It’s Such A Shame Sometimes

Have you heard Darcie Miner’s CD yet?

I had the chance to listen to it before our consummate reviewer Jason Timol scooped it up. And, after reading his review, I long to steal it back from him, and give it a good listen again.

For those of you who don’t know about Darcie, or have never had the pleasure of hearing her sing... shame on you. Darcie is simply fantastic.

Which, thinking about an evening of great steak, and even better live music by the aforementioned, brings to mind a story.

I was driving, as I do so often, listening to Bruce Bond, as I do so often, laughing a little at their antics, and swerving a little, as I do so often. It was the Late Afternoon Show’s "Phone Friendly Free-For-All", which has become much friendlier in recent months, finally. A man called in complaining. He made pointed, almost gratuitous, commentary about how mad he was that Darcie Miner’s concert at HersheyPark was canceled because a major act, (I think it was the Back Street Boys), was having setup problems and Darcie’s show was "inconveniently scheduled" and possibly bothersome. Now, it’s been some time since I heard this phone-in conversation, but I do remember one thing. No one on the show, not one of the all-male, all Caucasian staff, knew who Darcie Miner was.

As you can imagine, and as many of you who were also listening probably felt, I was shocked. How could such prominent local radio personalities NOT know who Darcie Miner was? Well, if Bruce had bothered to show up at the Millenium Music Conference, as he was scheduled to do, he might have been better informed. But I digress.

What bothers me the most, is that barely anyone wants to take stock in the heart of their community, but when Fuel "finally gets big" everybody wants a piece.

So Bruce, do you know who Rhyne McCormic is? How about Odin Rathnam? Or, here’s an easy one... Does Glen Hamilton ring a bell? Ding! Ding! Ding! That’s right he’s a radio personality... but he also has a CD of, believe it or not, music he recorded himself.

C’mon Central PA, wake up already.

It’s funny how only the "starving" grass-roots media like PA Musician, Unsung Hero, and MODE care about the "locals". For once I just wish someone with as much influence as Bruce Bond would get off their throne and get involved.

If you’re a celebrity, prominent, or influential, and want to see the regional entertainment scene flourish, e-mail me, and together, we’ll do something about it.

Yawn.

Scot Giambalvo