Fresh Produce Records in Macon. When you first walk into Fresh Produce Records in downtown Macon, it’s like you’ve stepped into a clubhouse for fans of independent music rather than a retail shop. There may be someone sitting on a couch reading a magazine. Obscure experimental rock music plays in the background as people standing around the counter discuss music of all types. All the while, there is a band setting up, getting ready to perform. These small, little-known bands travel the country with a desire to play their music for anyone who will listen. The normal route these artists take through the Southeast leads them from Atlanta down into Florida, usually to Orlando. The area between these two cities is often considered a musical desert, with few chances to stop and play. In a city such as Macon, a place like Fresh Produce Records must is an oasis to these weary travelers. They are welcomed by people who are as passionate about listening as the band is about playing. Since Fresh Produce opened in September 2013, owner William Dantzler has been inviting bands to play for his modest, but always growing, group of regulars. When the rest of downtown is alive with nightspots hosting bands with bigger followings, Fresh Produce buzzes with indie music and eclectic listeners. Dantzler’s “do-it-yourself” attitude to bringing these shows to Macon caught the attention of Knight Foundation, which gave the store a $10,000 grant as part of a recent package of funding to the Macon arts community. Now Dantzler is seeking to improve the quality of the shows he can offer by upgrading the sound equipment and attracting bands that while still independent, are more recognizable to the Fresh Produce community.
