By Shane Mead | Staff Writer
Growing up in Nashville, Baylor alumna Emmeline Scott was always surrounded by music. In high school, she made a few friends who introduced her to live music shows in people’s houses — a foreign concept to her.
“I didn’t even know that was a thing that existed at all,” she said. “Once I started going, I couldn’t stop. It’s like a bug — once you have it, you can’t really get rid of it.”
As time went on, Scott began researching, in a sense. She took note of every aspect of these shows and what goes into hosting one. Moving to Waco granted Scott the perfect opportunity to practice putting together shows in a city where the live music scene wasn’t very prevalent, she said.
“For the first two years of school, I would drive to Dallas and Austin a lot to go to shows,” Scott said. “I noticed — especially down in Austin — that they kind of had the same stuff going on as Nashville. I was like, ‘Okay, I feel like people in Waco would really like that, but nobody knows how exactly to go about it.'”
So, Scott got to work. After her freshman year, she began an Instagram account, @dontletmedieinwaco, to put together and promote local live shows. Throughout college, she networked as much as possible and finally saw some notable traction during her senior year, she said.
“After years and years of asking and being told no and getting really close to stuff working out, it just kind of fell into place,” Scott said. “Once we had our first house show, people realized what it can be. It doesn’t have to be at a real venue — you can kind of just completely do it yourself.”
Those do-it-yourself, or DIY, shows have become a staple of what Scott has been doing for the music scene in Waco. Ethan Corbett, a Waco local and member of the emo band bedtime stories, views these types of shows as crucial to the success of young and upcoming bands like his.
“It’s really important,” Corbett said. “It’s always a battle trying to get something down there, which sucks because there’s a crowd of people who are willing to go to these things.”
Part of the battle, Corbett speculates, is the lack of inclusivity in Waco when it comes to music outside of the Christian or country genres. He said he’s experienced it firsthand.
“I’ve had a couple venues that were like, ‘Sorry, we only book country bands and Christian bands,'” he said. “So there definitely is a little bit of prejudice against some of that.
But being different is what it’s all about, according to Scott. She said the underground music scene in Waco has grown to become diverse, which, in turn, has provided both fun venues and music fans across a spectrum of genres.
“We have a lot of metal and punk,” Scott said. “But other groups are kind of starting to come out that are a little more pop-punk. There’s also a ton of DJs and rappers. I think people hear that there’s a show and picture sweaty metal heads. But there really is something for everyone, and the groups here are really talented.”
Not only is Scott passionate about the talented artists that Waco houses, but she’s equally fired up about the city itself. She sees huge potential for Waco’s music presence and views the shows she manages as the first step toward growth.
“I really love Waco, and I hate when people say they don’t like Waco,” Scott said. “I think people say that because they just don’t really know that there is stuff going on. But Waco has a huge art and music culture.”
Scott’s hope is for Waco to reach heights similar to the major Texas cities it lies between — Dallas and Austin. She believes backyard and living room shows will put Waco on the map and show people this is a music city, too.
“My goal with all of this is that I want people to look at a tour flyer and see Dallas, and then Waco, and then Austin,” Scott said. “You stop here. I mean, you drive right through here — there’s no reason not to. I think in the 2000s, the DIY music scene here was huge, and so I really want to get it back up there.”
