Muse Music Online

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Muse Music change won't hurt Provo

March 21, 2005

The winds of change are blowing for Provo’s premier musical showcase, Muse Music. The venue is currently in the process of changing its management.

“The scene won’t take a hit,” said Fox, the current manager of Muse Music. “Especially since this is happening in the spring, and the scene always dies down a bit when summer comes. But things should be operating smoothly again within a few months.”

Chuck Hamm, the owner of Muse Music, recently bought another facility two doors down from the current establishment at 145 N. University Ave. This second “Muse Music” has been a record and merchandise store, and also has an area where bands can perform.

According to musemusiconline.com, the 145 N. University Ave. location may possibly be sold, rented out or expanded in the near future. But regardless of what may happen to Muse Music, there are still plenty of places for live music in Provo. Bands play regularly at Starry Night, Hollywood Juice Café and the newly opened Vermillion Skies.

“We just played a show at Hollywood Juice Café,” said Dane Hansen, a graphic design major from Boise, Idaho and member of the band The Handsome. “It doesn’t cost people as much to see you, and it’s big and cool enough for a big show.”

There has been some speculation that Botts, a new employee of the 151 N. University location was hired specifically to be the new manager of Muse Music, but Fox said that wasn’t the case.

“Trevor wasn’t brought on board to replace me or anything,” Fox said.

Botts and Fox are friends who anticipated working together when Hamm hired Botts to manage the 151 N. record store.

“[Hamm] hired me to book small acoustic shows in the back,” Botts said. “I signed on to work with Corey, not replace him.”

A member of the band Abilene Paradox, a local rock band, denounced Muse Music last week while onstage there. Fox said that this kind of thing has lead to some tension between ownership and management.

“I think maybe [Hamm] thought I was telling bands to say things like that,” Fox said. “But I have been telling bands not to say things. The decision to let me go has nothing to do with money or power, and I think people are making a bigger deal of this than it really is.”

Source: Newsnet

http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/54904