Community awaits ‘Loaded in Lawrence’

Music fans in Lawrence usually don’t need much of an excuse to get load-ed. Only tonight, the phrase has a much different connotation as the fourth edition of “Loaded in Lawrence” will be celebrated.

This concept was embarked upon during three evenings last April, when 18 regional bands took the stage at Lawrence’s Bottleneck. The idea was to capture a diverse array of original talent in concert and issue a CD of the experience– and to maybe rekindle some of the enthusiasm in the local music scene that was in full bloom when the event first occurred in the mid-’90s.

Now seven months later, the “Loaded in Lawrence” CD release party has finally arrived.

There’s just one problem: The discs aren’t ready.

“It’s because of the mastering,” says Evan Emerson, producer of the record. “The plant kept coming back saying there were ‘multiple unreadable sectors,’ so they could never get a good disc. We kept Fed-Exing new copies of the disc, and they could never read it.

“I think the bands are going to be peeved. I’m peeved; everybody’s peeved.”

Typically, artwork is the reason for a release holdup. But according to Emerson, the graphics and packaging are all ready to go. It’s the actual music that is sitting on the sidelines.

“The people at Media Services Omaha (where the product is being mastered) say this happens all the time,” he relates. “They offered to send CD-Rs with stickers on them in all the jewel cases, with artwork. But we just thought, ‘Why sell that?'”

So the contingency plan is to tender half-price coupons to anyone who comes to tonight’s show, and they’ll be able to purchase the CD for $6. The disc initially will be available at Kief’s Downtown, Love Garden and Best Buy, who’ve already committed to exhibiting displays to promote it.

A new company is currently mastering the disc and expects to have it ready by Nov. 15.

Regardless of the manufacturing miscue, audiences still will be treated to a fine collection of Lawrence/Kansas City acts tonight. Full Feature, Be/Non, Ghosty, Truth Cell and Jumbo’s Killcrane — five of the 18 bands that appear on the compilation — take the stage around 9 p.m. They range in style from the indie garage rock of Ghosty to the experimental whimsy of Be/Non to the metal brutality of Truth Cell.

“Loaded in Lawrence” was originally conceived by Pipeline Productions owner Brett Mosiman. The music promotion agency spearheaded three annual recordings, from 1993-95, then shelved the project before deciding to resurrect it this year.