Eric Sable
The view one gets from sauntering around the Madison curve in Lansdale right now is wonderous. Not only is it amazing to be able to use that street again, but it is also crazy to see our repurposed lot grow before our very own peepers. Along with that wonderous view comes the wondering of things to come.
What all is going to be here? When is it going to be here? Who is going to move into these places? Through weeded out rumors and plans coming to fruition, the answers are coming in increments. As for the new faces we may see coming? Perhaps it is only fair to look at those who have relocated here in recent years.
Eric Sable has been performing music in the greater Philly-metro region for over a decade. Sable, 28, bounced around the suburbs for a while before settling down in North Wales. The past few years have seen him playing guitar in local heavyweights Birthday Boy and Cold Climb It. Both bands boast seasoned vets of the local music community. Birthday Boy is currently featured this month on WMMR (93.3) every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. Their sound caught the ear of the radio station and the flavor has been invading the sound waves like spotted lantern flies ever since.
A graduate of Methacton High School, Eric ended up spending much of his time in the Lansdale area. Between playing in numerous bands and teaching guitar at George’s Music, he has spent a respectable amount of time observing music around here. While singing the praises of our community, he is not without question—inspired by nothing more than change.
“Where do kids (purchase) and talk about music these days?” he asked, reminiscent of the now-relocated Martyn’s Guitars. The in-house record store there was a staple for anybody looking to acquire underground media and musicianship for years. Martyn’s left Lansdale in 2004 for Doylestown. The loss of that shop in town seemed like a huge blow to the Lansdale arts community; however, in 2004 that was a move that made complete sense. The Lansdale music scene also exploded shortly after this move. Taking even just these few factors into play: What a complex question Eric managed to ask!
In 2018, is there a space for what Eric is asking about? Have the modern times of social media, free-shipping and file-sharing just linked up with the climate of “Why bother?” that we all seem to be slave to—and that’s that? It is very odd and it is hard to even attempt to grasp, but perhaps that is where we indeed are. Shows are still happening here, bands are still playing here. That is important, but the youth are paramount.
While talking about the rise in DIY show attendance recently, Sable mentions also the rise in show occurrence. “It only works when people step up to do it.” he said, with a hint of “you don’t say!” not-quite escaping his tone. An obvious appreciation for the fortunate reality of having such a community in the area is shown by his smile. “I really want kids to accept any torch that may be burning around here, not just have it passed on to them.”
Like the namesake of Gran Torino, inheritance is not always a default option. Kids today may not really want to live here, to make art here; to grow here. They sure would like that car though, right? To peel out and never look back or worry about where it came from ever again. They see and hear of people moving out west, moving down the city, traveling the world just like every generation does. We also have every single unique and desirable success story to ever happen in the world shoved in front of our faces at all times. In less than 30 seconds on your Facebook feed, you can feel terrible about yourself and all you have—or have not—done. It is unfortunately very easy to see why nothing is ever good enough for anyone these days. Whether they are not old enough to hear everyone’s updates on these endeavors or not, they’re blinded by even the thought of instant and/or exclusive fame. To have the metaphor come full circle in this paragraph, the Gran Torino that is the music community around here shall not be stolen either. It is a hand-crafted machine assembled and maintained by [grumpy] old people that know its worth. It is a machine that will welcome any passenger that respects it.
“I’ve seen droughts of venues, shows, attendance; all that” said Sable, “but never a drought of bands!”
All the familiar faces around here are not going anywhere it would seem. It is comforting and, more importantly, very welcoming. With the same old people playing new music, the growth is going to be limited but sustainable. We can keep enjoying what we do for ourselves or we can aim it somewhere. It would be great to propagate new faces and grow them organically. Science limits that a bit of course, but the cycle of old bands out and new bands in has failed to yield the crops we have become so accustomed to sowing.
