In 2005, Rolling Stone Magazine named Lawrence one of the “Best Lil’ College Towns” in the country, largely based on its local music scene. The same year, A New York Times travel column claimed Lawrence had “the most vital music scene between Chicago and Denver.”

Five years later, The Lawrence music scene is still alive and strong, but now, local musicians and venues face new and increasing pressures and competition, making it harder to draw the same large crowds to events and possibly threatening the reputation of Lawrence local music.

So, what’s to blame?

Previewing online versus going to the show

Before the days of iTunes, new bands could draw a crowd just because it was the only way for people to hear their music. Previewing music on the Web has become routine, taking away valuable opportunities for bands to create a live music experience.

The vibe and ambiance that a great live show produces come from combining lighting, sound, crowd presence and an interaction with the musicians that can only be experience by attending a live show, said Bethany Hess, office manager at the Granada Theater, 1020 Massachusetts St.

“It’s a shame because every band has something to offer live that they can’t offer on the Web,” said Danny Spence, a recent graduate who reviewed albums for student-run radio station KJHK.

Spence said bands that didn’t put their highest-caliber music samples online failed to attract listeners that would have otherwise become fans from hearing their material live. Online sample music, he said, must be as good and powerful as possible to bring people out to the shows.

Dancing the night away

Spence, also an MC and DJ for a monthly open-mic night at the Eighth Street Taproom, 801 New Hampshire St., said the DJ scene has taken off with a fever.

For college students, it’s not about the music, said Kelly Corcoran, a KU alumnus and manager at Love Garden, 822 Massachusetts St. It’s about drinking beer and getting laid.

“People are much more likely to be open when they’re dancing to songs they know,” Corcoran said. “If they’re playing booty jams at some joint, that’s where people are going to be more likely to go.”

Saving up and forking over for the big names

People will spend $500 to go to Coachella or some big festival for the weekend, Corocoran said. Even though it might be a terrible place to see a show, people are convinced they need to go because all of their friends are going, he said.

“Bigger names can guarantee a huge crowd,” Spence said. “And people will pay more for the bigger, out-of-town acts.”

Hess said she noticed a big drop in local attendance at live shows in 2000, around the same time she began attending big shows in Kansas City and Topeka.

“Of course people are and were still performing, but the turnout for the bands isn’t what they deserve,” Hess said.

In 2006, the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, held at Clinton State Park, sold nearly 20,000 tickets, with 80 percent of attendees coming from outside Kansas. In 2009 the festival moved to Arkansas.

Larger venues in Lawrence like the Granada and The Taproom have the space for large shows, said Zach Hangauer, owner and operator of Range Life Records in Lawrence. But local bands don’t normally have the fan base to fill those places.

“Every now and then there’s something that comes together where a local band turns one of those places out,” Hangauer said.

Where from here

Now that Hess works at the Granada, she said she was right in the middle of the local music scene.

“Build it and they will come,” Hess said. “When a person comes to a show, it’s a one-time experience and it has to be a remarkable one.”