Songwriter collective Resodence has grown remarkably
  in size, stature and confidence.

According to infallible and completely hunch-based CityLife statistics, 50 local music collectives fail in this town for every one that succeeds -- that is, survives its own indolence and infighting long enough for its name to be recognized by more than just the friends and family of its members. One major difference between failure and success? Belief in the product, man. Hence the ballsy, inspirational John Lennon quote included on the homepage of Resodence.com:

"If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that. I believe in what I do, and I'll say it."

Resodence LLC (once merely a venue-hopping local music night, now a small corporation) owner Chris Lose is a little more modest when discussing the quick development of his Vegas promotion and booking company ("The more local music we can elevate, the more we all come up," he says) and that's fine; a glut of now-interested musicians and this writer's own experience at a recent Resodence "Local Sound" event speak for themselves. That multi-band show at Hard Rock Cafe included a set by daring, driving, interesting punk-pop act Imagine Dragons, whose total, big-label-worthy package crept up and smacked unsuspecting diners into slack-jawed amazement and cheers by the end.

"It's always the same at Hard Rock," said Lose afterward. "At the beginning of the night, the [cafe] side is full and our side is fairly empty. By 10 p.m., that all shifts, and people are asking their waiters to re-seat them closer to the music. Even the off-work wait staff are hanging around to watch."

And that's at a tourist venue. Back in March, 2008, with the support of singer-songwriter host Sharon Paquette and a small scatter of like-minded songsters, Resodence found its feet on the locals-dominated stages of Aruba Hotel's Thunderbird Lounge and UNLV-area beer and wine tavern Freakin' Frog. Word spread, crowds built and "Local Sound" eventually made its indie-minded point at Hard Rock for a couple months until this week's third and most promising relocation to Beauty Bar.

"Bringing consistent, quality live entertainment to the Las Vegas Valley isn't the easiest thing to do," says Beauty Bar Manager Joe Garcia. "I think it's going to be a good working relationship."

According to Lose, July 16's inaugural show at the downtown hipster haunt (featuring One Loud Secret, And Forth and A Capo for Kevin) means your paid $5 cover won't just help grow a company that's now entering into promotion deals with venues Blue Martini, Sinister Rock Bar, Cadillac Ranch, Diablo's and others, but also provide the artists with hard currency for their efforts. There are a lot of them now, by the way.

"I can't even list all the bands anymore," says Lose, referring to a Resodence MySpace.com page that's finally resorted to the "...and more!" tail for a list peaked out at 93 names. Naturally, more bands now means more selectivity. Not everyone gets into this party anymore, and those who do, according to co-organizer and gatekeeper Rae Indigo, share something in common with Paquette, Cody Shawn, Brother Luke, Leaving Springfield, Zeusophobia, The Lazystars, Lani Grooves and other disciplined acts close to the core of what Resodence wants to be.

"It comes down to your sound, of course, but also your flow, your presentation, your interaction with the audience," says Indigo. "We're looking for a unique quality, and those are some things that go into it."