The Capital Region of New York is home to an extensive underground rock and roll scene in which artists of any background are able to authentically express themselves amongst a community of individuals bound together through a mutual love for music.
This project is based on methodology consisting of conducting a literary review researching racial and gender authenticity within rock and roll and defining music scenes, fieldworking the Capital Region DIY music scene in attending concerts- paying specific attention to symbolic qualities of performance, audience and performer demographics, and interactions among members of the underground community, and interviewing a wide-range of actors of the field including bands, booking agents, equipment manufacturers, ‘Zine writers, and media personnel.
In telling the stories of the Capital Region DIY scene, complex notions of economic and identity-based authenticity are revealed while the field’s music-first community allows inclusivity to flourish, rendering the scene as one of the safest LGBTQ spaces in the area. Ultimately, the scene finds itself in a state of flux as many actors note the decline in available basement venues and shift to performing in mainstream spaces presents an ambiguous notion on where the borders of DIY truly lie.