The O-Town Scene: Take the Stage

By Emily Popek, Interim Editor of the O-Town Scene
June 6, 2013

Editor's Note: Fashion, Music Helps Us Find Our Tribes

I was not a cool kid growing up...And I learned that, by standing out rather than fitting in, I was sending signals to others like me...It was at concerts that we started to find the rest of our tribe--the kids from other schools who ventured out to hear punk, ska, hardcore and alternative music at places like the Lions Club.
As I grew older, I often wondered who was behind the scenes at some of the venues I frequented. In this issue, you'll get to meet the people behind two local music venues who are bringing bands to the area... Anything that gives people a way to connect with their tribe is good by me.

BRING THE NOISE: New Venues Bringing More Music to Area

Two local couples are living the axiom "Be the change you want to see" when it comes to the local music scene.
Rather than bemoaning the lack of opportunities to see live music, these enterprising duos have decided to be part of the solution and open up their doors (figuratively speaking, in one instance) to bands from near and far to offer local fans more chances to hear live music.
Why do they do it? How do they do it? And is there barbecue? Find out the answers to all this and more:

SUSQUEHANNA TRAILS CAMPGROUND: Dean and Joanne Tribe

(Visit www.otownscene.com for the full story)

THE REDEMPTION MOVEMENT: Kaler and Laura Carpenter

Kaler and Laura Carpenter at The Redemption Movement on River Street in Oneonta on May 31. Photo by Julie Lewis, The Daily Star

When Kaler and Laura Carpenter moved to Oneonta in 2009, it was with one goal in mind: to start their own church. Four years later, they've achieved that goal; the couple hosts informal Friday night services, and Sunday ministries, out of their storefront-cum-church, The Redemption Movement, housed in a former grocery store on River Street.
But somewhere along the way, they started hosting rock shows, too.
"It wasn't originally part of the plan," Kaler Carpenter admitted. "But we want to be a church that's focused on giving back. We want to open our space up to the community. So we got into doing shows as a way to do something for the community that's both family-friendly and artist-friendly."
So why are they doing this?
"We both love music, and I kind of follow the scene as my hobby, with the same enthusiasm that some people follow sports," Carpenter explained.
That entusiasm has brought local, regional and national touring bands to the Carpenters' admittedly small venue, and has brought together some people that might not otherwise be hanging out.
"In our last show, we had a couple of local folk acts, and they brought with them their own fans," Kaler Carpenter explained. "And we also brought in A Guy Named Guy, which is a punk/ska band from Boston. So it was kind of cool; you had the folk fans there in their work clothes, alongside the ska or punk people. And that's what we want to do: bring people together."
The Carpenters had their first foray into being rock promoters about a year ago when Kaler saw something intriguing on Kickstarter.
"A band in Fredonia (Lightning Killed My Parents) was doing a campaign where if you gave a certain amount, they would come and play a show," Carpenter explained. "So I booked them, and I was really excited about it, so we turned it into a block party."
The event, which featured free music, a chili cook-off, and family-friendly games and activities, also served as The Redemption Movement's introduction to the Sixth Ward and the greater Oneonta community.
The two aspects of that day's event - rock music and community togetherness - sum up a lot of what the Carpenters are all about. And what they want most of all is to connect with the community. To do that, they're hoping people can look past any reticence they might have about going to "church." The nondenominational gatherings they host on Friday nights are casual, and often include perks like barbecue; on Sundays, the couple performs "acts of kindness," handing out free Popsicles, shoveling neighbor's driveways, or giving away light bulbs.
"We'll hear a lot of people say, 'I'll check it out some time,'" Laura Carpenter said. "And they don't always actually do it. But the people who do come are always saying how amazing the bands were, or how much fun they had, and wondering why there aren't more people there, so we always tell them, 'You just have to get the word out.'"
And while the couple are passionate about music, they're not limiting themselves to just the acts that they're interested in seeing play.
"I'm very happy to open our doors for a band that someone wants to see," Kaler Carpenter explained, adding that the couple wants to make the church available for a variety of community events. "Our mission is to bless the community--that's what we're here to do."
To see what's coming up at The Redemption Movement, check out their blog at http://missiononeonta.blogspot.com or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/TheRedemptionMovement.