There's nothing particularly eye-catching about Eleven-Thirty-Six at first glance. A large screened in porch extends from the house facing Broadway Ave, dark and menacing like a grill on a semi-truck. The chocolate colored paint is cracked and chips off, and the lawn is most unlikely to score them brownie points with the neighbors. But inside of 1136, history is taking place everyday.
At the heart of 1136 is the Diversion Scene, a six-piece melodic rock band. Combining an amazing blend of triple-guitar harmonies and punishing rhythms, the Diversion Scene has carved their way to become Fargo's brightest and most promising band. And not only is 1136 ground zero to this highly talented band, but it has also become a hotspot for local bands to record, under the direction of resident Sean Murray and his home studio.
I make my way through the living room, side-stepping video games and empty bottles to meet up with the guys. A large cardboard box full of multi colored Diversion Scene shirts sits against the wall. The shirt design is of a large eagle carrying off a car, with the word Cruisin' below it. I reach the dining room where guitarists (and residents of 1136) Sean, Jerik Hendrickson, Jason Forthun, and lead singer Mike Nelson are busy hand assembling their new full length album. Sean delicately trims out the inserts, Jerik packs them into jewel cases, while Jason and Mike apply personalized stickers onto the burned CD-R's.
Over two years ago, Fargo's emo-rock darlings Jet Set Ready went on hiatus. Guitarists Sean and Jason still wanted to bring the rock, so they formed the D-Scene as a means to exercise their jones for pop-punk and power pop. Interestingly enough, Shipley and Oscar (of Jet Set Ready) went on to form the rhythm section of Fargo super-group Battle at Sea. The D-Scene quickly recruited old friends and previous band mates from the Bismarck music scene to fill out the sextet.
Outside of playing a few shows at the historic Ralph's Corner, the Diversion Scene has honed in their sound and live show in basements across the area for a year and a half. Get used to their name, because they have the talent and the accessibility to become a tour de force in the independent music scene.
Technically speaking, D-Scene is a pop-punk band at its core, that mixes equal parts 80's metal influence and mid 90's emo-rock, to form a perfect balance of pop and power that will please both indie and hardcore kids alike.
The guys give me a tour of the studio, which is basically their decrepit, pipe-ridden laundry room in the basement. Local bands including New York Sleeps, Poets and Thieves, Black Letter, and Toxic Shock Syndrome (among others) have all spent time recording with Sean here. Living together and recording other bands has formed camaraderie within their circle of friends, and that carries over into their music.
It's getting late and some of the guys from Battle at Sea have stopped by to pick up their trailer that both bands share for out of town shows. Jerik and Oscar exchange card tricks, dazzling others who have gathered to watch. The mood is light and it takes some gentle persuasion to round the boys up to discuss their new album, being a band from North Dakota, and what the future holds for Fargo's best kept secret.