I was recently thinking about how the music industry is similar to the restaurant industry.... Think about Applebee's or Crapplebee's as I like to call them or a place like TGIFridays... Everyone knows who they are and you pretty much know exactly what is on the menu before you walk in the door, but the bottom line is that they serve Bar food. Extra care is taken to make sure that they are all pretty much the same in every town you visit. Safe and Familiar Right??

Then think of your Small local Mom and Pop/ privately owned restaurant. They probably have Chicken Fingers on the menu just like Applebee,s but they may add some local flavor to other dishes or may have a different atmosphere or mystique that you won't find at your local Applebee's. Sometimes you go into one of these places and think "Man this place is Great" sometimes you end up eating cold food and drinking a beer out of a Styrofoam cup, but hey at least you made the daring choice to try something different.

So who are the Applebee's Bands? That sounds like an insult, but what I mean is who are the Bands that everyone knows and you pretty much know exactly what to expect from them.. The Rolling Stones (sorry Mick), Bon Jovi, any of the American Idols, etc.. etc...

And who are the Mom and Pop Bands.. Just like their restaurant counterparts, that list is endless. Filled with some really great bands and some that are not so great, some that have been around for years and some that can barely stay together long enough to play their first gig. My point is that people should not be afraid to take that brave step away from the safe and familiar and try something different once in a while...

Two Weeks from today, Friday, February 29th, I encourage everyone to come out to Toads Place on the Canal Walk to try something different. Duchess of York, Prabir and the Substitutes, and Palominos. 4 Buck in advance, 8 bucks the Day of the show. Either way a great deal to check out 3 bands that I promise will leave you with a good taste in your mouth....