Mercenary and Boston

[delay]

I'm just a stooge from Canada, so I don't know Mercenary's history.

But I've always wondered how this great group of audio insaniacs ended up in Massachusetts and not Nashville or LA or New York.

I'm a fan of the underdogs (I live in the mid-west, I have no choice), so I've kinda always dug the Boston thing.

Anyone wanna give me a history lesson on Mercenary?

[Mixwell]

You want the history lesson about Mercenary, eh?

I think you answered your first question quite well.

There's a funny sticker somewhere around here, it says...

"Too Dumb for New York, Too Ugly for LA".... which I think is a Waylon Jennings Album.

What do you want to know?

[seaneldon]

Mercenary HQ is in Foxboro, about 25-35 minutes south of Boston depending on how fast you drive.

"Too Dumb for New York, Too Ugly for LA"....

Or smart enough to leave New York...and even smarter for only going to LA briefly, when the pay is 10x what it should be.

There's nothing better than being in a car, watching LA get smaller and smaller through the rear window.

I lived in NY for most of my life. AE gigs were more abundant but the quality of the music is largely...well, not quality. Kind of an inbred city, musically. I worked with some great people/musicians out there. Most of them were from out-of-town bthead

Long Island in particular has a very homogenized and dull music scene. But it's HUGE. Lotta kids out there in bands, and all the North Shore kids have mommy and daddy's money to pay for studios.

Some great studios out there as well. Bushwick Studio, Skyline, Avatar, Pie, Sabella, etc.

Now I live in Boston proper without luxury and without complaints. Like NY only smaller, cleaner, friendlier, cheaper...so really, not like NY at all.

[pauly]

There's nothing better than being in a car, watching LA get smaller and smaller through the rear window.

thats so awsome, i felt the same way.

[delay]

Who started the company? Fletcher?

Was Boston's music scene part of the decision, or the Bruins for that matter? ;)

I've just always been amused (and calmed) by the fact that there's a bunch of loud-mouthed recording engineers in Boston telling everyone that making copycat sounds and imitative records is an insult to our profession and our unspoken oath to make great music and contribute positively to our culture, which is otherwise in decline.

How did the marriage of running a studio and selling gear come about?

[Mixwell]

Who started the company? Fletcher?

Yes.

Was Boston's music scene part of the decision, or the Bruins for that matter? ;)

Check out the Mercenary font.

Now check out the Boston Red Sox font.

There is a Boston Music Scene? Just kidding! Boston is a music town, but you have to search good and hard to find it. Ever work in live sound?

I've just always been amused (and calmed) by the fact that there's a bunch of loud-mouthed recording engineers in Boston telling everyone that making copycat sounds and imitative records is an insult to our profession and our unspoken oath to make great music and contribute positively to our culture, which is otherwise in decline.

If you call me on monday I bet I'm pretty soft spoken quiet.

If you call me on Friday @ 5:59 and there's no beer in my hand that's a different story.

How did the marriage of running a studio and selling gear come about?

Didn't you just answer your own question? Studio? Selling? Buying? yes!