BJ Moore (Crab Legs)
SPB: What’s the biggest secret about the Fargo scene (unbeknownst to outsiders)?
Moore: So, that question could be answered numerous ways, but since every member of Crab Legs plays in at least one other band, I focused on the music scene here.
What’s the biggest secret about the Fargo scene?
That a growing, supportive music scene actually exists here would surprise a lot of people. Fortunately it does, and there are some great people, great bands, and a few very supportive venues here.
Besides being known for a stupid movie involving a woodchipper, its drunkenness, or it' college football team, Fargo is home to numerous bands of various genres. There are so many choices: doom (Egypt, Benefactor), pop punk (Crab Legs, High Hopes), melodic hardcore (Baltic to Boardwalk, Bergeron), catchy punk rock (What Kingswood Needs, SuperCruiser), d-beat (Narcissistic Youth, Shit On Top Of Shit), heavy hardcore (Swing Low, Atrocities), or some good ol' grindcore (Gorgatron). There's a great indie scene, a smaller folk scene, and numerous noise projects are popping up.
A lot of the bands that I mentioned spend a lot of time on the road, besides working day jobs, booking shows, and, for some, volunteering at a local all ages venue, the New Direction.
The New Direction hosts numerous touring punk, hardcore, metal, and indie bands of all sizes. The Aquarium bar hosts similar bands, and you can enjoy your music loud with a few beers there. The Red Raven Coffee House hosts a lot of folk, indie, and acoustic acts, as well.
Fargo may not be as big as Minneapolis, and it might be a frozen winter wasteland for far too long each year, but its scene is our little secret that we get to nourish and take great pride in.
