Editor's Update - Spring '09

Spring is officially here, and I decided that I wanted to do a quarterly editor's column with news, rants, and other shit that has been going on at the Crucial Changes HQ.

Crucial Changes has been going pretty strong since I started in late December and I would like to give a big thank you to those who follow/subscribe to the blog. When I first started the blog I really wasn't too interested in keeping track of how many hits my blog received until a friend of mine talked me into adding a counter sometime in February. Since then Crucial Changes has received to date almost 2,500 hits, averaging nearly 400 a week. Since I know people are at least looking at the blog, don't be too shy to leave a comment on any of the posts.

I have never done any sort of formal writing before, I have been taking a learn as you go approach to this blog. Along with the regular album uploads, show photos and local spotlights, last month I tried something new with a reader submission poll. And as you can see from my post on April 1st, it didn't go as planned at all. Throughout the entire month the poll was up, only 1 response was sent in. So sadly the whole idea gets the sad trombone. I do have plans for reader response posts in the future but it be for a good while still. I also was expecting an interview from a band who to date, hasn't sent back the answers nor respond to my emails. If it does come in I will post it, but I don't plan on trying to interview anyone outside of the greater Nebraska area for the time being. There have been a few other plans and ideas that have slipped away in the last month, but I hope that everyone involved will come through this month. Any updates on new content will only be promoted/spammed once a week, so be sure to follow and bookmark the blog.

In scene news: Omaha's Hercules has been busy out on the road touring in support of their new lp Moon Riders out soon on Nihilism Records. Be sure to check them out if they come around your area. The official lp should be out before summer. Head bang masters, Recession have been putting the finishing touches in the studio on their newest material. Expect to see that out sometime soon on a yet unnamed 7". Era will be playing their first Nebraska show of 2009 Wed., April 8th in Lincoln with Florida's No Harm Done. Wasteoid played their 1st show in a year last month with SFN and Omaha's Homonoid . Hopefully they continue to play shows more often, the new songs sound punishing. Local rockers and long time friends, Ties will be playing the opening slot for the River City Rebels show at the 49r in Omaha, April 11th. It should be a good punk rock bar show.

Most of the spring/summer hardcore shows for the area have been booked, and I'm really excited for a few of them. Agnostic Front will be playing Omaha on Tuesday, and I'm really excited to see them again. MDC is also doing another comeback tour this year and will be playing in Lincoln early May. There will be a couple of other shows coming up that look promising as well. All the local hardcore show listings can be found HERE.

I do have some ideas planned for the blog coming up in the near future. Once I learn how to create it, I would like to do a monthly podcast of some of my favorite hardcore jams, as well as loads of local hardcore. I have been thinking about a Local Spotlight #3, and hope to have one ready sometime this month. I will be taking show photos all spring at every show I attend, so expect to see lots of photo updates. I'm slowing learning how to master my camera so hopefully my photos will continue to improve. If anyone uses my photos for whatever purpose, please give credit. The last thing I want to do is put one of those ugly ass watermarks on all my photos. And lastly, I think Uneven Ground Hardcore Fanzine will have an issue out sometime soon. I was asked to submit writings for the newest issue, but I haven't heard on any word when it will be ready.

As always, expect more of the regular content of classic hardcore uploads, show pics, and spotlights. New readers, be sure to follow and bookmark. See something you like, leave a comment.

-Keith