Bloomington entertainment is adding a few twists to the scene

Most bands are not made for a primetime television show and have nothing to do with Orlando. Often, they are composed of your friends, siblings or neighbors. You have always wanted to hear them play, but question whether they are making music or just sitting in a garage, guitar in hand. \nBut one day a local club gives them a break, lets them perform in public and even pays them. Then your friends are a legitimate band, and their music is better than you could have imagined. \nOne place in Bloomington gives local musicians and fledgling national acts that chance. It is called Second Story.\n"We do original music -- we don't really do cover bands," bartender John Vitello says. "We're more concerned with getting the music out."\nMusicians from all genres play. Rock is a mainstay with recent shows by local groups The Post and the Ventilators exemplifying this. Blues, punk, alternative country and bluegrass bands have also graced the stage in addition to occasional electronic and hip-hop acts. \n"There are a lot of really good bands that have started out here," Deke Hagan of the Ventilators says. "There is a great audience for roots rock and a great art rock scene." \nAlthough the music varies, the crowds are engaged by the shows. They want to see real people play real music and then they tell their friends about it. \n"I came here because people recommended it," says Zach Jenkins, a graduate student. "This is more a club. I like the mixture of people also; not too many are from one social group."\nThe musicians also appreciate the audience.\n"The audiences are really responsive," Hagan adds. "You're not just background music."\nSecond Story booking agent Scott Logsdon believes that the music scene in Bloomington has tapered slightly, but "the pendulum is swinging back up," he says. Trends in music, such as a general revival in rock and roll, have also helped. Alternative country has been big because of the "Oh, Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack, says Logsdon. \nEmployees and customers emphasize the fact that the bands don't play other people's music. Some bands will play covers of others' work, but they will do it in an original way. \nNational acts are also important business for Second Story. They play there before many people have ever heard of them. Second Story's acts stir under popular culture and influence mainstream music. Groups like White Stripes, Nashville Pussy and Tortoise have played as recently as October. Percussionist Hamid Drake and bluegrass artist Gillian Welch remind the community of the diversity that abounds at the nightclub, Logsdon says.\nDJs also spin tunes now and then. Staff member Jeff Phagan says the most popular regular event is the Latin Dance Party, which happens twice each month. The dance floor is classic parquet and the walls wood paneled. And if you come early enough, you can even learn how to do some dances before the actual dancing starts. It also provides a venue for a genre of music that is often overlooked.\n"Customers from the Latin dance nights are excellent," Logsdon says. "Even though it's not original music, it has come to mean a lot to us."\nPhysically, Second Story is an actual dance hall and can be used for just about any function because of its openess. Usually, it is a listening room and ideal for small intimate shows. The stage is low and deep. It can host a one-man show without the cold empty space of an auditorium or a seven person set without being cramped. It has lights in parts of the floor and red and green globes on ceiling lamps. \nBloomington had another place singularly devoted to original music -- the Cellar Lounge, which closed its doors this winter. It featured many bluegrass and country singers with guitars, among other genres. It provided more choices to the community and a chance for multiple styles and groups to play at the same time. With its closing, Second Story plans to pick up the country/bluegrass slack from the Cellar, a niche it actually held before that facility opened. \n"It's sad to see it go," Hager says. "In its three years we put in more shows than anywhere else, because it was open six days a week as compared to two like Second Story. I put a lot of effort into (the Cellar) and it leaves a void. But Second Story can fill it."\nSecond Story's largest remaining competition for live music are the Bluebird Nightclub and Uncle Fester's. They have different audiences, but occasionally go after the same talent. Some regional and national groups break into the local market at Second Story and then move to larger venues when they return to Bloomington. Logsdon supports live music throughout the city because he believes, "What's good for the scene is good for everyone."\nThe 21-and-over venue is still a business and like all bars, makes its money from liquor sales. Door money goes to the band and staff to support sound and lights. This makes the goal of providing untested bands difficult. Second Story continues to stay true to its diverse customer base by offering what other venues don't, a place for musicians to express themselves as they would like.\n"We have to take risks," Logsdon says.