One-time suburbs are now the sources of economic productivity. It is within the context of the Edge City or exopolis' emergence that we must make sense of the need for local scenes. The dominant musical values of the indie network suggest one interpretation. In general, these values merely invert those of a stereotyped mainstream. To sum these values up, we can say that indie music usually prides itself on authenticity of some form or another.
Many indie fans do.
According to this interpretation, local music scenes like Seattle's could be said to constitute a stronghold against the encroachment of Edge Cities. Much as the university has been conceived of as a bastion of cultural meaning in the meaningless seas of mass or popular culture, the college town or alternative city would then be thought of as an inversion of the Edge City. Garreau emphasizes Edge Cities' lack of names. Opposed to this namelessness, the names of local scenes like Seattle's could be read as proof of their opposition to the growth of Edge Cities. This is what indie values would encourage us to do.