Madison Bowen
Figure at The Furnace
I’ve been to more than my fair share of concerts—like, hundreds. Yeah… I’m flexing. But seriously, nothing beats the feeling of a local show. There’s something different about it. The person singing isn’t chasing fame or trying to please some record exec. They’re doing it because they love it. You’re surrounded by people you kinda recognize from instagram or around town, but suddenly you’re all crammed into the same sweaty room, screaming lyrics and dancing like old friends. Even the bad bands are a fun experience. Sometimes the lyrics are so weird or dramatic you can’t help but laugh. You and your friends are clowning the guy ‘rapping’, then realize he’s five feet away and absolutely heard you. There’s just something more real about it. Regular concerts are fun, sure, but local shows? Amazing. I can’t even think of a single negative thing to say about them.
It’s Friday night and the show’s in someone’s basement on Osage. There’s no stage, just a cleared-out patch of concrete where a rug probably used to be. Three bands on the flyer. Hand-scrawled, black and white, with a note on the bottom “Sober space. All ages. PWYC”, and honestly, no one knows who’s playing, but the vibes are aggressive and the kitchen island is the merch table.
Step inside, and it hits you—the raw energy of the crowd. The air’s thick with anticipation (and pit stank), and the room practically buzzes. No stage just the front of the room, perfect for those intimate, high-energy performances. You can see the musicians up close, sweat dripping as they pour their hearts into every chord and lyric. The sound is loud and bouncing off the walls, just the way it should be. It’s a crowd of fans and newcomers, all united by their love for live music. In front of the stage is a mosh pit going wild, with people jumping and doing cartwheels. The lighting is dim, decorated with string lights for flashes of color adding to the chaos. It’s the kind of place where you can lose yourself in the music and feel completely alive in a dark corner.
Picture it: a bunch of teens and twenty-somethings packed into a too-small venue that either smells like BO, seltzer, or Axe. Two guys are wrestling on the ground for fun. The show starts in “five minutes,” which in local band time means “whenever our friend Tyler shows up.” Some songs are serious, most are stupid. From ‘Slime your Homeboys’ to an emotional song about growing up as an evangelical christian, they got it all. Everyone’s slightly unhinged but in a supportive way. Jumpin’ ‘round the pit, they go crazy for the best parts of the song, screaming and moshing like theres no school tomorrow.
The bands range in talent. From people who should have never picked up a soundboard- to performers that show you what music is supposed to feel like. The band members are drenched in sweat from hauling their own gear, but that just adds to the real, DIY spirit of the whole scene. No polish, just passion.
The diversity in genres and performances make each show a surprise. Sometimes they’re seventeen, loud, and probably failing algebra. They are the most unorganized band you’ve seen live, they are not to be named. In contrast, there are songs that make you rethink your life, your passions and what makes you, you.
Of course, every show has its chaos. No two venues are the same and that’s kind of the point. For some venues, you don’t even need to be in the room to hear the music. At my favorite spot, the Lumberyard, you walk into…well, a yard, with a pair of garages. One, the music is played. It’s decorated with lights and accompanied by seating. There’s an old TV on a desk playing VHS tapes on low volume, next to it is a pool table surrounded by posters, on the other side of the room; a whiteboard covered in so many people’s signatures, all overlooked by a mural of Obama. The other room? An actual garage, with tools and miscellaneous equipment. Here, you’ll find the most welcoming host that allows you to do God-knows-what on their property. In the back, a single couch sits, inviting whom ever comes by it, to sit and chat between sets. For those who don’t want to be in the crowd, they wander here to sit and listen to the muffled music coming from the other garage. It’s strange. And perfect.
Everyone’s got their own perspective of it. Some dive headfirst into the pit, others hang in the back and just soak it all in, like me. My friend Elijah put it perfectly:
“I really love the local metal shows. Even when it’s packed, you don’t gotta be deep in the pit to enjoy what’s playing. I like to join up with my friends and go to these shows, it makes it a lot more enjoyable and fun when you have people to hangout with. some spots are pretty chill and open—there’s places to sit down and just listen, while others are just sweatbox dungeons with people moshing and throwing each other around. That doesn’t matter though, I like having fun and listening to what artists create together, it’s exciting for everyone!” -Elijah Armstrong
That’s the thing about these shows: no two are the same. The music, the energy, the people—it all changes depending on who’s playing and where it’s happening.
It’s not a bad place to meet people either. Finding out a classmate is ‘cool like that’ is pretty fun. Though I never mingle with the crowd, I never feel out of place either. No one’s judging, no one’s weird about it. It’s just good energy and a bunch of people vibing in their own way. And I’m definitely not the only one who feels that way. While I’m still figuring it out, some people have been deep in the local scene since middle school.
“I have been going to local shows since the 7th grade, I’m in 10th grade now. What I would say about local shows is how welcoming the community is, you get to be with people that enjoy the same style of music and have so much fun. I’m so glad that I get the opportunity to be part of that community and experience this as a teenager. I have met so [many] great people/musicians. As a musician myself, it brings me joy when I see other musicians and how amazing they are. During shows the bands always makes sure people are okay even during moshing. I have seen bands when they first started and see how much they improve and get more opportunities in different states/tours, for example Delirium and Awake! Overall, the local music scene in Wichita is such an amazing community and I will never forget the amount of memories I got from this community in Wichita.” -Ash/Alexis Cate
But it’s not just about the music or the fun. It’s about the people who keep showing up, night after night, building something real. Ash is one of them.
Next time, the neighbors might call the cops and shut down the house. The show might be in a storage unit, an abandoned fast-food kitchen—maybe under the Kellogg overpass. Doesn’t matter.
It’s not always perfect, but it’s loud, chaotic, and full of authentic people. Honestly, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be on a Friday night.