The music scene in Bowling Green has jumped from on-stage to on-screen.
BGMusicians.com is a Web site designed for musicians in northwest Ohio (Findlay, Bowling Green and Toledo) to chat online with one another and to inform the public about their bands and upcoming performances.
“The idea for the site was to get people together and to communicate,” Webmaster Brian Rellinger said. Rellinger said the idea for BGMusicians.com came to him two years ago when he joined the band Help Wanted. Rellinger didn’t know many other bands in Bowling Green at the time and wanted to create a Web site to inform bands about one another and the public about local bands.
“The best part about the site is the open forum; it’s the brightest spot on the site,” Rellinger said. The forum allows band members to talk to one another and the public and post equipment for sale. Bryan Engleman, a musician for the band Twist of Nothing, said his band is just one of many local bands that have been using BGMusicians.com as an outlet to help educate their audience about their band and its music.
“It’s always good when you can get all the bands together from the same area. The site helps us [Twist of Nothing] book shows and it raises awareness of local bands,” Engleman said.
BGMusicians.com is not only helping raise public awareness about local bands, but it is helping local music stores, such as Mad Hatter Music, stay up-to-date with the local band scene.
Jim Cummer, owner of Mad Hatter Music, said BGMusicians.com has allowed his store to keep track of local musicians who have released music, allowing him to contact the musicians and hopefully sell their music at his store. According to Cummer, Mad Hatter Music has the biggest selection of local musicians’ music for sale.
“The site’s great because it is local people and bands that you know. He’s [Rellinger’s] done an incredible job with the site. It is absolutely great,” Cummer said.
The site is broken down into six categories for Cummer and other Internet users to choose from; awards, events, interact, interviews, listings and MP3s. Internet users can vote in special online polls, such as Most Anticipated New Release, check out upcoming events, talk in a forum to band members, read interviews and listings and download MP3s.
“The site increases communication between bands, audiences and venues,” Rellinger said.
