Public relations professor Susan Daria, a UA class of 1996 alumna and drummer for local band Jen & the Tonics, said this was the music scene in Tuscaloosa during the 1990s. But that was then.
In November, after 13 years of being a hub for local music acts and big-name bands, The Jupiter closed its doors.
The closing of The Jupiter has surfaced concerns from local bands, students and Tuscaloosa community members because it offered a place for live bands to play that differed from the bar-like atmosphere seen in many Tuscaloosa venues.
“The Jupiter served as a platform for local acts to be seen in front of a substantial number of people,” former Jupiter co-owner Jeremiah Jones said. “It was very diverse.”
Although many bars in Tuscaloosa offer live music, many bands encounter issues with stages too small to accommodate large bands, as well as lack of necessary facilities. For some local musicians, the lack of venue variety can be discouraging.
“It’s tough to be a band in a college town,” Daria said. “From a band perspective, there are not a lot of places that have a huge stage.”
This is unlike the Tuscaloosa music scene of generations past, when the Strip was a hotspot for a plethora of music venues – Sidetracks, Chuckers and The Beach Club to name a few – all dedicated to offering live music from both big name bands and local bands alike.
“The issue with the venues in Tuscaloosa is that they’re primarily bars, and they know their clientele are not as focused on the musical aspects of the experience,” Daria said. “They just want something they can sing along to.”
For many students under the age of 21, it can be difficult and often unappealing to see live shows at local bars.
“You either have to be 21 or have a really good fake ID to get into the bars that typically have bands play.” said Jacob Denney, a sophomore majoring in biology. “That makes it really hard for us to access live music.”
Some local rock bands choose to play in nearby cities outside of Tuscaloosa, Daria said.
“Bars book the bands that will pack them out, so you only have a few bands playing the same genres of music,” she said. “That’s why a lot of bands are playing in the Birmingham or Atlanta area. If bands can’t get booked here, they’ll try somewhere else.”
While many face frustrations with the lack of musical variety and venue options, Jones said the responsibility for a sustaining and creating a flourishing music community doesn’t lie solely on bar owners.
“It’s up to three main groups,” he said. “The fans of live music to go out and support it, the artists to do their part to put out killer shows and not oversaturate themselves and the venues to pay the artists fairly, promote and treat artists and fans well.”
Despite the challenges faced by the Tuscaloosa musicians and venues, Chris Wilhelm, of local band The Doctors and The Lawyers, described playing in Tuscaloosa as a positive learning experience for the band.
“Tuscaloosa has always been a very supportive musical community,” Wilhelm said. “No matter where we’re performing in Tuscaloosa, we can always look forward to playing for a supportive and responsive crowd.”
Music professor Kevin Woosley said supporting local musicians while simultaneously offering venues for popular bands is a vital aspect of any thriving music community.
“It’s important for any city to have a strong music community,” Woosley said. “Music has the potential to boost morale and offer people a way to unwind and relax.”
