Town Talent

 The town I currently live in, Eureka, California, is home to some amazing musical talent. There are lots of areas, however, that produce an insane amount of musical talent. New Jersey, for instance. The grunge scene in the Seattle area. Sometimes it is something about the area, like with grunge, that causes a certain type of sound to become associated with that area. Besides grunge, there was also Atlanta's hip-hop scene and Norwegian black metal. Eureka does not have that kind of association with it, instead we gave the world . . . 

Mike Patton and Sara Bareilles. 

Mike Patton got big being in Faith No More, but before that he fronted the Eureka-based, polarizing Mr. Bungle.

Sara Bareilles is just everywhere, and most people you run into in Eureka have a story about how nice she is or how they know her family.  

There is no argument that both are talented in their own right. Both have great voices. And both have a fan following. Bareilles is, as to be expected, a far more liked talent as her work is easy on the ears. Patton, however, is . . . well, he's Mike Patton. I consider him to be the more influential of the two and the more artistic, but that's just me. Listening to Mr. Bungle's first self-titled release should be enough to prove that, but you should judge for yourself.

These two aren't the only famous musicians from here, but they represent the broad scope of talent that Eureka, for whatever reason (Mr. Bungle would say it's the dismal town) produces. If this were a city the size of New York City or Los Angeles, one would understand that broad spectrum, but this is Eureka. One mall with half the stores closed. Two main shopping areas, neither being all that big or impressive. Logging used to be the main industry. Now it's pot. If there was ever an area with absolutely nothing special about it, it would be here. And yet we've produced these two artists. 

That Mr. Bungle, as schizo as a band gets, came from Eureka would surprise nobody who spent over a year here. I've been here for over two decades. I think I know the town a bit. It's a haven for speed freaks, homeless prostitutes, child abuse, sex trafficking, pony girls, serial killers, sons of cult leaders, corruption, despair. It is no wonder that with a town like this you get "Love is a Fist."

That being the case, the town does not explain Bareilles. She's upbeat. Positive. Lilting. There's a side of Eureka that is a bit like her, too, but it only really prospers when you ignore all the other grime. 

Mr. Bungle may be a mystery to people, and that's part of the appeal. But to people like me, it is the soundtrack to Eureka and will forever be associated with it.