This is Josh Windmiller, coming to you with all things sonic, tuneful, groovy, euphonious or otherwise music-related. Whether it’s loud or soft, I’m listening.
You might not know me, but I’ve been bouncing around the scene for 17 years. I gig and record with my band (The Crux) and with other artists like Audio Angel. I co-founded The Lost Church Santa Rosa theater as well as the Railroad Square Music Festival, and have programmed lineups for events like Petaluma’s Rivertown Revival. I’ve also tried my hand as a booking agent and band manager.
Through this pinball game of a career, the one thing I’ve always wanted to do was to write about music. So when the Bohemian offered me a semi-regular column, I agreed, and now my Music Industry Bingo Card is almost full.
For this article, I’ve been asked to present a “State of the Music Scene.” I have some thoughts and about 400 words left to get them out, so hop in…
The first thing we should pat ourselves on the back about is the mutual support our musicians have for one another. I see artists going to each other’s shows, sharing their peers’ work online and building a real network. I hear this from folks who come through on tour all the time—we have something very special.
That being said, a close-knit community like ours can get overly isolated. Art cannot stand still, and we must keep constructively challenging one another, creating more opportunities for professional development and taking our craft beyond the county line to keep our collective muse in motion. This is more than just the responsibility of the artists—everyone can pitch in to help with booking, promotion, providing local grants and more. I know there are many folks who love music but don’t perform—consider this an invitation to help support a growing scene.
I also want to recognize the growing diversity of music here. It’s been a long road from the Americana-dominated North Bay of previous decades, but I’m seeing a notable uptick in the variety of styles that can be found on local stages. The performers in the spotlight are becoming more representative of our community as well, with Black performers, queer performers and other marginalized artists playing big gigs and getting featured in some of our larger festivals and outdoor concerts.
While one could say we’re catching up with the 21st century in terms of diversity, we don’t often see a variation of styles and identities in the same show. It’s one thing to have inclusivity for inclusivity’s sake, but it’s another level to make a combination of styles and backgrounds into a creative act itself. I truly believe that cross-genre and cross-identity collaboration is how the North Bay is going to create its own unique “sound,” and I am very excited to hear that happen. Or maybe I just want to see some punk rock and banda in the same night without having to drive across town…
As a member of the arts community with a clear degree of influence, I know it’s important for me to take stock frequently and grow wherever I can. I’ll continue to do this throughout the column, where I’ll be going to shows, writing album reviews, conducting interviews, inviting guest writers and discovering new parts of the North Bay scene along with you. There is a lot going on that I don’t have a clue about, so please reach out if you have any hot tips.
Make music.
