this one
Jason Koerner

Louisville Rock Lowdown
By Jason Koerner

XXX Lex: Lex@www.Sickofit502.com

I have for you the latest in 502 technology on the web: it's Sickofit502.com, and it is here to bring good tidings and joy to us all! Behind it all is Triple X Lex of 100.5 the Fox. However, this is a personal venture for Lex, not one of radio promotion. Here is the scoop, straight from the source.

LMN: "Why the name `Sick of It 502?' Are you worried that people will misinterpret the name?

XXX:I've been doing local music for a long time, and I have faced a lot of obstacles. I love the scene, and I have been trying to do away with the good old boy systems that are around. I'm sick of it. The Louisville scene died because of greedy people. The personal agendas, the politics, the same group of people always causing problems... So many people are so jaded from fighting. I did things my way. I'm just trying to do something good.

LMN: "What is "sick of it" designed to do?

XXX: It is to make the people be able to be more interactive with the music, instead of being force-fed stuff. That is no more, because now you can vote on the music you like, or in a few months, you will even be able to create your own game. It is like Dungeons & Dragons for people who love music.

LMN: When will the site open?

It (www.sickofit502.com) is up now, but the actual launch is May 3.

LMN: When will it be fully functional?

XXX: It will be sometime after Derby, in May. By summer, you will be able to create your own games. May 3rd should be the first time you can listen, vote, and see a weekly winner. That winner will get some kind of prize like concert tickets, CDs, or something. It should be going on each week from then. They will be notified by email if they win.

LMN: How is the game administered?

XXX:Music Games (a company) is responsible for the games and voting. They have developed a simple way to create web sites so that people can take part in designing their own games. (Basically, I gather that the whole mission of this site is to put the listeners in control of what they want to hear.)

LMN: How did this all come together?

XXX: The technology has come from a group of investors. The computer guys are hippies that know computers and love music! (He says jokingly) Sickofit502.com is my game, the investors own themusicgames.com. The site is geared towards the 18-34 demographics, and that is where the advertisers and investors come in. The ads on the site are not all up in your face, thy are Smart Ads, off to the side of the screen. There will be a lot of younger products and demo stuff. You can bypass them easily; they are not in the way like on other sites. You could even win prizes by clicking on the ads. Some will randomly select a person that clicks on the ad for some sort of prize from that business. We are trying to give back everything that has been taken away for years. The industry is coming back to rock.

LMN: Who is supporting you with it? Is the Fox behind it?

XXX: The Fox is not aboard, though they are supportive of it; it is a personal thing with me. Other people may get involved with it at a later time.

LMN: Who will benefit from it?

XXX: The industry has always been using bands, now it is time for the bands to use them. The media/industry wants to see what kids are into. This is one way to try to open Louisville up to the rest of the world. The site gives them a choice.

LMN: What can this site do for the bands here in Louisville and the scene in general?

XXX: I am giving the web address to people in music industry. They always want to know what is hot in certain towns, including Louisville. Louisville is one of the top ten places for music in this country. Here on the site, you can leave your contact number for them and others. It is also the ideal way to network for those who do not like to deal face-to-face.

LMN: Is there any censorship to the site, or to what you can post?

XXX: There is no censorship. You must register to post, so that we can track what people are listening to (privately, not for others to know) and it is censorship-free.

LMN: How do you plan on getting the word out about the site?

XXX: There will be some advertisements involving corporate sponsors, talking it up in the chat rooms and message boards and spreading it through word of mouth

LMN: Does it cost anything to post your music or create your own game?

XXX: It is free for now, and I want to keep it free as long as I am involved with it.

LMN: How did you get involved with it?

XXX: The investors heard about me through my radio show, and I am endorsing the site.

LMN: Will the bands ever be able to make money through the site?

XXX: Eventually, bands will be able to make money through exposure. Club owners would be able to contact them directly for gigs; labels will see their names, etc. By June, the contact info portion of the site should be running.

LMN: Where will `Sick of It' be one year from now?

XXX: Really big. The 502 is great, Louisville could be the next Seattle, or it could be better. Let's not ruin the opportunities. I want to get people focused on Louisville. I want bands to have to turn down contracts because they have too many offers already.

LMN: Lastly, what do you want people to know?

XXX: They should go to site and check it out and give suggestions. Also, we need to support local rock. Trust is hard to get from some bands; they have to know this site is not going to use bands. We have to get the word out to the world about Louisville. We need to unify, and get rid of the personal agendas.

XXX: As you can see, the site seems to be an important step in putting Louisville on the map, more than it already is, for music. I urge everyone to go to the site at www.sickofit502.com and support this entity that is trying to support you. I would like to thank XXX: Lex very deeply for his contributions to this scene, and his continual efforts to help a scene that does not always help itself. We have to come together, I can't say that enough.

*As a side note, I would like to make a few apologies to ((downSIDE)) and the staff at the Core Report for my column last month. There were a few mistakes on my part that I would like to rectify. For starters, Annie Hamilton, of the Core Report, took the picture in my column last month, not me. I forgot to tell my editor that, so he automatically credited it to me, since I usually do my own pictures. Secondly, the story that you read was only half of what I wrote about the band. I had a file error when saving the finished product, and consequently only turned in a half-written story without knowing it until it was too late. Therefore, I will be featuring the band again sometime soon, so that Louisville knows what is going on with ((downSIDE)) in its entirety. I again want to apologize for my mistakes.*

As always, you can contact me at JJKSLACKER@cs.com... so until next month, rock on Louisville!