The job of Musicians is not to Create Music but to Create Culture : : an Examination of Ann Arbor's Underground Music Scene in the 1990S.

Locations
Call Number: 781.66 Gr, R 781.66 Gr
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	781.66 Gr	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Offsite Archives 0-week checkout	R 781.66 Gr	0-week checkout	Library Use Only
Downtown 2nd Floor, Local History 0-week checkout	R 781.66 Gr	0-week checkout	Library Use Only

Commonly known as being home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a city whose legacy is rooted deeper than this designation. Through its contributions to the fields of art, cinema, and music Ann Arbor has historically played a prominent role in the shaping of the American counterculture for decades. Though the city’s musical history is most predominantly recognized in the 1960s, when performers the MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and Bob Seger were prominent, the city intermittently hosted a vibrant music scene throughout the latter half of the twentieth century that often rivaled those of larger cities.This was most especially true of Ann Arbor’s underground music scene in the 1990s, largely characterized by an audience open to the work of the city’s musicians who were finding new ways of crafting their songwriting and performances. Due to many contributing factors, these musicians produced a heterogenous mix of sounds which were well-received by a music scene that welcomed experimentation rather than the formulaic trappings of the grunge/ “alternative music” era. Bands like the Laughing Hyenas, Jaks, Morsel, Transmission, Flashpapr, and Wolf Eyes all came out of a supportive environment characterized by an audience who was just as eclectic as the musicians themselves.Taking a DIY approach, the main players literally made it an underground music scene by largely holding many of the era’s concerts in people’s basements. Small independent labels and college radio supplanted their corporate counterparts as this scene largely eschewed the above ground culture and completely became absorbed in what they collectively created. It was an organic, grass roots movement where the music became the proverbial campfire around which everyone celebrated the communal rites.Presented as his master’s thesis while acquiring his MA in History, J.J. Griffin IV’s look at Ann Arbor’s underground music scene in the 1990s argues its merits while presenting evidence of its impact. Introduced by an essay penned by musician and label-owner Dr. Peter Larson, Griffin’s thesis asserts that the music produced in this era, and the vibrancy of the city’s underground music scene, rivaled that or exceeded those of major cities. Following a brief examination of Ann Arbor’s past, including its musical and political history, the bands, venues, and other factors which defined the era are detailed. This includes a look at the main players who made the scene what is was. Drawn from dozens of personal interviews with many of the individuals who played a major role, the book argues the music scene’s importance and the impact it made upon those who experienced it.

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