The young man wasn't singing so much as screeching at full volume into the microphone while the other four members of the band furiously pounded on their instruments. If there was a melody, I couldn't detect it, and the combination of dissonance and volume made me glad for the ear plugs I was wearing.

Interestingly, at 46 years of age (at the time), I wasn't the oldest person at the show -- and I had the excuse of being there on company time in my role as music reporter for this paper. The screamo style of heavy metal tends to attract a younger crowd, so seeing a couple in the mid-50s or early 60s was a bit of a surprise, especially since the man wore chinos and loafers and the woman a nice skirt and blouse. They didn't particularly fit in with the leather-and-jeans motif evident elsewhere in the club.

When the band ended their set, though, the nicely dressed couple surged forward to hug the shirtless, tattooed singer. "We're so proud of you, honey," the woman said, while the man beamed.

And then it all clicked -- they'd come to see their son perform in public, in front his audience. Payment of a sort for all those evenings spent listening to him and his friends practice in the garage, I suppose.

In attending a handful of shows at the Jumping Turtle in San Marcos over the past few years, I've seen more than a few scenes like the one above. Other times, at early shows when the under-21 crowd was allowed in before alcohol was served, I've witnessed younger siblings looking on in awe as an older brother or sister performs on stage.

While city officials seem intent on cracking down on the Jumping Turtle because of alleged violations of its business and liquor licenses, I wonder if said officials have thought about all the teens and their families for whom the Jumping Turtle provides a rare opportunity to see local bands.

On our MySpace page (myspace.com/northcountytimes), we're following more than 600 bands in San Diego County. That's a lot of bands plying the local scene.

Too often, though, they have to drive down to San Diego to play before an appreciative crowd. There is a huge shortage of places for local bands to play in North County. And for the underage set, that's particularly true for rock or hip hop (there are quite a few acoustic venues in North County where one can hear folk music performed).

The Jumping Turtle's policy of having an all-ages admission until 10 p.m., when it opens the bar and becomes a 21-and-up venue, may not have been perfectly enforced, but it has met a huge need in North County.

Rather than just hammering the Jumping Turtle, the city of San Marcos could provide a bit of leadership and work with the venue's management to help it implement a booking and admissions policy that is fair, economically viable and respectful of surrounding property owners.

Contact staff writer JIM TRAGESER at jtrageser@nctimes.com or 760-740-5408.