s the ideal coffeehouse atmosphere.

These small venues are the lifeblood of local acts, which rely on local places to get their start and to gain fans.

The Syracuse music scene has its fair share of local bands, but it appears to have trouble forming the support and fan base local bands need to make it nationally due to a lack of a prominent venue in-and-around Syracuse University.

‘There are so many different pockets of music that are popular here in Syracuse,’ said Ulf Oesterle, owner of Syracuse-based label Aux Records. ‘But without major venues, it’s a lot harder to move up.’

Syracuse is not particularly well known for having an active music scene, and bigger named acts rarely frequent the city.

Smaller bands will play wherever and whenever they can, from basements to frat parties to bars. But Syracuse has always faced a venue problem when it comes to places to play around the city.

‘Some venues have had legal problems, but most it’s just about location,’ said Oesterle. ‘Club Tundra wasn’t easy to get to, Planet 505 had a convenient location but had legal problems. But there are venues popping up now that are gaining popularity.’

Before the arrival of Funk ‘n Waffles in January 2007, there was no venue close to SU’s campus that was convenient for students. This was a huge factor for owner Adam Gold and partner Kyle Corea when they were planning Funk ‘n Waffles.

‘We were here when Planet 505 closed, we’ve seen the scene and what has happened in the past,’ Gold said. ‘We knew it had good potential, and if students got a hold of that it would work out.’

Funk ‘n Waffles has proved to be a huge success as a small venue convenient for students of all ages. There is live music there almost every night, and it has even begun to attract bigger names like Ace Enders from The Early November, who performed there in August. It is also a favorite venue for local band-gone-big Ra Ra Riot when the band returns to its hometown.

‘Funk ‘n Waffles is great for small bands, for student bands,’ Oesterle said. ‘All types of music are welcome here, and it’s a place for them to practice and play in front of people.’

Student bands often have a rougher time surviving.

‘After people graduate, it’s hard to continue with a band,’ said Gold, a member of hip-hop group Sophistafunk. ‘I lost all of my other band members at graduation, and a lot of fans. But we’ve got a lot of fans around Syracuse that are really responsive to our music.’

For local bands, there are a lot of smaller niche venues around the city, like The Redhouse, Westcott (for indie bands) and Mezzanotte Lounge (for jazz groups). Here, bands can find fans that are already into a certain genre of music.

‘With Funk ‘n Waffles, we want a place where all genres can play,’ Gold said. ‘This type of venue is pretty new to the university area, but we’ve seen a lot of students at shows. We want to build up the scene like we’ve seen in other cities.’

Gold cited Funk ‘n Waffles location as a draw to bands, saying that Syracuse in general is a good location for bands in between shows in bigger cities like New York City and Cleveland.

Oesterle said Syracuse’s location gives an advantage to local bands, as Syracuse allows them to practice locally and travel easily to bigger cities for bigger shows.

‘To the east, there’s Albany and Boston, and south is New York City and west is Cleveland and Pennsylvania,’ he said. ‘There are a lot of major metro areas just hours away from here.’

And bands certainly use location to their advantage. Gold regularly travels to Ithaca with Sophistafunk, where they’ve built up a loyal fan base. Local band Anorexic Beauty Queen has ventured on nationwide tours with Underoath and The Early November. Ra Ra Riot is a regular act in New York City.

‘Syracuse was a great place to start,’ said Mike Watson, guitarist for Anorexic Beauty Queen. ‘Since it’s traditionally a metal scene, those kids had a soft spot for us because we were playing more poppy stuff. We had a lot of people at shows.’

Anorexic Beauty Queen has since branched out and gained popularity outside of the area, and Watson says they’ve never had a problem booking shows in Syracuse. The band opened up for The Format in a Bandersnatch concert last October.

Despite the growing number of local bands and the opening of Funk ‘n Waffles, Watson and Gold agree students don’t appreciate the bands that are playing right in Syracuse.

‘Students take for granted that they can see local bands,’ Watson said. ‘We’ve played in really small cities in someone’s basement and sold $1000 in CDs and merchandise. Students really only go if they know their friends are playing or their friends are going to be there.’

Gold agreed, saying that the potential is there, but students aren’t interested in going out just for music.

‘Not a lot of students come to shows just for the music, to hear new stuff,’ said Gold.

Published on December 3, 2007 at 12:00 pm