This is a mission statement, not a memo

It seems as if everyone feels the need to have a blog, thinking that they have some great and profound insight into the world, or at least something amusing to say. I am no different. I decided it was time to take my love of the Dallas music scene and put forth my thoughts and opinions on the music of the metroplex. And so The Ghost of Blind Lemon was born.

I chose the name for two different reasons. The obvious is to pay tribute to the late blues singer Blind Lemon Jefferson, arguably the first great Dallas musician, playing in Deep Ellum in the 1920’s. The second reason ties in to Blind Lemon’s old stomping ground of Deep Ellum. That once vital neighborhood is now virtually a ghost town. The district that has been the heart of the local music scene seems to have stopped beating. Sure, Club Dada remains, as do a handful of other live music venues. What is missing is the sense of community, the excitement, and most importantly, the good music is leaving Deep Ellum.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not here to sit on the porch on my rocking chair, talking about the “good ol’ days” of Deep Ellum. I have too much life in me to do that, and contrary to popular belief, so does the local music scene. Deep Ellum may be dying, if not dead, but there is a tremendous music scene just waiting for the chance to be heard. If the music returns to Deep Ellum, then that’s great. If it doesn’t, however, then it must find a home.

That brings me to the mission of The Ghost of Blind Lemon. The purpose of this blog is to provide information about the local music scene and to get people involved in the scene. The first part is what I provide: the information. I tell you about what new bands you should go see, what new albums are worth listening to, what shows are good, and any other information about the scene that I find relevant. That’s my role.

Now here is your role. Read what I post. Go to shows. Buy albums. In general, support local music. Also, feel free to email me (go thru my profile to email me) and let me know what’s on your mind. Maybe you disagree with a review I wrote, maybe you think there’s a musician that is worthy of my attention, maybe you’re that musician who feels I should write about you. Let me know; I’m not a mind reader.

I hope that The Ghost of Blind Lemon serves as a useful place of gathering information, and more importantly, that you will use this information to help support the local music scene. There is a tremendous amount of talent in the area, as evidenced by my list of great local artists (and I know I’m only scratching the surface with said list). So go ahead, read on, email me, and most importantly, support the musicians! It’d put a smile on Blind Lemon’s face if he were still here.