Anything But Amateur

Pure Sport Is Here to Play

In the 2000s, the notion of using your cell phone to vote for your favorite contestant in a televised singing competition felt absolutely revolutionary. “American Idol” was a fascinating time capsule of the transition from analog to digital, macro-culture to micro-culture. The grand prize of the contest being a deal with a record label was a golden opportunity to anyone in the music business.

But now, with polls becoming a taken-for-granted feature of every social media website, and musicians breaking through by hacking it on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube instead of clamoring for major-label recognition, the landscape has changed dramatically.

I felt that tectonic shift the first time I saw Vegas punk band Pure Sport. The long-haired, suit-donning trio has built a dedicated following online by cultivating a unique identity of corporate satire and writing energetic and cathartic songs. Their fans range from teens just getting into the local scene to punk veterans who are reminded of the classics like Misfits and Ramones. As I stood in the raucous crowd, briefly avoiding the moshing before finding myself in the eye of the storm, I realized that this was the future.

It's fitting then Vegas All In paired Pure Sport (bassist/singer Jared Scott, guitarist Justin Tejada, and drummer Gage Walker) with American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis for a conversation about creating art, carving a niche and where to find exciting live music in the Entertainment Capital of the World. Rather than the torch being passed, it feels as though the embers of one fire have been lifted somewhere new, creating an exciting spectacle for what’s to come.