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Seeking amusement Muse Music gives local bands a place to do their thing

March 13, 2003

Seeking amusement Muse Music gives local bands a place to do their thing
BRETT MERRITT The Daily Herald on Thursday, March 13

When Chuck Hamm opened Muse Music in February 2002, he wanted to do more than open a store. He wanted to fill a need.

"Starting it was a juggling act for me," Hamm said. "I used some of my own cash and went into a bit of debt to get it open. " But, he said, "the public seemed to be upset that there was nothing like this in the area."

The public can remain calm. Located at 145 N. University Ave., Muse Music fills the void left when venues like Mama's Cafe and Wrapsody disappeared. During the day, people can browse CDs or take guitar or drum lessons. At night, intimate crowds gather to support established local acts like Jerrytown and Sugarland Run, and introduce themselves to national touring bands like Waking Hours, Landing and Park.

Show genres vary from singer/songwriter and acoustic pop to alternative and punk. There is even an acoustic open mic night on Tuesdays for those brave enough to take the stage for a moment of glory.

Manger Corey Fox -- who has been involved with the local music scene as a manager/promoter since 1991 -- said of the venue's eclectic lineup, "It's all out there, so you might as well feature it all, instead of getting pigeonholed as one type of place."

Since coming to Muse last October, Fox has seen an increase in the quality of bands that are attracted to playing smaller venues. "The goal is that you are respected enough that known bands that would never play your place come to play your place," he said.

There are shows every night of the week except Sunday. The cover is usually $3-$6.

"I like to piece together shows so that the genres of music go together. That way, the crowd will want to stick around for the whole show," Fox said. His philosophy is that if the bands are similar enough, they will help each other out by creating new fans for one another.

In addition to the nightly shows, Muse offers the area's best selection of local artists' CDs. Also, the store has an impressive selection of vinyl records, including a fresh shipment of classical recordings. The used CD section is growing. In fact, to help bolster the selection, Muse will give a discount on admission (or possibly free entry) to people who bring quality used CDs to a live show.

Hamm realizes the success of Muse depends on support from the community he opened it for. He officially employs only two people and relies heavily on "Street Team" volunteers and local musicians for help with sound, advertising and upkeep.

With almost every penny going back into running Muse, Hamm has other reasons for staying involved. "I'm pretty much a volunteer," he said. "I opened this kind of store because I like good music and I thought I'd enjoy running it. If I wasn't having fun, I wouldn't still be doing it."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D25.

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Source: The Daily Herald

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