Without a doubt, the hardest thing about being in a local band is finding a place to play and people to come out and watch.

But this challenge is becoming easier as more Ames clubs have began booking local bands.

Boheme (formerly The Long Shot), Lost and Found and Friends have all jumped on the bandwagon of showcasing local music.

“We want to give people a new environment and a place for all ages to come and listen to local bands,” said Tiffany Spears, manager of Boheme, located at 2900 West St.

“We will have any style of music because we hope to attract a wide variety of people.”

Justin Means, founder of Ames Area Artists and Dharma Records, is looking to book local bands wherever he can. Currently, Means is working with Lost and Found, Boheme and longtime local band supporter People’s Bar and Grill.

“I don’t care if you play the acoustic guitar or the spoons, I’ll try to find a place for you to play,” Means said.

Means started an open mic night at the Lost and Found, located at 121-1/2 Welch Ave., on every other or every Thursday night, depending on how busy it is.

He also wants to book bands for every weekend night.

“The hardest thing to do in Ames is get people to come out and watch the bands,” Means said. “People scream and yell at a $2 cover charge, but end up dropping $5 on the floor or spending $35 on shots.”

Means agrees that the first step in making Ames the next Seattle or Orange County is for all the local bands to work together.

“They need to form a kind of union between all the bands,” Means said.

Another thing that could help the local music scene is scheduling more all-ages events, Means said.

“People up here turn 21 and move away, so they hardly ever get a chance to see any bands,” Means said. “There is a huge amount of kids up here, and we need to get them in and watching these bands.”

Means hopes to one day start his own independent record label, which will carry local bands on it. He wants bands of any sort to come into Dharma Records and see what he can do for them.

Means would like his store to be considered the “headquarters for local music,” since he has a large section of local music CDs and is willing to help out any band.

Another pleasant surprise to the local music scene is Friends, located at 115 Main St. Usually a dance club, Friends is now featuring local bands on Thursday nights.

“We want it to be a place with no alcohol events for the kids and the community to come out and enjoy,” club promoter Luis Angel Hernandez said.

With a big stage, plenty of seating and a good sound system, Friends is aiming to pack the place with the live music nights.

“We are not going to close,” Hernandez said. “We will do anything to stay open.”

The bands in Ames are taking the same mindset as the club owners: all-ages shows are a must.

“It’s great that the Boheme is all-ages,” Chris Rohret of Medulla Oblongatta said. “Finally the other two-thirds of the university can hear local bands play.”

Rohert believes progress the opening of more clubs is a key element in the progression of the local music scene.

“It is definitely good that all these places are showing more support,” Rohret added. “With people losing respect for some of the usual places, it’s good to have new places to play.”

Both band members and bar owners agree that the local music scene depends on the people of Ames.

“The people under 21 need to get out of their dorm rooms and come out and listen,” Rohret said. “The scene can be made if you make it.”

“If any of these bands make it big, Ames people are going to love to look back and say they remember when that band was playing clubs in Ames, Iowa,” Means said.