How has the music scene changed since then?
There’s definitely more music in the Valley now than back then. There are less migrant musicians who moved here for the scene, but there are plenty of homegrown bands. Little kids that grew up here in the ’90s, saw other bands like Sebadoh, the Fawns, King Radio and Dinosaur Jr. so they knew it wasn’t some weird foreign thing that they couldn’t do. It seems as if you’re all for promoting local, up-and-coming bands. And you manage the Iron Horse, a venue that has received criticism for not supporting local music. Well, I think that particular criticism comes from an older generation. Years ago, [former Iron Horse owner] Jordi Herold got that reputation. He’d tell people flat-out that he didn’t think they were good enough or if he didn’t like their band& He wouldn’t book Sebadoh when they were coming up. However, the Iron Horse is a showcase for regional and national acts. It does a disservice to not have some kind of standard. I feel like bands should be at a certain level when they pla
