Being that DIT is a loose collective, a malleable concept, and a bare-bones website, the way in which it functions frequently goes through changes. Depending on what people need or are interested in, the usefulness of the site changes, waxes and wains. This year we saw the site not only promoting house shows, but also workshops, poetry readings, and a few local venues became notable players in booking DIY bands. Where Kalamazoo steps up and does things with a bend on self-sufficiency, hopefully DIT is helping you hear about it. In spite of a drop in write-ups, the traffic on the DIT site is higher than any previous years!

One notable change that happens with each passing lease period, houses disband and new folks pick up the slack. We saw several major players in the house show scene close their doors. Fat Guy House, Victory House, The Black Lodge, and Touchdown City ceased activity, with folks moving onward and outward. Several other houses have dropped their booking significantly. We look forward to the new houses (and new venues, rumor has it!) springing up, as they are already beginning to, and what new they bring to the creative output here.

For the new year we look forward to some other small, positive changes for DIT. A revamped website is in the work, that will make community involvement easier to achieve. By making the site more user-friendly, and user-submitted content, we hope to get the word out on the great events our small city has to an even greater degree.

If you’re looking to get involved, the meetings will be occuring Sundays at 6:00PM at 611 w Cedar. You can also email ditsidebar@gmail.com if you have events you would like to be included on the site, but cannot make it to a meeting.