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Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Matt Foster and Michael Davis (of MBRC) trade in their banjos, mandolins and violins for a Les Paul and a Marshall stack, or that Christa DeCicco (of Christabel and the Jons) end every performance by drunkenly hurling her classical guitar through the bass drum. These bands are actually better than most rock in that they write songs that are more sophisticated lyrically and more complex musically.

Instead, I’m begging that someone start making good old-fashioned rock and roll music.

The phrase “rock is dead” has been used a million times but it has never once been accurate. New forms come about all the time sprouted out of the old forms. But that doesn’t mean that the old forms are unwelcome. They may be cliché. They may be shallow. They may be unoriginal. But they still satisfy some urge. I know it’s only rock and roll, but I like it.

Hard rock music is not exactly the kind of music that comes from this region of the country, being that we’re in the middle of Appalachia and close to the country music capital of the world. But I can’t be the only person in this city that wants to rock.

There are tribute bands that come through here right and left. The college student crowd loves to get wasted and watch people pretend to be washed-up rock stars. There’s Appetite for Destruction (the Guns ‘N Roses tribute), The Machine (Pink Floyd tribute) and Zoso (the Led Zeppelin tribute) that all come through here.

I don’t want to see this. I want someone to come out with hard rock music. There are bands in town that fall into sub-genres of rock, but nothing that’s straight-up, unmistakable rock. Even so, most of these bands are barely worth their cover charge (and only on nights when there are beer specials).

Even with popular music there has been a shift away from hard rock. Bands try to come up with a new sound only slightly rooted in rock. Whereas many of them succeed, this results in a plethora of pretentiousness (i.e. most indie rock). Somehow this is voiced off as “creative” and it seems like bands, as well as rock critics, feel this is the only direction rock can go. This is holding this blend up to its own standards, not the traditional standards that rock has always been held up to. You know what real creativity is? Taking a genre that’s usually seen as uncreative and making it so. There’s still room to make colorful riffs. Both Clutch and Wolfmother have proven this in the past decade, among plenty of others.

But it doesn’t even matter if it’s creative. The main focus of rock is not creativity. It’s about having a great time. As Neil Young once said “rock and roll is about saying I’m happy to be alive right now.” Something about rock music provides a great release that nothing else can and has done so for over 50 years.

So, I’m begging someone here in town to play straight-up rock. Turn up the distortion pedals and play with the rawest power and most intense passion. Straddle the border between singing and screaming. Hit the cymbals at least every four beats. Turn everything up to 11. And at least knock over your amps at the end of the show.

Rock on, Knoxville!