Radness Ensues, local music venue in Keizer, OR, during a set performed by Squids. Photo via Radness Ensues Venue Owner, Becka Brisbin.
Local Teens Make Strides in Musical World
Salem’s band scene is growing, especially in terms of student engagement. Local music venues often host shows which feature some of the premier music talent the Pacific Northwest offers, and some of South Salem High School’s students are getting in on it.
Charlie Breed ‘27, a South student, formerly of the band Squids, played the Radness Ensues venue in Keizer, OR on February 21. Unfortunately, Squids announced their dissolution on the 22, after nearly a year of performing.
“It is very fun. It is definitely a unique experience. You get to kind of open your mind and be creative and share ideas with similar people. It is a lot of fun performing and practicing and just like, forming a bond with people,” Breed said.
Salem’s music scene is an inviting and social community.
“The scene is pretty cool. It is pretty tight knit,” Breed said.
The community, fueled by collaboration and spirit, created a space where anyone can play or listen to music and indulge in the creative environment.
“Finding venues is always an issue. There are only like two or three venues, maybe in Salem specifically. There is a good amount in Portland, but Salem is really lacking in venues.” Breed said.
Currently, a prominent venue in the area is Keizer’s Radness Ensues, a non-profit organization that serves the community through offering public services like food and hot coffee on cold days and creating a space people can go to when in need. In addition, Radness Ensues hosts a multitude of local shows, bringing in quality bands from all over Oregon and even some from adjacent states.
Making and Playing
“I just listened to a lot of music for years and years on end, and I bought a guitar when I was like, nine, and I just kind of like, had that passion to get up and make music,” Breed said about forming Squids in 2024.
Squids was an example of a well-known band with loyal show attendance and creative ideas and sounds within Salem.
“My favorite memory from being in Squids is MILKTRUCK coming out. It was really fun, kind of like making that in the time that we did, making the music video, and probably just like after shows when people come up to you and talk about what they saw,
Breed said.
Squids’ sole record of their career, “MILKTRUCK,” is available on Spotify.
“I wanted to be in a band to work on my instrument and to be able to play with others and bond over something,” Will Gonzales ‘27 said, of the band Superlatives, who also performed at Radness Ensues.
Superlatives is currently active and played their most recent show at Radness’s Zombie Prom on February 21.
“What made me want to start a band was I got bored and thought I should play more,” Gwen Heacock ‘27 of Superlatives said.
Salem’s tight-knit scene allows people to connect with others through music and community.
“You make friends with people, definitely through being in the scene. I mean, the scene makes the whole thing. There are bands, but it is really the people who come to the shows who make it what it is,” Breed said.
Bands in and around Salem often have dedicated followers who will come to as many shows as they can to support the music.
Fighting Conflicts in the Scene
Though the community ensures creativity, there are always ways to improve the flow of the local community. Even with the many shared interests in common, toxicity between members still occurs.
“There is a lot of drama in the scene. I think we just need to, like, calm it down a little bit, and like, relax and just take a deep breath,” said Breed.
Although there are hardships within the local community, the sense of collaboration and belonging persists through the music and the spirit within the people involved.
Additional Information
Radness Ensues runs shows very often. For those interested, information is available on their Instagram, @radnessensues. Price of admission ranges from free to $20 for any given show and many recurring names play at the venue often.
