Fans, fame and recognition. Local bands are desperate to get their name out there and now bands are turning to their favorite bands to help them break out into the spotlight.
Bands like Hear Me Roar! and Say It Back are getting their name out there by booking shows with national bands passing through town.
Jesse Maragliano, senior, sings for the local band Hear Me Roar!, which has opened for multiple nationally recognized bands such as Life on Repeat, Caradale, Killer Me Killer You and BAMF!
“I just contacted booking agents and venues holding shows of bands that I like,” Maragliano said.
Maragliano and the rest of the band have noticed more fans, even fans in Denver, Colorado. Bands must have the drive and the right tools to succeed. Maragliano has a few tips for bands looking to get big.
“Do what you love and make the right friends,” Maragliano said.
Another local band, Say It Back, has opened for several bands including VersaEmerge, Allstar Weekend and School Boy Humor.
“Whenever a national band comes through St. Louis, we get asked to open for them because they know we have the experience,” Kelsi Luck, sophomore at St. Louis Community College and singer for Say It Back, said.
For Say It Back, playing for national bands has been a different experience.
“More people come out and there is just a better energy in the crowd,” Luck said.
Say It Back isn’t only looking at recent shows, they’re planning ahead for the future.
“National shows help us by giving us the experience of playing to a bigger crowd and prepares us for touring,” Luck said.
Sean Stacy, senior, is a fan of many local bands including Killer Me Killer You, Sonic Candy, and Maragliano’s band Hear Me Roar.
“I take interest in a lot of local talent,” Stacy said. “It’s nice to hit Fubar or wherever else to hear something new every now and then.”
Local venues like Fubar, Firebird, the Pageant, and the Old Rockhouse let local bands play frequently. The venues are typically all ages and allow students to experience new music.
Stacy has noticed an increase in fans for local bands and national bands after they play together.
“When you bring fans from a bunch of different bands all into one show, it spreads a national band’s popularity that much more,” Stacy said.