Dear Editor:
Eddie Jenkins’ lamentation that Johnson City has ‘virtually no music scene’ (“I Sold My Soul for a T-Shirt,” Sept. 7) was as laughable as someone bitching that Seattle needs to open another Starbucks.
Dear, misguided Eddie, scenes are made, not born and I’m afraid you wouldn’t know one if it bit you. As it happens, there are two major venues for kick-ass music right here in downtown, Johnson City – The Hideaway and Down Home.
Both establishments consistently feature awesome, professional and local musicians from both abroad and from our own backyard.
The Hideaway has an edgier feel to it, but it is open every single night of the week offering shows of every conceivable genre – punk, blues, roots, rap, indie, rockabilly and artists who defy categories of any kind, such as the dude on tour from Ohio who strips down to his tighty-whities and – well, let’s just say he definitely gets a good response from the audience.
Additionally, The Hideaway regularly offers all-age shows so that younger music lovers can attend. It’s also pretty cheap; there are plenty of nights when the cover is $5 or less.
Down Home may feature more traditional bluegrass and country artists, but they aren’t scared to host open-mics on Wednesday nights just to let newcomers on the scene (the real one) test the waters.
Who is Ryan Adams? Who cares?
On Sept. 6, ETSU’s Writing Center hosted Knoxville’s own accomplished blue-collar roots rock musician Scott Miller (of Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, who not only has a contract with Sugar Hill Records, but is also a former member of The V-Roys, a 90s-era Knoxville band produced by Steve Earle), yet this newsworthy event never was even mentioned in the East Tennessean.
In light of this information, perhaps it would be prudent for you to check out our local scene. Not only would reviews of local/regional bands be far more interesting (you’d have the market cornered), but also you’d save yourself a lot of money on gas.
Megan Jewell Kerns

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