When heading out to hear live music in Auburn, there are usually a few choices. From Supper Club to Bourbon Street, bands flock to the area to perform for the crowds, and the choice is usually a cover band, original band, or a band that offers both. A lot of the local venues have come to realize that cover bands bring out the crowds, but they still want to bring in those bands that offer something new and original. This is an issue that has caused debate among bands, venues and music lovers alike.

Weston Hill is an Auburn resident who has payed his dues in the local music scene for many years. He currently plays in October Jenkins and Yellow Root and describes both bands’ sounds as “blues/rock.” Hill and his bandmates have faced an uphill battle when it comes to getting their music heard, as well as booking shows in the Auburn bar scene. He said that he feels that sometimes it is tough to play original songs because it is much easier to fill your set with covers, but poses the question “is it really worth it?”

“I just wish that instead of liking a band because they hand out condoms and have really flamboyantly, obnoxious clothes, people like a band because they wrote a killer song or made a song go where it has never gone before,” Hill said. “That’s rock ‘n’ roll.”

His battle is not with other bands, but instead the crowd itself.

“Its really hard to get the crowd into it and that’s half the battle of playing a good show,” he added.

Hill said he feels that the one solution to this problem is to take the cover songs and infuse his own personality and style into them by changing the structure, rhythm, tempo, and improvising a good bit to keep things fresh.

On the other side of the spectrum is Cameron Flener, frontman for The Velcro Pygmies, a popular cover band on the Auburn bar scene. Flener and his bandmates have been playing crowd favorites like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane” for years, but are also on the verge of releasing their seventh studio album. He said he feels that by playing time honored classics, bands can truly understand the craftsmanship of writing a song as well as build a stage show and reputation. Flener pointed out that legends such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Van Halen all added cover songs to their back catalogs to play for fans live.

The Velcro Pygmies have made a name for themselves across the country by playing more than 200 shows a year, as well as bringing an energetic live show to every venue of every size. Flener said that he feels that the bar scene in college towns is not about developing new talent, but instead creating profit by selling alcohol and providing the audience with songs they can sing along, dance, and have a good time with.

“If original bands want prime dates then they need to figure out how to fill a room with 1,000 people,” Flener said. “It’s got nothing to do with music, it’s all dollars and cents.”

In his opinion, a band must consider their audience if they want to make it in this music scene. To get booked you must bring crowds. To bring crowds you must play songs that they want to hear.

Supper Club Owner John Brandt is one person who knows the business side of booking bands. Brandt has been booking bands in the Auburn music scene for decades and understands what types of music sell. Brandt said that the way he approaches the debate between original and cover bands is that he doesn’t make much money off original bands.

“I book bands like The 17th Floor, US Band, and Velcro Pygmies so that I can afford to give original bands a chance to get exposure,” he said. 

Brandt said he feels that the reason original bands don’t stand a chance of getting booked is not that they lack talent, but that they lack a supportive scene.

“For years there has been a lack of support for local musicians,” Brandt said. “Local musicians don’t even support local musicians.”

Bands like Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, and Sister Hazel all played in Auburn to crowds of less than 200 people. It was not until those bands gained national exposure did locals start showing up. Brandt described the sad truth of the local music scene.

“We have had rock ‘n’ roll hall-of-famers play in Auburn to pitifully small crowds,” Brand said. “Musicians like Buddy Miles, who played drums for Jimi Hendrix and Santana, and Leon Russell, who had Elton John open for him on one tour, played to crowds of less than a hundred.”

John said he feels the only way for local/original musicians to gain footing in this battle of the bands is to gain the support of their local community and fellow musicians, which translates to getting these supporters to show up at shows and spend money at the bars of local venues.

Several local musicians have made the transitions from local heroes to the national spotlight. Hometown group Hightide Blues has taken their southern sound to the national level, playing at music festivals such as Bonnaroo. Paul McDonald, lead singer and guitarist for Hightide Blues, has found the recipe for success.

“We learned that early and found a plan that we decided to stick to .... get paid to play the covers, slip in a few originals, and use the money to record our albums and pay for our tour van, merchandise, etc.,” McDonald said. “It’s worked so far and now we’re doing pretty much all original tunes.”

McDonald has seen his band face price cuts and losing football game night stages to cover bands since they decided to cut out almost 50 percent of their cover songs out, but understand they way the business works. 

“Cheers to all of the cover bands doing it,” McDonald said. “They’re paying their bills and still playing music ... that’s great and they’re making it, but I just don’t want to be the 45-year-old guy wearing spandex pants and playing “Summer of ‘69.” That’s just not who I am. I would rather be eating Ramen noodles and playing stuff that’s real and from my heart.”

Hightide Blues has played across the country, but loves coming home to bars like SkyBar. McDonald recognizes the SEC’s need for “Sweet Home Alabama” and other cover songs, but his experience of touring nationally has allowed him to realize that there is a desire for original music in bar scenes. For Hightide Blues it is all about finding the right venue. McDonald warns original bands that they have to be willing to take a price cut and see high volume nights go to cover bands.

“I’d rather play to a crowd of 10 folks if they were real music fans and were actually listening to the music,” McDonald said.

It seems that the battle between cover bands and original bands is far from over. While cover bands like The Velcro Pygmies pay the bills and get paid the big bucks, local talent like Hightide Blues and October Jenkins have shown that with a little ingenuity and passion an original band can make a name for themselves in the local scene.