The music rocked. The turnout didn't.

On Halloween night two years ago, Reice Altomare attended a show by the Bridge, a band that came all the way from Baltimore to check out Pittsburgh's music scene. "But I was the only one there," Reice says.

Actually, a few more folks were in attendance, but not enough to make a good impression on the visitors from Maryland. At any rate, the experience got Reice thinking:

"Why not start a community where people can get online, talk with each other and actually go to these shows?"

The upshoot is flidop.com, "Pittsburgh's Grassroots Music Community," a Web site that is basically what it's name implies. Artists have a piece of Cyberspace where they can post their sounds and information, and music aficionados can get a better idea of what's going on around the region.

It's kind of a clearing house, but Reice prefers the sound of the word he always uses in conjunction with the site: community.

"That should be the feeling everyone has."

As flidop.com has gained popularity, there have been growing pains. Reice leases space on a server for the Web site, but would like to purchase his own server to take it to the "next level," where artists could start an e-commerce type of arrangement.

To help raise money for flidop's growing technological needs - and to showcase some of the bands featured on the site - a benefit show, "Get Off Your Couch and Jam," is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Shadow Lounge in East Liberty. Featured acts will be Wino Riot, Doodis, CK9 & the Old E Allstars, and Big With Seed.

Nick Michaels, bass player for Wino Riot, came up with the name for the show. Pretty cool.

And while we're addressing names, I learned that "flidop" (pronounced with a short "i," emphasis on the second syllable) comes from a sound a scat singer might make, something Ella Fitzgerald might have done. (Reice is a big Ella fan.)

"I like finding terms that have a lot of character, but don't necessarily have a definition," Reice says. "We, as a community, can create a meaning for it."

And as a community, he thinks the Pittsburgh area music scene has a lot going for it: "We need more positive outlets like flidop. I hope others will join in my mission, to create excitement about the scene."

So maybe next time the Bridge visits, the house will be full.

PHOTOS (from summer & early fall): 1. Doodis; 2. CK9 & the Old E Allstars; 3. Wino Riot; 4. Big With Seed