Hey, remember back in December when we all packed into Zorn Arena for that great all-ages show? That was great wasn’t it? For me, seeing Bon Iver take the stage was awesome. They put on a fantastic arena show that was simultaneously breathtaking and intimate (especially during Creature Fear).

I don’t know what triggered it, but experiencing Bon Iver on the big stage threw me into a state of reflection and nostalgia. It brought me back to seeing them in little more than a cramped space at Racy’s in the bygone era commonly known as 2007 (or, among hipsters, “for emma ago”). This was before their national tour and stardom. But the nostalgia I was feeling wasn’t reflecting on “how far they’ve come” or “if they can make it, loads of other local talent can, too.” It made me think about the state of the Chippewa Valley’s all-ages scene.

The goal, of course, is to provide the under-21 crowd the opportunity to experience the same fantastic music that this region regularly provides for the 21-and-above crowd. Or maybe that’s just my goal, because I’m one of those deluded enough to think back to those days and really remember how music changed my life.

My obvious bias and vision for the all-ages scene has led to an ongoing discussion with people both on and off campus, trying to create that connection between the insular communities of the university and general populace. Often the discussion turns into blaming one entity for the lack of connectedness, but my usual response is, “What have you done to both see what is out there, and possibly contribute?”

The truth of the matter is that there are some great opportunities to see live music on our campuses and ways we as a community could work together to promote a larger all-ages shows in our communities.

One of the stars of the booking game in the Chippewa Valley is Blue Devil Productions at UW-Stout.  Since I’ve been here, I’ve gotten to see a great mix of both up-and-coming artists and established gems from both the area and the Twin Cities. In my mind, that is their greatest strength: putting on shows worth driving to the Cities for (Cloud Cult, Motion City Soundtrack, etc.). It’s bookings like this that really shows that they are plugged into what music nerds of all ages want to see. And with the remodeling of Memorial Student Center, they have some fantastic venues for bands to perform in both in and outdoors.

In the past few years, UW-Eau Claire’s University Activities Commission has created legitimate reasons to brag, as well.  The Cabin brings in a slew of bands you regularly read about in this very magazine, and, to top it off, they hold these all-ages shows for free.

The Cabin is not the only area for all-ages shows on campus. Each semester, UAC Concerts also books larger bands in the Council Fire room on-campus. Unfortunately, these shows are often ignored and, in the past, have included big-name acts that have many of the same names as the top listed bands in my iTunes right now.

The main thing that we need to remember with all of these campus organizations is that they are open to community input. That really means that if you would like to see something different happen on these campuses you should contact these various committees with your suggestions. This can open dialogues both ways.

But the universities aren’t the only all-ages game in town. Community venues like The Acoustic Café, Infinitea Teahouse, Living Room, and Obsession Chocolates offer regular entertainment, albeit leaning mostly to the singer-songwriter realm. The Grand Theatre and The Oxford are the larger-scale all-ages venues that have hosted a wide variety of acts, from metal to acoustic folk, but the disadvantage there is in asking bands to pay fees to play shows rather than booking them themselves.

As I alluded to earlier, there’s several parties to point fingers at in an argument for the all-ages scene. But no single one is entirely to blame, nor is one simple act going to solve the situation. Everyone needs to recognize the importance of all-ages shows and act accordingly.

The big take-away from this should not be who we can blame, but what we can do to make the scene better. Right now my radio program, Local Independence (on WUEC, 89.7 FM) is planning an all-ages showcase at the Stones Throw on Feb. 25. It was as simple as working as a team and making good old-fashioned phone calls. There’s a lesson somewhere in there.

No matter how you slice it, you’ve got a stake – nay, a responsibility – in this. After all, this is a scene worth fighting for.