www.thezone.org

Some people think that MTV Stringers have it easy. Go to a show, have fun and write a couple paragraphs about it. Sounds like a pushover, right? This is not the case; the stringer is more like a lone ranger, one journalist accountable for tracking the entire local scene of a sizable metropolitan area. Even the loneliest of rangers have things they must rely on, be it a trusty steed, a type-cast sidekick or a barstool.

For me it's The Zone. The Zone is the most comprehensive website for the Kansas City music scene around. Kansas City is a comparatively small market, but I have yet to see a single site for even the largest cities that can come close to The Zone.

This entirely non-profit site has no association with the Zone FM radio station at all. It was started by Danielle Nelsen in June of 1997 and has grown to be maintained by a modest staff of three. In Nelson's own words: "The Zone is local music website that I started in hopes to get more people interested in their local musicians as well as give the musicians a place to promote themselves for free."

Features of the site include information and links to dozens of local area bands, more complete concert listings than even Pollstar, a public forum where anyone can post to the local music billboard, musical classifieds, columns, news, reviews and more to be discovered with each visit.

The most impressive part of the project is that there is not a single ad banner or pop-up window; The Zone is a genuine non-profit organization. There is ample opportunity to get involved in The Zone by submitting your own band to the listings, since no submissions are ever turned down as long as you're a local artist.

The best way to fully grasp the awe-inspiring power of The Zone is to visit yourself. No matter what local information music you desire, whether you need information on a local venue or you're searching for a decent bass player, I recommend you enter The Zone.

-- Eric Mack
MTV College Stringer
feedlocal@mtvmail.com
(October 21, 1998)