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"Local Band Does O.K.": A Case Study of Class and Scene Politics in the Jam Scene of Northwest Ohio

Brown, Katelen Elyse
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1530896518807217

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Popular Culture.
The subculture of jam bands is often publicly held to multiple stereotypical expectations. Participants in the subculture are expected to fall into one of two camps, coastal elites or “dirty hippies.” Members of the Northwest Ohio jam scene often do not have the kind of economic privilege that is assumed of them based on the larger jam subculture. Not only do these perceptions create difficulties for audience members of the Northwest Ohio scene, but there are added complications for the musicians in the scene. This research explores the challenges of class and belonging faced by participants in the Northwest Ohio jam scene. More specifically, this thesis focuses on the careful social negotiations scene members and musicians are required to navigate in order to maintain insider status while dealing with the working-class realities of life in the area. In this thesis, I argue that subcultural capital is one of the most significant factors for belonging to the larger subculture, and that its necessity, which requires sufficient economic support, demands more nuanced practices by local scenesters in order to maintain. I dissect the complexities of the concept of “family” in the jam scene, including its meaning for audiences and musicians, as well as how it intersects with class and public perceptions of class in the scene. Finally, I argue that musical forms and practices hold significance in establishing genre authenticity, but I maintain that class is a determining factor in the decisions bands make about whether or not they hold completely true to genre boundaries. This thesis attempts to address the complexities of class and how it functions in small, local rock scenes, specifically in the Northwest Ohio jam scene.
Jeremy Wallach (Advisor)
Esther Clinton (Committee Member)
120 p.
Music
Jam bands; jam; music; improvisation; Phish; Grateful Dead; local scenes; scene politics; class; Midwest; subcultures; subcultural capital; cultural capital; bands; Northwest Ohio; Ohio; Umphreys McGee; popular music; rock music; music scenes

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Brown, K. E. (2018). "Local Band Does O.K.": A Case Study of Class and Scene Politics in the Jam Scene of Northwest Ohio [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1530896518807217

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Brown, Katelen. "Local Band Does O.K.": A Case Study of Class and Scene Politics in the Jam Scene of Northwest Ohio. 2018. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1530896518807217.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Brown, Katelen. ""Local Band Does O.K.": A Case Study of Class and Scene Politics in the Jam Scene of Northwest Ohio." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1530896518807217

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1530896518807217
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.