If any of you is contemplating putting on a music festival, you should probably follow along with the discussions concerning SXSW.
One thing that is particularly interesting is that if you live by the blog, you can die (or more accurately, be stung) by the blog.
The Austin Chronicle: Columns: SXSW Is for Lovers: "4) There are two major areas of discussion regarding SXSW 07 that raise legitimate concerns (keeping in mind that 'concerns' and 'damning, vicious assumptions' are by no means the same thing). The city waived $90,000 in fees for SXSW 07, and since I have recently written about how the city has not given SXSW financial support, I have to address this issue.
The other area of concern is that a number of non-SXSW parties were shut down during the Festival, and many blame SXSW for this. They insist that SXSW specifically targeted certain parties, which they had the fire marshals close down.
These accusations not only made the backlash more public than usual, but were taken as a license – especially by the most hate-intoxicated, self-righteously enraged bloggers – that anything they felt like saying about SXSW could and should be posted. Many felt they had the right to state any charge against SXSW that came their way – not as a possibility and/or an accusation, but as an undeniable truth. Although these charges were sometimes rather disingenuously framed as 'questions,' they almost always were in actuality offered as statements of absolute fact."
SXSW
music festival
Friday, March 30, 2007
The Truth about SXSW
Drowned in Sound - Features - DiS @ SXSW: the review: "There are two, equally honest, depictions of SXSW. The one whereby you stumble upon the greatest new band in the galaxy playing to seven people, and (more likely) the scenario where you go see a band filled with hope only to realise that, frankly, they’re pretty rubbish. Unfortunately for DiS, the first band we see is local trio Che Arthur of Austin, at Habanna Calle 6 Patio, and they’re just not very good. A plodding, grunting, angsty power trio, they offer little hope that they’ll ever be anything but. It’s a stark reminder that of the 1,500-or-so bands playing the event, the majority just won’t be that good.
Another oddity is why people travel four thousand miles to check out a band they probably wouldn’t go see on a Tuesday night out in Camden. Hence the incongruity of seeing Brighton quartet Smallwhitelight at Habana Calle 6 Annex. There are a large number of UK-spawned A&R types out watching the band, somehow re-enthused by the exoticness of seeing an unsigned UK band playing in Austin. Despite (or because of?) the miles travelled from Sussex to Texas, they’re still not great at all. They leave us with a feeling of going to Barbados and deciding to watch Watford play football on a bar room telly rather than hitting the beach."
SXSW
Another oddity is why people travel four thousand miles to check out a band they probably wouldn’t go see on a Tuesday night out in Camden. Hence the incongruity of seeing Brighton quartet Smallwhitelight at Habana Calle 6 Annex. There are a large number of UK-spawned A&R types out watching the band, somehow re-enthused by the exoticness of seeing an unsigned UK band playing in Austin. Despite (or because of?) the miles travelled from Sussex to Texas, they’re still not great at all. They leave us with a feeling of going to Barbados and deciding to watch Watford play football on a bar room telly rather than hitting the beach."
SXSW
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Toronto versus New York
So New York compares itself to London, and Toronto compares itself to New York.
Torontoist: Marketing Toronto: Work vs. Play: "We are lightyears ahead of New York's nightlife, with its draconian Cabaret Law (dancing in a NYC club that lacks a dancing permit is illegal, fewer than 300 such permits exist), stringent noise laws, regular police stings and frequent padlocking of venues. At the same time, most Americans have no idea that Toronto regularly attracts many more famous international DJs and bands to its hundreds of bars, concert venues and clubs where one may drink at 19 and perhaps indulge in less-than-legal intoxicants with relative impunity, free from the American government's (and New York City government's) failed war on freedom. Are we implying that Toronto is a bit of a Sin City? Maybe just a liberated one. ...
And when asked the question, 'What more could we be doing to promote our city?' There are a number of steps we can take:
* Award more grants to nightlife event promoters. Sometimes venue rentals or flying famous artists in is just too expensive.
* Start talking about nightlife in promotional materials for the city. Maybe those purple, teardrop-shaped musical notes should be turntables and speakers.
* Allow all night dance parties on city property once again. This ban singlehandedly ended the 15,000 person dance music gatherings that characterized pre-2001 Toronto, leading to the current venue loss crisis.
* Work more closely with event promoters to help promote their larger events.
* Make it less legally risky for property owners to allow a nightlife event on their property.
* Stop crackdowns against nightlife before they start. The recent Docks liquor license suspension was scary enough.
* Repeal the curfew. Seriously. Those kids have money!
* Loosen up alcohol laws; Montréal didn't get its 'fun' reputation among Americans by closing the bars at 2."
Toronto
tourism
creative class
Torontoist: Marketing Toronto: Work vs. Play: "We are lightyears ahead of New York's nightlife, with its draconian Cabaret Law (dancing in a NYC club that lacks a dancing permit is illegal, fewer than 300 such permits exist), stringent noise laws, regular police stings and frequent padlocking of venues. At the same time, most Americans have no idea that Toronto regularly attracts many more famous international DJs and bands to its hundreds of bars, concert venues and clubs where one may drink at 19 and perhaps indulge in less-than-legal intoxicants with relative impunity, free from the American government's (and New York City government's) failed war on freedom. Are we implying that Toronto is a bit of a Sin City? Maybe just a liberated one. ...
And when asked the question, 'What more could we be doing to promote our city?' There are a number of steps we can take:
* Award more grants to nightlife event promoters. Sometimes venue rentals or flying famous artists in is just too expensive.
* Start talking about nightlife in promotional materials for the city. Maybe those purple, teardrop-shaped musical notes should be turntables and speakers.
* Allow all night dance parties on city property once again. This ban singlehandedly ended the 15,000 person dance music gatherings that characterized pre-2001 Toronto, leading to the current venue loss crisis.
* Work more closely with event promoters to help promote their larger events.
* Make it less legally risky for property owners to allow a nightlife event on their property.
* Stop crackdowns against nightlife before they start. The recent Docks liquor license suspension was scary enough.
* Repeal the curfew. Seriously. Those kids have money!
* Loosen up alcohol laws; Montréal didn't get its 'fun' reputation among Americans by closing the bars at 2."
Toronto
tourism
creative class
The Christian music cruise
A niche within a niche.
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 03/25/2007- Holy Seas Christians convert cruise ships: "... most Christian cruises are organized along secular lines with plenty of music, sporting contests, dancing and other features of standard cruises.
Some of the most popular are floating music festivals, headlined by superstars from the contemporary Christian music world. Christian illusionists and even Christian wrestlers are onboard as well.
Retired Army veteran Ken Bachini and his wife, Michelle, have been on two cruises with artists from K-Love, a contemporary Christian radio network, and they have already signed up for their third this year.
Bachini said he likes being surrounded by music he is already familiar with, and that the Christian environment makes him feel more comfortable traveling with his children.
'The people are so friendly. There's not a lot of vulgar language going on, (so) you feel fine having your kids on the boat,' said Bachini, who has done both Christian and secular cruises. 'You tend to see more rudeness on the non-Christian cruises. The way people are treating one another, it is night and day.'"
church
cruise
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 03/25/2007- Holy Seas Christians convert cruise ships: "... most Christian cruises are organized along secular lines with plenty of music, sporting contests, dancing and other features of standard cruises.
Some of the most popular are floating music festivals, headlined by superstars from the contemporary Christian music world. Christian illusionists and even Christian wrestlers are onboard as well.
Retired Army veteran Ken Bachini and his wife, Michelle, have been on two cruises with artists from K-Love, a contemporary Christian radio network, and they have already signed up for their third this year.
Bachini said he likes being surrounded by music he is already familiar with, and that the Christian environment makes him feel more comfortable traveling with his children.
'The people are so friendly. There's not a lot of vulgar language going on, (so) you feel fine having your kids on the boat,' said Bachini, who has done both Christian and secular cruises. 'You tend to see more rudeness on the non-Christian cruises. The way people are treating one another, it is night and day.'"
church
cruise
Heavy metal in church
Hard-core for Christ: Churches cater to 'gutter punks' across U.S. |Dallas Morning News, 3/25/07: "'In every metro area in America, there is at least one church that appeals to heavy metal fans,' said Dave Travis, executive vice president of Leadership Network, a Dallas-based church-growth think tank.
'It's a subculture,' he said. 'As each new generation of believers gets excited about their faith, they invent new churches for their lifestyle. American Christians are very entrepreneurial in reaching young people.'
The Sundance Channel is paying attention to this trend as well. It recently aired the six-part documentary titled One Punk Under God , about Jay Bakker (son of Jim Bakker) and his struggle to plant a church for outcasts in New York.
Mr. Thumma, a sociologist of religion, said that Deliverance Bible Church is part of a vast movement of individualism in American Christian churches that started several decades ago. He said U.S. Christians have a tendency to adapt their spiritual experiences to their lifestyles, whether they're gay, bikers or gutter punks.
'These congregations that have arisen around subgroups in evangelism – and what probably started with the 'Jesus people' in the late '70s to early '80s – have gotten more diverse, doing it in their own idioms and their own ways,' Mr. Thumma said."
church
third places
'It's a subculture,' he said. 'As each new generation of believers gets excited about their faith, they invent new churches for their lifestyle. American Christians are very entrepreneurial in reaching young people.'
The Sundance Channel is paying attention to this trend as well. It recently aired the six-part documentary titled One Punk Under God , about Jay Bakker (son of Jim Bakker) and his struggle to plant a church for outcasts in New York.
Mr. Thumma, a sociologist of religion, said that Deliverance Bible Church is part of a vast movement of individualism in American Christian churches that started several decades ago. He said U.S. Christians have a tendency to adapt their spiritual experiences to their lifestyles, whether they're gay, bikers or gutter punks.
'These congregations that have arisen around subgroups in evangelism – and what probably started with the 'Jesus people' in the late '70s to early '80s – have gotten more diverse, doing it in their own idioms and their own ways,' Mr. Thumma said."
church
third places
Turning a third place into a brand
Here is a good explanation of the appeal of Starbucks. Some of these concepts could be applied to other venues, like music.
The Modesto Bee, 3/25/07, Why do so many of us pour into Starbucks? It's become a lifestyle: "'Starbucks has a strong emotional connection with their clients,' said Alan Siegel, brand consultant with New York's Siegel+ Gale.
'They have been successful because people liked going into that environment and liked how they were treated. It is a place to have coffee with some style.'
It's more than that, added Ron Paul, president of Chicago restaurant consultant Technomic. Starbucks has transcended its retail origins and become a 'third place.' It's not your home or your office, but a zone in between where you can decompress. 'It's a refuge,' Paul said.
Clients appreciate company's values
In Starbucks-speak, executives say customers have given the company 'permission to go beyond coffee' and use its own 'curatorial voice' to select other things they might like.
How did Starbucks come to wield such authority? First, its baristas taught you the difference between an espresso, a cappuccino and a latte.
Then, maybe you were impressed with the quality of Starbucks' employees and how the company treated them, even the part-timers.
Finally, Starbucks does good things in the world, promoting coffee beans that come with the promise that the workers who harvested them were treated well. That makes its customers feel good."
third places
The Modesto Bee, 3/25/07, Why do so many of us pour into Starbucks? It's become a lifestyle: "'Starbucks has a strong emotional connection with their clients,' said Alan Siegel, brand consultant with New York's Siegel+ Gale.
'They have been successful because people liked going into that environment and liked how they were treated. It is a place to have coffee with some style.'
It's more than that, added Ron Paul, president of Chicago restaurant consultant Technomic. Starbucks has transcended its retail origins and become a 'third place.' It's not your home or your office, but a zone in between where you can decompress. 'It's a refuge,' Paul said.
Clients appreciate company's values
In Starbucks-speak, executives say customers have given the company 'permission to go beyond coffee' and use its own 'curatorial voice' to select other things they might like.
How did Starbucks come to wield such authority? First, its baristas taught you the difference between an espresso, a cappuccino and a latte.
Then, maybe you were impressed with the quality of Starbucks' employees and how the company treated them, even the part-timers.
Finally, Starbucks does good things in the world, promoting coffee beans that come with the promise that the workers who harvested them were treated well. That makes its customers feel good."
third places
Monday, March 26, 2007
The hunger for community
This is about an art gathering rather than music, but I think the same concept would work. People want a community, and it could be built around music. Bring them together, have them share food, and have them bond over creativity.
Slideluck Potshow - New York Times, 3/27/07: "The main attraction, a two-hour slide show of work by 37 artists, drew nearly 800 people, representing a jaunty cross section of the city’s young creative class.
It was the possibility of a lively communal viewing experience that inspired the series. Casey Kelbaugh, a goateed freelance photographer who has worked for publications including The New York Times, founded Slideluck Potshow in his tiny backyard in Seattle in 2000 with a simple invitation to friends and colleagues to bring slides and food. The idea caught on quickly, and he held 20 slide show parties there before moving to New York in 2003.
'I got here thinking, well, I have this thing that’s very popular in Seattle, but the idea of a potluck dinner in New York would never get off the ground,' said Mr. Kelbaugh, 32.
Still, he spread the word and held a Slideluck Potshow in his East Village apartment in early 2004. He was surprised when 120 people arrived, obligingly toting home-cooked dishes as well as images of their work. The event mushroomed into a kind of open-mike night for photographers and other artists, who would show up with trays of slides or CDs to show.
'The whole thing is that it’s participatory, and it’s about creative expression,' Mr. Kelbaugh said. 'It’s a little bit outside the photography establishment.'”
New York
creative class
third places
creativity
Slideluck Potshow - New York Times, 3/27/07: "The main attraction, a two-hour slide show of work by 37 artists, drew nearly 800 people, representing a jaunty cross section of the city’s young creative class.
It was the possibility of a lively communal viewing experience that inspired the series. Casey Kelbaugh, a goateed freelance photographer who has worked for publications including The New York Times, founded Slideluck Potshow in his tiny backyard in Seattle in 2000 with a simple invitation to friends and colleagues to bring slides and food. The idea caught on quickly, and he held 20 slide show parties there before moving to New York in 2003.
'I got here thinking, well, I have this thing that’s very popular in Seattle, but the idea of a potluck dinner in New York would never get off the ground,' said Mr. Kelbaugh, 32.
Still, he spread the word and held a Slideluck Potshow in his East Village apartment in early 2004. He was surprised when 120 people arrived, obligingly toting home-cooked dishes as well as images of their work. The event mushroomed into a kind of open-mike night for photographers and other artists, who would show up with trays of slides or CDs to show.
'The whole thing is that it’s participatory, and it’s about creative expression,' Mr. Kelbaugh said. 'It’s a little bit outside the photography establishment.'”
New York
creative class
third places
creativity
Toddlers and parents rocking together in SF
A good overview of what in happening in San Francisco for parents wanting to get out of the house with their kids while still attending bars and rock venues.
sfgate.com, 3/18/07, Rockin' With kids: "With Dan Zanes leading the pack of hipster rockers whom parents enjoy as much as, if not more than, their kids do, record labels, concert promoters and even the cafe around the corner are sensing profits in the Pampers crowd. As iTunes takes off, album sales across the board are down about 2 percent. But children's music sales (for hissy-fit-free car trips) are up nearly 60 percent. Colvert's tour (he's now on the Disney Sound label) is sponsored by Rice Krispies. Last summer's Jamarama kids' music festival was sponsored by Noggin. And Grammy winner Zanes, who recently sold out the house at Carnegie Hall, is talking TV with Disney.
Locally, restaurant family nights, baby happy hours, kid-friendly club venues and adult-friendly kid concerts are helping parents get out of the house and avoid seeing 'My Little Pony Live: The World's Biggest Tea Party.'
Whether at 12 Galaxies, family music night at Dolores Park cafe or baby happy hours (Wine and Whiners, Tots and Tonic, Strollerbar), city parents are enjoying 'age-desegregated music' (as Zanes calls it) in age-desegregated watering holes.
The rise in middle-aged parenting, 35- to 40-year-olds just now becoming parents, may have contributed to this trend. Older parents are more set in their ways and maybe less willing to drop their former lifestyle to stay home and listen to lousy music."
San Francisco
all ages
sfgate.com, 3/18/07, Rockin' With kids: "With Dan Zanes leading the pack of hipster rockers whom parents enjoy as much as, if not more than, their kids do, record labels, concert promoters and even the cafe around the corner are sensing profits in the Pampers crowd. As iTunes takes off, album sales across the board are down about 2 percent. But children's music sales (for hissy-fit-free car trips) are up nearly 60 percent. Colvert's tour (he's now on the Disney Sound label) is sponsored by Rice Krispies. Last summer's Jamarama kids' music festival was sponsored by Noggin. And Grammy winner Zanes, who recently sold out the house at Carnegie Hall, is talking TV with Disney.
Locally, restaurant family nights, baby happy hours, kid-friendly club venues and adult-friendly kid concerts are helping parents get out of the house and avoid seeing 'My Little Pony Live: The World's Biggest Tea Party.'
Whether at 12 Galaxies, family music night at Dolores Park cafe or baby happy hours (Wine and Whiners, Tots and Tonic, Strollerbar), city parents are enjoying 'age-desegregated music' (as Zanes calls it) in age-desegregated watering holes.
The rise in middle-aged parenting, 35- to 40-year-olds just now becoming parents, may have contributed to this trend. Older parents are more set in their ways and maybe less willing to drop their former lifestyle to stay home and listen to lousy music."
San Francisco
all ages
How to sell live music in Nashville
The City Paper: "As owner of the local independent company Great Big Shows and in his role as promoter and producer, Whetsel will present some 250 shows this year featuring all types of music at various venues. A huge music fan as well, Whetsel admits Nashville presents special challenges for promoters.
'This is a very difficult market and sometimes I’m amazed we’ve done it successfully for so long,' Whetsel said. 'This is very much an industry market, and there are a lot of people here who for whatever reason simply don’t want to support live music. There are many entertainment choices available with professional sports and many other options. And to be fair, when you work all day in some facet of the industry, the last thing you want to do at night is go out and see more live music. So our challenge is to provide a positive experience and give people a reason to spend their dollar and attend particular concerts.'
Whetsel cites several things he considers major factors that must be considered when presenting any type of concert locally.
'You must have a comfortable venue and an affordable price,' Whetsel said. 'We try to start as many of our shows during the week at an early time so people with [conventional day] jobs can catch a show, yet still get home and go to work the next day. There are some sites here, like The Ryman and the Gaylord Entertainment Center, that are particularly patron friendly. But it’s up to us as a company to make sure we don’t give people any excuse not to come out to a show.'"
Nashville
live music
clubs
'This is a very difficult market and sometimes I’m amazed we’ve done it successfully for so long,' Whetsel said. 'This is very much an industry market, and there are a lot of people here who for whatever reason simply don’t want to support live music. There are many entertainment choices available with professional sports and many other options. And to be fair, when you work all day in some facet of the industry, the last thing you want to do at night is go out and see more live music. So our challenge is to provide a positive experience and give people a reason to spend their dollar and attend particular concerts.'
Whetsel cites several things he considers major factors that must be considered when presenting any type of concert locally.
'You must have a comfortable venue and an affordable price,' Whetsel said. 'We try to start as many of our shows during the week at an early time so people with [conventional day] jobs can catch a show, yet still get home and go to work the next day. There are some sites here, like The Ryman and the Gaylord Entertainment Center, that are particularly patron friendly. But it’s up to us as a company to make sure we don’t give people any excuse not to come out to a show.'"
Nashville
live music
clubs
More on SXSW-gate
Part of a letter from the venue owner whose party was shut down. You can read the entire letter by clicking on the link.
SXSW Conspiracy, Part Infinity | The M.O.
“In the three years that we have had our S. Congress retail store open, we have hosted numerous parties the largest during SXSW and ACL Fest. We have always gone out of our way to create a safe environment that is also law abiding. As such, we employ two off-duty APD officers to monitor such things as crowd control, noise levels, as well as to provide a level of service to our guests like flagging taxis at the end of the night (which we sometimes pay for if the guests have had too much to drink and can’t afford the fare). Two weeks before our most recent event, Officer Tankaksinanukij set up a time to visit us and discuss details. On the day of the event, two other officers stopped by get more information as well. We were never asked once if we were in possession of the public assembly permit. This new ordinance was news not only to us, but to the very professional and informed officers that we hired for our event. Would we have known about this new ordinance if we had been in communication with the Fire Department? We’re not so confident.
“Los Angeles based label-head and promoter Franki Chan made multiple trips to Austin organizing his official SXSW showcase and two after-parties. The fire inspector visited the site of one event numerous times last week and never discussed the ordinance nor did he ever request a copy of any permits (with full understanding of the large-scale event that was going to take place there). The night after our event was shut down, Franki’s party was too for the same reason - lack of permit.
“We might have been two of the biggest events to be shut down, but we weren’t the only ones. Parties in conference rooms, outdoor venues, established party spaces and downtown clubs were all affected. The Fire Inspector had direct orders to shut these parties down, not for safety issues, but for non-compliance to a mystery ordinance. Visitors from all over the world who descend upon Austin every year for the music festival were left wondering, what is going on?
SXSW
SXSW Conspiracy, Part Infinity | The M.O.
“In the three years that we have had our S. Congress retail store open, we have hosted numerous parties the largest during SXSW and ACL Fest. We have always gone out of our way to create a safe environment that is also law abiding. As such, we employ two off-duty APD officers to monitor such things as crowd control, noise levels, as well as to provide a level of service to our guests like flagging taxis at the end of the night (which we sometimes pay for if the guests have had too much to drink and can’t afford the fare). Two weeks before our most recent event, Officer Tankaksinanukij set up a time to visit us and discuss details. On the day of the event, two other officers stopped by get more information as well. We were never asked once if we were in possession of the public assembly permit. This new ordinance was news not only to us, but to the very professional and informed officers that we hired for our event. Would we have known about this new ordinance if we had been in communication with the Fire Department? We’re not so confident.
“Los Angeles based label-head and promoter Franki Chan made multiple trips to Austin organizing his official SXSW showcase and two after-parties. The fire inspector visited the site of one event numerous times last week and never discussed the ordinance nor did he ever request a copy of any permits (with full understanding of the large-scale event that was going to take place there). The night after our event was shut down, Franki’s party was too for the same reason - lack of permit.
“We might have been two of the biggest events to be shut down, but we weren’t the only ones. Parties in conference rooms, outdoor venues, established party spaces and downtown clubs were all affected. The Fire Inspector had direct orders to shut these parties down, not for safety issues, but for non-compliance to a mystery ordinance. Visitors from all over the world who descend upon Austin every year for the music festival were left wondering, what is going on?
SXSW
How Omaha created The Faint
riverfrontitmes.com, 3/14/07 - Whether they're playing all-ages venues or arenas, indie superstars the Faint make their fans dance, dance, dance.: "The Faint developed such sensibilities in Omaha, during a period (1995-'99) when, thanks to a paucity of all-ages venues, the city's available gigs for nascent bands were mostly house parties.
'Everything came out of a scene as opposed to anybody trying to get record deals,' Petersen says. 'It was just, 'Hey, there's this show happening in a couple weeks, they need a band, let's be that band.' A stage is very much a barrier between the band and the audience. When you're at a party, everybody's one foot away from each other.'
Other than the first concert he ever saw (Night Ranger, with Weird Al Yankovic opening), Petersen's earliest live-music memories involved local acts. He discovered the city's do-it-yourself scene after stumbling across a hardcore bill at a polka ballroom.
'It was like, 'Holy shit, this whole world exists,'' he says. 'It sparked my interest in seeing music in a different way, as opposed to 'music is what I hear on the radio.' Well, there's a whole lot of other kinds of music too, and a whole lot of people just like me playing it. That's probably more profound than any big concert I've ever been to.'
In 2002, after years of gigs at 'crummy all-ages venues,' the Faint became a 'big concert' band, opening for No Doubt in what Petersen calls a calculated experiment 'to see how the other half toured.'
'It was positive in that we learned a lot from it,' he says. 'Unfortunately I think we learned everything we needed to know after three shows, and we'd signed on for two-and-a-half months. It's really hard to play to people who just don't give a shit. It beats you down. Thankfully we were doing our own shows on their days off, and those kept us going. It was like, 'This is why we do this, suck it up.''"
music scene
Omaha
'Everything came out of a scene as opposed to anybody trying to get record deals,' Petersen says. 'It was just, 'Hey, there's this show happening in a couple weeks, they need a band, let's be that band.' A stage is very much a barrier between the band and the audience. When you're at a party, everybody's one foot away from each other.'
Other than the first concert he ever saw (Night Ranger, with Weird Al Yankovic opening), Petersen's earliest live-music memories involved local acts. He discovered the city's do-it-yourself scene after stumbling across a hardcore bill at a polka ballroom.
'It was like, 'Holy shit, this whole world exists,'' he says. 'It sparked my interest in seeing music in a different way, as opposed to 'music is what I hear on the radio.' Well, there's a whole lot of other kinds of music too, and a whole lot of people just like me playing it. That's probably more profound than any big concert I've ever been to.'
In 2002, after years of gigs at 'crummy all-ages venues,' the Faint became a 'big concert' band, opening for No Doubt in what Petersen calls a calculated experiment 'to see how the other half toured.'
'It was positive in that we learned a lot from it,' he says. 'Unfortunately I think we learned everything we needed to know after three shows, and we'd signed on for two-and-a-half months. It's really hard to play to people who just don't give a shit. It beats you down. Thankfully we were doing our own shows on their days off, and those kept us going. It was like, 'This is why we do this, suck it up.''"
music scene
Omaha
How to open a new jazz club
This article discusses how a new jazz club in Toronto plans to avoid the problems which closed two others. Three differences: (1) The new club will not try to be a restaurant, which doomed one club. (2) It will not be hit with rising rents, which closed the other club. (3) It has been designed to provide great sound and ambiance. "Instead of looking like a restaurant or bar, its cavernous ceiling, muted lighting and working fireplaces create an ambience that's somewhere between a concert hall and a private club."
globeandmail.com: The rebirth of cool: "When long-time jazz club the Montreal Bistro shut its doors last July, a year after fellow jazz joint the Top o' the Senator went dark, a lot of fans felt the closings marked a downturn for jazz in Toronto.
Nick Di Donato, on the other hand, felt it was the perfect time to get into the jazz business."
clubs
jazz
Toronto
globeandmail.com: The rebirth of cool: "When long-time jazz club the Montreal Bistro shut its doors last July, a year after fellow jazz joint the Top o' the Senator went dark, a lot of fans felt the closings marked a downturn for jazz in Toronto.
Nick Di Donato, on the other hand, felt it was the perfect time to get into the jazz business."
clubs
jazz
Toronto
In rock club in a house in San Jose
San Jose has a limited number of music venues, so the Gingerbread House has become a place for touring bands to play their version of a house concert.
Spartan Daily, 3/22/07 - Bringing music to your ears: Gingerbread style: "'(San Jose) is not supposed to be some suburban little sh**-hole town,' Smith said. 'There's a million people here, and look at the scene here. Our scene should rival L.A., should rival San Francisco and Portland and Seattle.'
Will Cline, who grew up in Newark and currently lives in San Francisco, said the Bay Area is one of the best places to live, but that it is strangely 'separated.'
'It's got its Peninsula, it's got its South Bay, it's got its East Bay, and it seems like it never really mingles too much,' Cline said. 'But if we all start mingling, it could be a force to be reckoned with. I think there would be a lot of good things to happen.'"
Spartan Daily, 3/22/07 - Bringing music to your ears: Gingerbread style: "'(San Jose) is not supposed to be some suburban little sh**-hole town,' Smith said. 'There's a million people here, and look at the scene here. Our scene should rival L.A., should rival San Francisco and Portland and Seattle.'
Will Cline, who grew up in Newark and currently lives in San Francisco, said the Bay Area is one of the best places to live, but that it is strangely 'separated.'
'It's got its Peninsula, it's got its South Bay, it's got its East Bay, and it seems like it never really mingles too much,' Cline said. 'But if we all start mingling, it could be a force to be reckoned with. I think there would be a lot of good things to happen.'"
The ins-and-outs of all ages concerts at bars
A good discussion of what venues have to do to host all-ages shows and how promoters decide which acts to open to all ages and which ones to keep as 21+.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/25/07 - All-ages concerts: Clubs expend extra effort to keep venues legal for underage fans: "All-ages concerts in bars mean beefed-up security, visits from undercover police and a working knowledge of the arcane Pennsylvania Liquor Code.
But local concert promoters say they will gladly take all of them. They, and the music industry generally, have an interest in making venues safe and legal for kids, hoping it will pay dividends later on....
'We want parents to feel comfortable having their children come to live events,' said Jon Rinaldo, who books Club Cafe and Diesel on the South Side. 'If they start out at a young age supporting music -- and if that interest continues when they're over 21 -- that's how the live community is structured.'
The same stringent liquor laws that keep alcohol out of Pennsylvania grocery stores and oenophiles from mail-ordering fine wines also affect the state's music fans. Any time they want to go to an all-ages show at a traditional music club that serves alcohol -- as most large clubs do -- it means running through the thicket of Liquor Code regulations concerning minors.
Go to a show in Cleveland or Baltimore, and patrons of all ages are allowed to mix on the concert floor. One fan can be drinking a beer while an underage fan is standing right next to him, with only a large "X" drawn on her hand to show she is not yet 21.
In Pennsylvania, minors are separated completely. Venues either have to remove all alcohol from the premises, or (as is usually the case) have a separate space reserved for those 21 and older, overseen by a security guard checking identification. Those older than 21 can go into the underage section but not carrying alcohol."
all ages
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/25/07 - All-ages concerts: Clubs expend extra effort to keep venues legal for underage fans: "All-ages concerts in bars mean beefed-up security, visits from undercover police and a working knowledge of the arcane Pennsylvania Liquor Code.
But local concert promoters say they will gladly take all of them. They, and the music industry generally, have an interest in making venues safe and legal for kids, hoping it will pay dividends later on....
'We want parents to feel comfortable having their children come to live events,' said Jon Rinaldo, who books Club Cafe and Diesel on the South Side. 'If they start out at a young age supporting music -- and if that interest continues when they're over 21 -- that's how the live community is structured.'
The same stringent liquor laws that keep alcohol out of Pennsylvania grocery stores and oenophiles from mail-ordering fine wines also affect the state's music fans. Any time they want to go to an all-ages show at a traditional music club that serves alcohol -- as most large clubs do -- it means running through the thicket of Liquor Code regulations concerning minors.
Go to a show in Cleveland or Baltimore, and patrons of all ages are allowed to mix on the concert floor. One fan can be drinking a beer while an underage fan is standing right next to him, with only a large "X" drawn on her hand to show she is not yet 21.
In Pennsylvania, minors are separated completely. Venues either have to remove all alcohol from the premises, or (as is usually the case) have a separate space reserved for those 21 and older, overseen by a security guard checking identification. Those older than 21 can go into the underage section but not carrying alcohol."
all ages
Saturday, March 24, 2007
More on SXSW-gate
Here's a list of quotes someone compiled and published on the unofficial sxsw list.
Statesman:
-Swenson: "We believe everybody deserves equal scrutiny."
-"[Asst. Fire Marshall Dan Smith] said, fire marshals did not go to all the venues on the list because many of the nearly 80 locations,including the Austin Convention Center, were obviously going to be in compliance."
News 8 Austin:
"South by Southwest does make complaints. We did receive some complaints saying this is going to happen from SXSW. We did receive complaints from nightclubs saying this other night club is going to do this or that. We don't necessarily care SXSW or non-SXSW. Doesn't matter," he said.
SXSW director Roland Swenson said lists of non-sanctioned SXSW parties are easy to come by - even the Austin American-Statesman prints one. And he doesn't deny sharing it with the fire department.
"We had a list of every event in Austin that we knew about - parties, clubs, everything. We said, 'if you're going to lean on our clubs then here's the rest of SXSW. You have to pay attention to this to.' And apparently they did," he said."
Statesman:(http://tinyurl.com/277tbc)
"Los Angeles based label-head and promoter Franki Chan made multiple trips to Austin organizing his official SXSW showcase and two after-parties. The fire inspector visited the site of one event numerous times last week and never discussed the ordinance nor did he ever request a copy of any permits (with full understanding of the large-scale event that was going to take place there). The night after our event was shut down, Frankiís party was too for the same reason - lack of permit."
Austinist (http://tinyurl.com/ywcxnx)
Swenson: "#1 "Ultimately, FactoryPeople didn't obtain the permits and we
accept full responsibility"
We have to wonder how you've lived in Austin all this time and were unaware of how many times the Austin Fire Department has cracked down on venues at all times of the year and have shut down or delayed SXSW shows. The first thing SXSW does when we get a new venue for a show or party is find out if the Fire Department is going to let us have an event there, and how many people we can admit. The assembly permit is not new. You ask "Would we have known about this new ordinance if we had been in communication with the Fire Department?" It's a stunning admission that you didn't even bother to check on what permits are required by the Fire Marshals to hold a safe, public, advertised event."
"When this accusation started spreading this week we looked into it and could only find seven parties that were affected out of the literally hundreds held last week. Four parties shut down early due to lack of load cards and fire inspections. One party shut down because part of a balcony collapsed. Two parties ended at 2am instead of their advertised 4am end times. Maybe there were more, but we don't know because we were a little busy last week with our own event."
SXSW
Statesman:
-Swenson: "We believe everybody deserves equal scrutiny."
-"[Asst. Fire Marshall Dan Smith] said, fire marshals did not go to all the venues on the list because many of the nearly 80 locations,including the Austin Convention Center, were obviously going to be in compliance."
News 8 Austin:
"South by Southwest does make complaints. We did receive some complaints saying this is going to happen from SXSW. We did receive complaints from nightclubs saying this other night club is going to do this or that. We don't necessarily care SXSW or non-SXSW. Doesn't matter," he said.
SXSW director Roland Swenson said lists of non-sanctioned SXSW parties are easy to come by - even the Austin American-Statesman prints one. And he doesn't deny sharing it with the fire department.
"We had a list of every event in Austin that we knew about - parties, clubs, everything. We said, 'if you're going to lean on our clubs then here's the rest of SXSW. You have to pay attention to this to.' And apparently they did," he said."
Statesman:(http://tinyurl.com/277tbc)
"Los Angeles based label-head and promoter Franki Chan made multiple trips to Austin organizing his official SXSW showcase and two after-parties. The fire inspector visited the site of one event numerous times last week and never discussed the ordinance nor did he ever request a copy of any permits (with full understanding of the large-scale event that was going to take place there). The night after our event was shut down, Frankiís party was too for the same reason - lack of permit."
Austinist (http://tinyurl.com/ywcxnx)
Swenson: "#1 "Ultimately, FactoryPeople didn't obtain the permits and we
accept full responsibility"
We have to wonder how you've lived in Austin all this time and were unaware of how many times the Austin Fire Department has cracked down on venues at all times of the year and have shut down or delayed SXSW shows. The first thing SXSW does when we get a new venue for a show or party is find out if the Fire Department is going to let us have an event there, and how many people we can admit. The assembly permit is not new. You ask "Would we have known about this new ordinance if we had been in communication with the Fire Department?" It's a stunning admission that you didn't even bother to check on what permits are required by the Fire Marshals to hold a safe, public, advertised event."
"When this accusation started spreading this week we looked into it and could only find seven parties that were affected out of the literally hundreds held last week. Four parties shut down early due to lack of load cards and fire inspections. One party shut down because part of a balcony collapsed. Two parties ended at 2am instead of their advertised 4am end times. Maybe there were more, but we don't know because we were a little busy last week with our own event."
SXSW
New York vs. London
This week's New York Magazine has a series of articles comparing New York to London and which one is hipper/better. Now I suppose this is a good way to sell magazines (and some of the articles did turn up on my Google News searches), but if you are truly cool, aren't you supposed to not care?
I mean, if one of the Denver papers actually did an article saying, "Who is cooler, Denver or ....?" it would confirm to the world our inferiority complex. If we are hip enough, we aren't supposed to care what anyone thinks.
Table of Contents -- March 26, 2007 Issue of New York Magazine: An extensive examination of London’s challenge to our city’s global preeminence. From finance, to fashion, to urban planning, to music and even restaurants, should New Yorkers be minding the world’s-greatest-city gap more carefully?
I mean, if one of the Denver papers actually did an article saying, "Who is cooler, Denver or ....?" it would confirm to the world our inferiority complex. If we are hip enough, we aren't supposed to care what anyone thinks.
Table of Contents -- March 26, 2007 Issue of New York Magazine: An extensive examination of London’s challenge to our city’s global preeminence. From finance, to fashion, to urban planning, to music and even restaurants, should New Yorkers be minding the world’s-greatest-city gap more carefully?
Friday, March 23, 2007
More on SXSW permits
SXSW parties chafe at shutdowns over permit: "The party at Factory People was one of 330 occupancy inspections, including multiple visits to some venues, performed by fire officials during South by Southwest, Smith said.
And fire inspectors worked more than 98 hours of overtime trying to make sure buildings were safe for the people inside, Smith said. 'They may believe what they have is a safe operation, but that may not necessarily be the case,' Smith said. 'They need to understand that safety is the most important thing.'
The permit was meant to provide a way for venues to host parties legally and give fire inspectors an easier way to judge on the spot whether a building had been inspected, Smith said.
'It makes it easier for everybody,' he said. 'We know they're legal, they know they're legal.'
Before that, fire inspectors would write inspection reports allowing businesses to temporarily change their use, but no permit was required.
He said about 30 events — mostly at fraternity houses — were shut down last year for not having the proper public assembly permit.
Smith said seven places received temporary change of use permits last week. He said gatherings like house parties typically don't need the permit, and the fire department has never issued one for a residence.
Meanwhile, Le Popov said she had been in contact with the city in the days leading up to the party and no one told her about the permit requirement. She said she did not consult with the fire department and would have applied for the permit had she known about it.
The store has been open for four years, and the Popovs said they have never been shut down before.
Their experience this year, however, has made them rethink whether to have any more parties during South by Southwest at all. 'As long as there is a level of hostility between (the city, South by Southwest and other businesses), people are going to continue to be shut down,' Le Popov said.
'I just don't want to be put in a position where I'm doing so much on my own (for South by Southwest) and risk relationships with sponsors, customers and guests.'"
SXSW
And fire inspectors worked more than 98 hours of overtime trying to make sure buildings were safe for the people inside, Smith said. 'They may believe what they have is a safe operation, but that may not necessarily be the case,' Smith said. 'They need to understand that safety is the most important thing.'
The permit was meant to provide a way for venues to host parties legally and give fire inspectors an easier way to judge on the spot whether a building had been inspected, Smith said.
'It makes it easier for everybody,' he said. 'We know they're legal, they know they're legal.'
Before that, fire inspectors would write inspection reports allowing businesses to temporarily change their use, but no permit was required.
He said about 30 events — mostly at fraternity houses — were shut down last year for not having the proper public assembly permit.
Smith said seven places received temporary change of use permits last week. He said gatherings like house parties typically don't need the permit, and the fire department has never issued one for a residence.
Meanwhile, Le Popov said she had been in contact with the city in the days leading up to the party and no one told her about the permit requirement. She said she did not consult with the fire department and would have applied for the permit had she known about it.
The store has been open for four years, and the Popovs said they have never been shut down before.
Their experience this year, however, has made them rethink whether to have any more parties during South by Southwest at all. 'As long as there is a level of hostility between (the city, South by Southwest and other businesses), people are going to continue to be shut down,' Le Popov said.
'I just don't want to be put in a position where I'm doing so much on my own (for South by Southwest) and risk relationships with sponsors, customers and guests.'"
SXSW
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Getting permits for your SXSW day parties
Even though over 1400 bands get slots in official SXSW showcases, a lot of bands do not. So if they want to play there, they look for day shows and unofficial showcases.
And some bands are now going so far as to set up their own parties. Some are in conjunction with SXSW and are listed on the SXSW site. Many others are unofficial.
As it turns out, if you plan to throw your own party open to the public for more than 49 people, you better have the right permits or you might be reported.
News 8 Austin Story : Fire marshals shut down unauthorized SXSW parties - 3/21/2007 6:50:05 PM: "'South by Southwest does make complaints. We did receive some complaints saying this is going to happen from SXSW. We did receive complaints from nightclubs saying this other night club is going to do this or that. We don't necessarily care SXSW or non-SXSW. Doesn't matter,' [Assistant Fire Marshall Don Smith] said.
SXSW director Roland Swenson said lists of non-sanctioned SXSW parties are easy to come by - even the Austin American-Statesman prints one. And he doesn't deny sharing it with the fire department.
'We had a list of every event in Austin that we knew about - parties, clubs, everything. We said, 'if you're going to lean on our clubs then here's the rest of SXSW. You have to pay attention to this to.' And apparently they did,' he said....
'Whether they were vindictive or not, SXSW has to comply with all the requirements. They send us a list of every venue they have and have to comply with all the requirements, I think for the city of Austin to be safe everybody has to comply with all the requirements,' Smith said."
SXSW
And some bands are now going so far as to set up their own parties. Some are in conjunction with SXSW and are listed on the SXSW site. Many others are unofficial.
As it turns out, if you plan to throw your own party open to the public for more than 49 people, you better have the right permits or you might be reported.
News 8 Austin Story : Fire marshals shut down unauthorized SXSW parties - 3/21/2007 6:50:05 PM: "'South by Southwest does make complaints. We did receive some complaints saying this is going to happen from SXSW. We did receive complaints from nightclubs saying this other night club is going to do this or that. We don't necessarily care SXSW or non-SXSW. Doesn't matter,' [Assistant Fire Marshall Don Smith] said.
SXSW director Roland Swenson said lists of non-sanctioned SXSW parties are easy to come by - even the Austin American-Statesman prints one. And he doesn't deny sharing it with the fire department.
'We had a list of every event in Austin that we knew about - parties, clubs, everything. We said, 'if you're going to lean on our clubs then here's the rest of SXSW. You have to pay attention to this to.' And apparently they did,' he said....
'Whether they were vindictive or not, SXSW has to comply with all the requirements. They send us a list of every venue they have and have to comply with all the requirements, I think for the city of Austin to be safe everybody has to comply with all the requirements,' Smith said."
SXSW
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Another SXSW observation
Houston Press, 3/22/07: "Today, South by Southwest has evolved into a binary event.
By night, it is the same as it ever was. Bands play showcases in attempts to play the music game by the old rules -- to impress journalists, promoters, label execs and other such old-school music biz riff-raff in order to sell CDs, get signed or put together a few tour dates.
By day, when the buzz bands play the corporate shindigs, it's a different story, one that is by turns thrilling, fascinating, repellent and scary. At events like Fader's, not even some of the most exciting acts in the world can conceal the fact that, as far as corporate America is concerned, the sale of music is no longer an end in itself. It is just another accoutrement of a fashionable lifestyle, a mixer to pour in your cup with your Southern Comfort and perhaps slosh on your brand-new Levi's. Sales of recorded sound aren't carrying the bacon anymore, so music is now seen as a keyhole to unlock the kids, so that you can sell them stuff that actually has the kind of value you can see on a bottom line."
SXSW
By night, it is the same as it ever was. Bands play showcases in attempts to play the music game by the old rules -- to impress journalists, promoters, label execs and other such old-school music biz riff-raff in order to sell CDs, get signed or put together a few tour dates.
By day, when the buzz bands play the corporate shindigs, it's a different story, one that is by turns thrilling, fascinating, repellent and scary. At events like Fader's, not even some of the most exciting acts in the world can conceal the fact that, as far as corporate America is concerned, the sale of music is no longer an end in itself. It is just another accoutrement of a fashionable lifestyle, a mixer to pour in your cup with your Southern Comfort and perhaps slosh on your brand-new Levi's. Sales of recorded sound aren't carrying the bacon anymore, so music is now seen as a keyhole to unlock the kids, so that you can sell them stuff that actually has the kind of value you can see on a bottom line."
SXSW
Another great SXSW line
UGO: Report From the Front: SXSW Music Festival, Part 2 - Home: "Let's face it - after a couple of days, all the indie rockers and indie fans start to blend together. Unless you're Oreska Band or that guy who was walking around 6th Street with his pants off, people generally aren't going to notice you."
SXSW
SXSW
A great description of SXSW
UGO: Report From the Front: SXSW Music Festival - Home: "This formerly little southern indie festival has grown and grown until it's become a full-on spectacle, with long lines at just about every show, corporate sponsorships, and lots of people barfing out the side of their cars at the McDonald's drive-through at 3 in the morning. Music rules."
The article goes on to say: "SXSW is all about lines. There are lines for just about every show, even for bands nobody knows. There are lines in the convention center, even when everybody seems like they're standing in line for a show. Sometimes, it seems like people are just standing in line for the sheer enjoyment of it. And, you know, after a while, it does get kind of fun. And if you're on 6th Avenue, you'll have plenty of chances to do it - Austin's main music drag is full of bars and clubs, and during SXSW, there's a seemingly constant stream of bands playing. Walking down the closed-off street, you're assaulted by the sounds of rocking out coming from all angles, and it's a fun game to pretend that the music you hear swirling out of that obscure basement bar might be coming from tomorrow's next big thing."
SXSW
The article goes on to say: "SXSW is all about lines. There are lines for just about every show, even for bands nobody knows. There are lines in the convention center, even when everybody seems like they're standing in line for a show. Sometimes, it seems like people are just standing in line for the sheer enjoyment of it. And, you know, after a while, it does get kind of fun. And if you're on 6th Avenue, you'll have plenty of chances to do it - Austin's main music drag is full of bars and clubs, and during SXSW, there's a seemingly constant stream of bands playing. Walking down the closed-off street, you're assaulted by the sounds of rocking out coming from all angles, and it's a fun game to pretend that the music you hear swirling out of that obscure basement bar might be coming from tomorrow's next big thing."
SXSW
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Too much at SXSW
SXSW Notes: The Band Glut And Diminishing Returns: "Bands at SXSW scream 'Look at me! Look at me!' at attendees spending days in Austin being completely saturated by marketing stimuli (beers, clothing companies, record labels, etc). How can a band get attention? It's difficult to be remembered given the quantity of bands, the social aspect of the events and the availability of free alcohol.
... While SXSW itself benefits from the quantity of bands, attendees and bands can easily miss making an important connection....
For me, SXSW was more of a social event than a music event. I got to catch up with a lot of friends -- it seemed like half of New York City was in Austin. Not surprisingly, I can't really remember much about the bands I saw."
SXSW
music festival
... While SXSW itself benefits from the quantity of bands, attendees and bands can easily miss making an important connection....
For me, SXSW was more of a social event than a music event. I got to catch up with a lot of friends -- it seemed like half of New York City was in Austin. Not surprisingly, I can't really remember much about the bands I saw."
SXSW
music festival
Monday, March 19, 2007
SXSW brings money and visibility to Austin
This article discusses SXSW's financial impact on Austin. While this year's numbers are not yet in, the festival was bigger than last year's, so the assumption is that the financial numbers will be higher as well.
A SXSW spokesperson says that the festival is only modestly profitable, however.
Austin's financial windfall from South by Southwest larger than last year - Top Stories: "This year's South by Southwest festival drew at least as much as last year's revenue of $38 million for city businesses, according to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. Last year's conference was the biggest in the festival's 21-year history, and participation for this year's festival was even larger, with the number of music artists increased to 11,000 from around 10,200 last year.
In the past few years of its exponential growth, SXSW has become more profitable to Austin's economy than other popular public events such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, which brings in $27 million, and UT home football games, which bring in $23 million annually, according to the bureau."
Austin
SXSW
tourism
music festival
economic development
A SXSW spokesperson says that the festival is only modestly profitable, however.
Austin's financial windfall from South by Southwest larger than last year - Top Stories: "This year's South by Southwest festival drew at least as much as last year's revenue of $38 million for city businesses, according to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. Last year's conference was the biggest in the festival's 21-year history, and participation for this year's festival was even larger, with the number of music artists increased to 11,000 from around 10,200 last year.
In the past few years of its exponential growth, SXSW has become more profitable to Austin's economy than other popular public events such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, which brings in $27 million, and UT home football games, which bring in $23 million annually, according to the bureau."
Austin
SXSW
tourism
music festival
economic development
Friday, March 16, 2007
Funding to promote local music history
TriCities.com, 3/15/07 - Birthplace of Country Music celebrates 80 years: "Assisted by a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, in conjunction with the Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival, and Believe in Bristol’s Main Street program will work together during 2007 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the historic Bristol Sessions and encourage visitation to the area by drawing attention to the regularly recurring events and activities in downtown Bristol, highlighting the region’s living musical heritage.
'Our goal is to make residents and visitors aware of Bristol’s unique living musical heritage and encourage them to visit Bristol and experience this legacy firsthand,' commented Bill Hartley, Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Hartley noted that the downtown area historically has been a site of great music, including Ralph Peer’s 1927 and 1928 field recordings, as well as live radio shows on stations WOPI and WCYB. 'We’re very fortunate in this community to still have that music being played in downtown at venues such as the Country Music Mural, jam sessions such as the Star Barber Shop, and at a major festival such as the annual Rhythm and Roots Reunion,' added Hartley
Among the efforts that the grant will fund include advertising campaign, a direct mail campaign to over 15,000 individuals, and electronic advertising targeted to fans of traditional Appalachian music. 'The demographics for this market match up well to the visitor profile for Bristol and the general heritage tourist,' commented Hartley. He added that these travelers are interested in an authentic experience and tend to stay longer and spend more in a community. Officials estimate that the marketing campaign will result in 7,770 new visitors to Bristol creating a potential economic impact $ 909,090 which helps to lower taxes and create a better quality of life for our residents."
virginia
crooked road
tourism
economic development
'Our goal is to make residents and visitors aware of Bristol’s unique living musical heritage and encourage them to visit Bristol and experience this legacy firsthand,' commented Bill Hartley, Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. Hartley noted that the downtown area historically has been a site of great music, including Ralph Peer’s 1927 and 1928 field recordings, as well as live radio shows on stations WOPI and WCYB. 'We’re very fortunate in this community to still have that music being played in downtown at venues such as the Country Music Mural, jam sessions such as the Star Barber Shop, and at a major festival such as the annual Rhythm and Roots Reunion,' added Hartley
Among the efforts that the grant will fund include advertising campaign, a direct mail campaign to over 15,000 individuals, and electronic advertising targeted to fans of traditional Appalachian music. 'The demographics for this market match up well to the visitor profile for Bristol and the general heritage tourist,' commented Hartley. He added that these travelers are interested in an authentic experience and tend to stay longer and spend more in a community. Officials estimate that the marketing campaign will result in 7,770 new visitors to Bristol creating a potential economic impact $ 909,090 which helps to lower taxes and create a better quality of life for our residents."
virginia
crooked road
tourism
economic development
Behind the scenes at a festival
If you want to know what goes into providing enough equipment during SXSW, this article will give you a look.
Gotta get the gear to the gig: "Since most of the foreign acts fly to SXSW, they usually travel with only guitars and drumsticks and have to rent drums, amps, keyboards and, in the case of Gang of Four last year, a microwave, which was used for percussion.
Also, the proliferation of daytime parties, which are often staged in places that don't have live music for 360 days out of the year, has added to the workload.
Five years ago, the Music Lab provided backline (drums and amplifiers) and a public address system for exactly one party. This year, they're doing 10 a day. ...
Last year, 27 trucks did the job of delivering the equipment to the venues. This year, the Music Lab had to rent an additional 17."
music festival
SXSW
Gotta get the gear to the gig: "Since most of the foreign acts fly to SXSW, they usually travel with only guitars and drumsticks and have to rent drums, amps, keyboards and, in the case of Gang of Four last year, a microwave, which was used for percussion.
Also, the proliferation of daytime parties, which are often staged in places that don't have live music for 360 days out of the year, has added to the workload.
Five years ago, the Music Lab provided backline (drums and amplifiers) and a public address system for exactly one party. This year, they're doing 10 a day. ...
Last year, 27 trucks did the job of delivering the equipment to the venues. This year, the Music Lab had to rent an additional 17."
music festival
SXSW
How Britain plays the SXSW game
This is a good article on how Britain uses SXSW to launch and market acts in the US and even as way to get more press coverage at home.
The line I like best is about making up a band and getting people to talk about it. In fact, I have wondered if you can go one step further and generate the buzz and not bother to attend SXSW at all -- just make people think you had performed there.
Independent Online Edition, 3/15/07 - Movers, shakers and music makers: The festival that rocks the world: "For 10 days, Austin becomes the pole of a humming magnetic field of obsessive attention. 'SXSW is valuable because if you hit your straps and the main newspapers are there and they write it up, things can happen,' says Stewart. 'US agents and radio stations all pay attention to it. I remember flying down to Austin with the critic from the Chicago Tribune. He was going to file at least two pages' worth of stories every day.'
As recently as 2001, a mere 23 artists travelled from the UK to attend South by Southwest. This year that figure has mushroomed to 123, which means the Brits account for more than half of all the overseas performers in attendance. Previously, British acts considered SXSW important because of the access it afforded to the ever-desirable US market. That remains true, but such is the international pull of the event that it can even offer a better-than-average chance of being spotted by the British press, since so many of them fly out to cover the occasion.
But any vestiges of the notion that SXSW represents independence, self-reliance and the spirit of DIY have all but vanished. It's an intense scramble for attention, and if you've managed to get selected from the heaving scrum, you'd better be ready to make the best of the opportunity.
'Lots of US marketing campaigns for UK artists are very much centred on SXSW,' points out Paul Williams, the managing editor of Music Week. 'For example, albums by James Morrison and Amy Winehouse are both being released this week in America, all because SXSW is this week. Plans are very much keyed into it, and the campaigns are angled on how best to make use of this event and the platform it offers.' ...
Every year, the UK papers run a clutch of reports from SXSW intended to celebrate the freewheeling diversity and rich cultural range of the event, but often they convey mostly chaos and incoherence, as the writers stumble around town, pinging the top off another Corona while trying to decide which harbinger of the new musical revolution to go and listen to next. With countless acts playing-off-the-cuff gigs at all times of day in venues ranging from backyards to lobbies and parking lots, myths and rumours breed like plankton. As one British visitor put it: 'You could just invent a couple of bands and tell people to go check them out, and they'd quickly become a must-see act.' ...
'I suppose an event like this can become a victim of its own success,' suggests Williams. 'The impression I get is that every year it becomes more difficult to get into the gigs you want to go to, because how do you plough through 1,500 acts in four days? Then, even when you've worked out which acts you're going to see, the acts that are in demand are so over-subscribed that you probably have to turn up hours before they play to have a chance of getting into the venue. You might say "I really want to see so-and-so", but thousands of other people want to see them as well.'"
SXSW
music promotion
England
Britain
The line I like best is about making up a band and getting people to talk about it. In fact, I have wondered if you can go one step further and generate the buzz and not bother to attend SXSW at all -- just make people think you had performed there.
Independent Online Edition, 3/15/07 - Movers, shakers and music makers: The festival that rocks the world: "For 10 days, Austin becomes the pole of a humming magnetic field of obsessive attention. 'SXSW is valuable because if you hit your straps and the main newspapers are there and they write it up, things can happen,' says Stewart. 'US agents and radio stations all pay attention to it. I remember flying down to Austin with the critic from the Chicago Tribune. He was going to file at least two pages' worth of stories every day.'
As recently as 2001, a mere 23 artists travelled from the UK to attend South by Southwest. This year that figure has mushroomed to 123, which means the Brits account for more than half of all the overseas performers in attendance. Previously, British acts considered SXSW important because of the access it afforded to the ever-desirable US market. That remains true, but such is the international pull of the event that it can even offer a better-than-average chance of being spotted by the British press, since so many of them fly out to cover the occasion.
But any vestiges of the notion that SXSW represents independence, self-reliance and the spirit of DIY have all but vanished. It's an intense scramble for attention, and if you've managed to get selected from the heaving scrum, you'd better be ready to make the best of the opportunity.
'Lots of US marketing campaigns for UK artists are very much centred on SXSW,' points out Paul Williams, the managing editor of Music Week. 'For example, albums by James Morrison and Amy Winehouse are both being released this week in America, all because SXSW is this week. Plans are very much keyed into it, and the campaigns are angled on how best to make use of this event and the platform it offers.' ...
Every year, the UK papers run a clutch of reports from SXSW intended to celebrate the freewheeling diversity and rich cultural range of the event, but often they convey mostly chaos and incoherence, as the writers stumble around town, pinging the top off another Corona while trying to decide which harbinger of the new musical revolution to go and listen to next. With countless acts playing-off-the-cuff gigs at all times of day in venues ranging from backyards to lobbies and parking lots, myths and rumours breed like plankton. As one British visitor put it: 'You could just invent a couple of bands and tell people to go check them out, and they'd quickly become a must-see act.' ...
'I suppose an event like this can become a victim of its own success,' suggests Williams. 'The impression I get is that every year it becomes more difficult to get into the gigs you want to go to, because how do you plough through 1,500 acts in four days? Then, even when you've worked out which acts you're going to see, the acts that are in demand are so over-subscribed that you probably have to turn up hours before they play to have a chance of getting into the venue. You might say "I really want to see so-and-so", but thousands of other people want to see them as well.'"
SXSW
music promotion
England
Britain
Brazil's official support of hip-hop
New York Times, 3/14/07 - Brazilian Government Invests in Culture of Hip-Hop: "In a classroom at a community center near a slum here, a street-smart teacher offers a dozen young students tips on how to improve their graffiti techniques. One floor below, in a small soundproof studio, another instructor is teaching a youthful group of would-be rappers how to operate digital recording and video equipment.
This is one of Brazil’s Culture Points, fruit of an official government program that is helping to spread hip-hop culture across a vast nation of 185 million people. With small grants of $60,000 or so to scores of community groups on the outskirts of Brazil’s cities, the Ministry of Culture hopes to channel what it sees as the latent creativity of the country’s poor into new forms of expression....
Brazilian law also offers tax breaks to companies that contribute to cultural endeavors like films, ballet and art exhibitions. Rap music has now been granted similar standing, and as a result, some of the country’s largest corporations have begun underwriting hip-hop records and shows.
At a recent event in Campinas, a city of one million an hour’s drive from here, the sponsors included a power company, a bank, a construction business and an industrial conglomerate."
economic development
creativity
hip hop
This is one of Brazil’s Culture Points, fruit of an official government program that is helping to spread hip-hop culture across a vast nation of 185 million people. With small grants of $60,000 or so to scores of community groups on the outskirts of Brazil’s cities, the Ministry of Culture hopes to channel what it sees as the latent creativity of the country’s poor into new forms of expression....
Brazilian law also offers tax breaks to companies that contribute to cultural endeavors like films, ballet and art exhibitions. Rap music has now been granted similar standing, and as a result, some of the country’s largest corporations have begun underwriting hip-hop records and shows.
At a recent event in Campinas, a city of one million an hour’s drive from here, the sponsors included a power company, a bank, a construction business and an industrial conglomerate."
economic development
creativity
hip hop
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Foreign bands at SXSW
As I have mentioned before, the purpose of SXSW has changed from selling Austin bands to the world to selling foreign bands to the US.
It's a trade fair, and foreign economic development groups rent space and throw parties.
CMT.com, 3/13/07 - Australian Musicians Find an Audience at SXSW: "As Australian and New Zealand's representative for SXSW, Phil Tripp is shepherding approximately 450 people to the conference. More than 250 of those are delegates directly involved in the music business. The rest are members and crews of 40 bands.
'Because we're such consummate performers -- born and blooded from the vital pub scene in Australia and used to performing in front of unrelenting audiences in beer barns behind the crash barriers -- our bands are at a showcase advantage over their somewhat performance-deprived overseas counterparts,' he says. 'Also it's a great place to do business since our music is primarily rock, contemporary with a bit of alt-country and folky genres thrown in.'
Tripp cites distance and expense as the biggest challenges faced by Australian musicians trying to break into the U.S. market. 'Why sign an Aussie country band, which has to travel 10,000 miles and operate under strict visa conditions, when there are 500 equally talented country bands just over the border in Canada, chomping at the bit to get in?' he asks. 'And we have to be willing to part with families while constantly touring to make an impact, not being able to count on audiences, airplay and contacts that we had developed back home.'"
economic development
SXSW
It's a trade fair, and foreign economic development groups rent space and throw parties.
CMT.com, 3/13/07 - Australian Musicians Find an Audience at SXSW: "As Australian and New Zealand's representative for SXSW, Phil Tripp is shepherding approximately 450 people to the conference. More than 250 of those are delegates directly involved in the music business. The rest are members and crews of 40 bands.
'Because we're such consummate performers -- born and blooded from the vital pub scene in Australia and used to performing in front of unrelenting audiences in beer barns behind the crash barriers -- our bands are at a showcase advantage over their somewhat performance-deprived overseas counterparts,' he says. 'Also it's a great place to do business since our music is primarily rock, contemporary with a bit of alt-country and folky genres thrown in.'
Tripp cites distance and expense as the biggest challenges faced by Australian musicians trying to break into the U.S. market. 'Why sign an Aussie country band, which has to travel 10,000 miles and operate under strict visa conditions, when there are 500 equally talented country bands just over the border in Canada, chomping at the bit to get in?' he asks. 'And we have to be willing to part with families while constantly touring to make an impact, not being able to count on audiences, airplay and contacts that we had developed back home.'"
economic development
SXSW
Colorado has a new song
Colorado now has a second official song, "Rocky Mountain High," by John Denver.
I've never been a huge John Denver fan (though I really liked Peter, Paul, and Mary's vesion of "Leaving on a Jet Plane"). Mainly I didn't like the fact that he co-opted the state's image for commercial purposes.
Still, reading the lyrics of the song, and occasionally hearing it on the radio, I have to admit it is very appropriate. It does capture the essence of what many of us feel for the state. Outdoors, mountains, love of life, etc.
music scene
Denver
Colorado
I've never been a huge John Denver fan (though I really liked Peter, Paul, and Mary's vesion of "Leaving on a Jet Plane"). Mainly I didn't like the fact that he co-opted the state's image for commercial purposes.
Still, reading the lyrics of the song, and occasionally hearing it on the radio, I have to admit it is very appropriate. It does capture the essence of what many of us feel for the state. Outdoors, mountains, love of life, etc.
music scene
Denver
Colorado
In search of the perfect sound engineer
Evidently Portland is blessed with exceptional sound people in its venues. Most cities are not so lucky.
Menomena: Pimping Our Ride/Gresham Represent! (S.F./Los Angeles, CA)-- local Cut: "After joining the esteemed ranks of Touring Bands (or, hyper-idealistic groups of musicians that assume Fame And Fortune would be heaped upon them if they could only find a shitty van and make it to Brooklyn and back) in late 2004, Menomena became acutely aware of the phenomenon of the Out Of State Sound Person (OOSSP – squint and it reads “OOPS”). Portland bands don’t know how good they have it up here. Whether it be Dave at Berbati’s, Shira at Doug Fir, Jason at Holocene, Chris at the Crystal Ballroom, or virtually anyone else who’s ever done sound at virtually any club in our fair city, there always seems to be an element of pride taken in a job that is heartbreakingly stressful and thankless (PS- thank you, o People of Portland Sound!).
The only problem with the quality of Stumptown’s sound engineers is that they spoil the bands they work with, so those of us traveling around the country for the first time are usually in for a rude awakening. Especially if said traveling bands try to play seventeen hundred different instruments simultaneously on stage. This sort of situation only serves to put the OOSSP roughly 1,601 problems ahead of Jay-Z, and judging by the hygiene of some of these characters, and I’d venture to guess that a um… “derogatory slang for female” definitely ain’t one. Sons of bitches!"
live music
clubs
Portland
Menomena: Pimping Our Ride/Gresham Represent! (S.F./Los Angeles, CA)-- local Cut: "After joining the esteemed ranks of Touring Bands (or, hyper-idealistic groups of musicians that assume Fame And Fortune would be heaped upon them if they could only find a shitty van and make it to Brooklyn and back) in late 2004, Menomena became acutely aware of the phenomenon of the Out Of State Sound Person (OOSSP – squint and it reads “OOPS”). Portland bands don’t know how good they have it up here. Whether it be Dave at Berbati’s, Shira at Doug Fir, Jason at Holocene, Chris at the Crystal Ballroom, or virtually anyone else who’s ever done sound at virtually any club in our fair city, there always seems to be an element of pride taken in a job that is heartbreakingly stressful and thankless (PS- thank you, o People of Portland Sound!).
The only problem with the quality of Stumptown’s sound engineers is that they spoil the bands they work with, so those of us traveling around the country for the first time are usually in for a rude awakening. Especially if said traveling bands try to play seventeen hundred different instruments simultaneously on stage. This sort of situation only serves to put the OOSSP roughly 1,601 problems ahead of Jay-Z, and judging by the hygiene of some of these characters, and I’d venture to guess that a um… “derogatory slang for female” definitely ain’t one. Sons of bitches!"
live music
clubs
Portland
Saturday, March 10, 2007
You gotta live in the right neighborhood
I found this to be amusing.
Pitchfork Chief Moves to Brooklyn (Finally) - New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer: "New York still reigns supreme on the indie-rock scene, even seven or so years into its revival. We've now got Ryan Schreiber. Schreiber is the creator and editor-in-chief of Pitchfork Media — the music Website that enjoys total niche dominance and kingmaking clout in indie world — and, as of this month, he's a New Yorker. (Full disclosure: Some of us have both written for and been reviewed by the site.) But wait, you ask, isn't the 'Fork famously based in Chicago, and isn't it a kind of local institution there? Yes and yes, and it's staying there, as is the music festival it curates. In an oh-so-21st-century twist, Schreiber will simply be running things from here. (From Park Slope — natch — to be precise.)"
music scene
Brooklyn
Pitchfork Chief Moves to Brooklyn (Finally) - New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer: "New York still reigns supreme on the indie-rock scene, even seven or so years into its revival. We've now got Ryan Schreiber. Schreiber is the creator and editor-in-chief of Pitchfork Media — the music Website that enjoys total niche dominance and kingmaking clout in indie world — and, as of this month, he's a New Yorker. (Full disclosure: Some of us have both written for and been reviewed by the site.) But wait, you ask, isn't the 'Fork famously based in Chicago, and isn't it a kind of local institution there? Yes and yes, and it's staying there, as is the music festival it curates. In an oh-so-21st-century twist, Schreiber will simply be running things from here. (From Park Slope — natch — to be precise.)"
music scene
Brooklyn
Friday, March 09, 2007
A music festival which still promotes homegrown music
While SXSW is no longer selling Austin artists to the world, Canadian Music Week does sell Canadian music to the world.
TheStar.com, 3/8/07 - Facing the music: "For the past four or five years, though, Canadian Music Week has increasingly taken on a more international character. Not so much in terms of the festival programming, which still tends to be an onslaught of domestic talent broken by the occasional high-profile import whose tour routing conveniently coincides with the first week of March, but in the number of talent seekers hopping on planes to visit Toronto from abroad during the last, embittered days of the Canadian winter.
'It's certainly a showcase for Canadian talent, but since Canadian talent has become so hot and so revered around the world there are more and more people coming here to see what the next big thing is,' says [CRTC president Neill] Dixon. 'We have 25 countries coming this year. They're out every night, basically scouting the clubs.
'They're in from all over. It's unbelievable how many people have travelled to come to this thing. And they're here to do business, as well.'
... There's always an awful lot of godawful stuff on the program, yes – this year's CMW roster is teeming with hilariously wretched band names (Four Day Hombre, Canteen Knockout, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) that usually signify hilariously wretched bands – but there's also always a discovery or two to be made.
Canadian Music Week has experienced such an influx of international travellers betting their expense accounts on that fact, anyway, that organizers decided to set up an 'International Marketplace' four years ago to facilitate hook-ups between Canadian labels and foreign executives eager to license their tunes.
While the layoff-stricken majors are crying doom and gloom, the indies are striking deals all over the place.
Thus, on its 25th anniversary, CMW finds itself less in the business of selling Canadians to Canadians, but satisfying the demand for Canadians from other points on the globe.
'They're not coming here to sell stuff because we're only two per cent of the world market,' says Dixon.
'We're in the shadow of a 38-per-cent market. But we are disproportionately exporting talent to the size of our market. So that's why they're here. They're not here to sell us stuff, they're here to buy stuff.'"
Canada
Canadian Music Week
music festival
TheStar.com, 3/8/07 - Facing the music: "For the past four or five years, though, Canadian Music Week has increasingly taken on a more international character. Not so much in terms of the festival programming, which still tends to be an onslaught of domestic talent broken by the occasional high-profile import whose tour routing conveniently coincides with the first week of March, but in the number of talent seekers hopping on planes to visit Toronto from abroad during the last, embittered days of the Canadian winter.
'It's certainly a showcase for Canadian talent, but since Canadian talent has become so hot and so revered around the world there are more and more people coming here to see what the next big thing is,' says [CRTC president Neill] Dixon. 'We have 25 countries coming this year. They're out every night, basically scouting the clubs.
'They're in from all over. It's unbelievable how many people have travelled to come to this thing. And they're here to do business, as well.'
... There's always an awful lot of godawful stuff on the program, yes – this year's CMW roster is teeming with hilariously wretched band names (Four Day Hombre, Canteen Knockout, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) that usually signify hilariously wretched bands – but there's also always a discovery or two to be made.
Canadian Music Week has experienced such an influx of international travellers betting their expense accounts on that fact, anyway, that organizers decided to set up an 'International Marketplace' four years ago to facilitate hook-ups between Canadian labels and foreign executives eager to license their tunes.
While the layoff-stricken majors are crying doom and gloom, the indies are striking deals all over the place.
Thus, on its 25th anniversary, CMW finds itself less in the business of selling Canadians to Canadians, but satisfying the demand for Canadians from other points on the globe.
'They're not coming here to sell stuff because we're only two per cent of the world market,' says Dixon.
'We're in the shadow of a 38-per-cent market. But we are disproportionately exporting talent to the size of our market. So that's why they're here. They're not here to sell us stuff, they're here to buy stuff.'"
Canada
Canadian Music Week
music festival
How a fan created a successful singer/songwriter concert series
The Other Paper, 3/8/07 -How attorney Alec Wightman created the town’s best-kept musical secret: "Columbus’s best-kept musical secret began 12 years ago on a whim. A fan of [Tom] Russell’s for years, Wightman received a mailing from the singer in 1995 asking his supporters to notify him about performance venues in their cities. It sat on Wightman’s desk for months.
Then, for reasons that still elude him, the attorney picked up the phone. He told Russell’s people that he would try to find the singer a venue and even help sell tickets.
'It was totally spur-of-the-moment,' Wightman said. 'I had never done anything like it.'
There were snags at first—'All the bars I contacted laughed at me,' Wightman said—but, with Russell’s encouragement, he finally resolved to rent out Columbus Music Hall and make the event happen all by himself.
'In eight days, I sold 99 tickets—all friends, clients and co-workers,' he said. 'Nobody but me knew who Tom was.' ...
'There aren’t a lot of these venues left for people on my level,' Russell said of the intimate, 100-seat performance spaces on which professional singer-songwriters have traditionally survived.'A lot of promoters just don’t want to deal with that size room because the profits aren’t there. So it pushes a lot of acts back down into the bars—and that’s pretty rough country.'”
folk music
Then, for reasons that still elude him, the attorney picked up the phone. He told Russell’s people that he would try to find the singer a venue and even help sell tickets.
'It was totally spur-of-the-moment,' Wightman said. 'I had never done anything like it.'
There were snags at first—'All the bars I contacted laughed at me,' Wightman said—but, with Russell’s encouragement, he finally resolved to rent out Columbus Music Hall and make the event happen all by himself.
'In eight days, I sold 99 tickets—all friends, clients and co-workers,' he said. 'Nobody but me knew who Tom was.' ...
'There aren’t a lot of these venues left for people on my level,' Russell said of the intimate, 100-seat performance spaces on which professional singer-songwriters have traditionally survived.'A lot of promoters just don’t want to deal with that size room because the profits aren’t there. So it pushes a lot of acts back down into the bars—and that’s pretty rough country.'”
folk music
Canada at SXSW
CNW Group: "The Canada Stand will function as business and meeting centre at SXSW's music trade show. The stand will house meeting areas, display areas, a message centre and a resource centre for all things Canadian. The Canadian BBQ, the essential jump-start to the Canadian experience at SXSW, will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2007, from 3 to 7p.m. in Brush Square Park. Partners are looking to reap individual benefit from the strong unified presence of Canadians at SXSW and from the multi-faceted outreach of the Canadian Blast programme. A record number of over 400 Canadian registrants will attend SXSW this year. 'I have come to rely on my yearly trips to SXSW to reconnect with those industry friends that remain active and to meet new players in the new game,' says Toronto management company Bumstead Productions president Larry Wanagas. 'This is an invaluable opportunity to connect with people from around the world, present our clients to the world, and to see bands from everywhere.'"
SXSW
Canada
economic development
SXSW
Canada
economic development
Thursday, March 08, 2007
What is the coolest festival?
By the time a band is accepted for SXSW, it's already on someone's radar. I noticed that every Colorado band playing an official showcase this year is with a recognized label of some sort. There are no unsigned bands representing the state.
So to get your invite to SXSW, someone is lobbying for you to get in and you are therefore no longer undiscovered.
If SXSW has become the voice of the "establishment," where should one go to truly find the next thing? The thing that is so cool, so new, so underground that almost no one knows about it yet, but they will.
Any suggestions? Is there a place where creativity abounds, but there is no media lurking to corrupt/exploit it? Where no one is recording every note, every move for YouTube?
If you wanted to scoop the music world, where would you go?
So to get your invite to SXSW, someone is lobbying for you to get in and you are therefore no longer undiscovered.
If SXSW has become the voice of the "establishment," where should one go to truly find the next thing? The thing that is so cool, so new, so underground that almost no one knows about it yet, but they will.
Any suggestions? Is there a place where creativity abounds, but there is no media lurking to corrupt/exploit it? Where no one is recording every note, every move for YouTube?
If you wanted to scoop the music world, where would you go?
Why go to SXSW?
From what I can tell, everyone goes to SXSW these days because everyone else goes. Based on the numbers below, the hope seems to be that if you throw thousands of bands and even more reporters in one location, surely someone will write a story.
But maybe for the money, it would be more effective to fly a handful of reporters to a special showcase put on just for them -- perhaps in an isolated spot so they can't go anywhere except to the showcase.
Drowned in Sound - Features - SXSW: When A&R people go on holiday?: "So is SXSW really the career-making event it’s painted out to be? Does business really get done there? Or is it merely a massive, backslapping piss up?
SXSW celebrates its 20th year in 2007. Beginning as a means to highlight the thriving artistic scene in Austin that was isolated in the middle of Texas, SXSW was set up to bring the world to Austin to check out its wares. Soon after, international bands started pitching up, alongside a good number of A&R men from all walks of the music (and indeed, film) industry. Somewhere along the way – roughly thought to be around five years ago – it became one of the ‘must do’ events on the global music calendar.
It hasn’t looked back since then. In 2006, there were 1,493 officially showcasing artists playing across 64 venues. Hundreds more bands also played. In fact, last year there were 12,000 or so members of the press and industry assembled in Austin. A fair growth from the 700 people who initially registered 20 years ago. ...
Mark Bowen, co-founder of the successful UK independent label Wichita, is markedly more cynical: “As the trend has become for bands to play multiple shows and parties, then more and more time these days is spent with your own bands at the expense of seeing other stuff. SXSW tells you pretty much nothing about what the American public will make of a British act, and little more of what the industry there will make of them.”
Indeed, in the decade-plus that he’s been going to SXSW (“Umm, 13 times in total”, he confides), Bowen agrees “without doubt” that the usefulness of the event has diminished since it’s become so ubiquitous.
SXSW
But maybe for the money, it would be more effective to fly a handful of reporters to a special showcase put on just for them -- perhaps in an isolated spot so they can't go anywhere except to the showcase.
Drowned in Sound - Features - SXSW: When A&R people go on holiday?: "So is SXSW really the career-making event it’s painted out to be? Does business really get done there? Or is it merely a massive, backslapping piss up?
SXSW celebrates its 20th year in 2007. Beginning as a means to highlight the thriving artistic scene in Austin that was isolated in the middle of Texas, SXSW was set up to bring the world to Austin to check out its wares. Soon after, international bands started pitching up, alongside a good number of A&R men from all walks of the music (and indeed, film) industry. Somewhere along the way – roughly thought to be around five years ago – it became one of the ‘must do’ events on the global music calendar.
It hasn’t looked back since then. In 2006, there were 1,493 officially showcasing artists playing across 64 venues. Hundreds more bands also played. In fact, last year there were 12,000 or so members of the press and industry assembled in Austin. A fair growth from the 700 people who initially registered 20 years ago. ...
Mark Bowen, co-founder of the successful UK independent label Wichita, is markedly more cynical: “As the trend has become for bands to play multiple shows and parties, then more and more time these days is spent with your own bands at the expense of seeing other stuff. SXSW tells you pretty much nothing about what the American public will make of a British act, and little more of what the industry there will make of them.”
Indeed, in the decade-plus that he’s been going to SXSW (“Umm, 13 times in total”, he confides), Bowen agrees “without doubt” that the usefulness of the event has diminished since it’s become so ubiquitous.
SXSW
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Design Economy
I just found this, which is another entry on the concept that we have already moved beyond the Information Age into the Age of Creativity, or, as it is called here, The Design Economy.
This quote comes from an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but I found it on a blog about media, religion, culture.
There's something happening here. While the Religious Right is getting all of the mainstream press coverage, people are looking for ways to connect with each other through arts and culture and churches are providing those places.
ryan torma: The Design Economy: [Quoted from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune] "The information economy is still with us. But the paradoxical effect of the Internet is that it has made information so widely available that it holds no real economic value. Everybody can get incredible amounts of information, so there's no competitive advantage of having it. The idea of the design economy is that, for developed countries like ours, which cannot compete in a global marketplace on price or even quite often on the quality of a product, we have to compete on the basis of innovation, creativity and imagination, which takes you to design. By design, I don't mean just aesthetics but function and cultural adaptability."
From the blog that cited the above quote:
"Jesus is a commodity. No one needs churches or clergy to tell them about Jesus or any other religion for that matter, it can all be found somewhere else. The design economy holds true for faith communities as well, churches will be judged by how well, or not, they help live their faith, not on their ability to provide information."
creative class
third places
church
This quote comes from an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, but I found it on a blog about media, religion, culture.
There's something happening here. While the Religious Right is getting all of the mainstream press coverage, people are looking for ways to connect with each other through arts and culture and churches are providing those places.
ryan torma: The Design Economy: [Quoted from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune] "The information economy is still with us. But the paradoxical effect of the Internet is that it has made information so widely available that it holds no real economic value. Everybody can get incredible amounts of information, so there's no competitive advantage of having it. The idea of the design economy is that, for developed countries like ours, which cannot compete in a global marketplace on price or even quite often on the quality of a product, we have to compete on the basis of innovation, creativity and imagination, which takes you to design. By design, I don't mean just aesthetics but function and cultural adaptability."
From the blog that cited the above quote:
"Jesus is a commodity. No one needs churches or clergy to tell them about Jesus or any other religion for that matter, it can all be found somewhere else. The design economy holds true for faith communities as well, churches will be judged by how well, or not, they help live their faith, not on their ability to provide information."
creative class
third places
church
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Another music venue sponsored by a church
This one is in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Rocky Mountain Chronicle - PSST : "Everyday Joe’s is a non-profit, Old Town coffee shop affiliated with Timberline Church, the sprawling mega-structure on Timberline and Harmony roads that, minus a huge cross, could be confused with a sizable public high school. Timberline Oldtown is an offshoot congregation that meets at Everyday Joe’s on Sundays. During the week, Hess says, the space is open to all, like 'a community center with a coffee bar in the corner' that is 'not going to slam Jesus down someone’s ears when they walk in the door.' ...
" ... Everyday Joe’s frequently books events that are of interest to non-Christians. Many local and national musicians with offbeat, artistic approaches are overlooked by Fort Collins bars and end up soliciting Everyday Joe’s for exposure. The catch is, those who want to play Everyday Joe’s may have to edit their expression.
“'We have a usage agreement that anyone who performs here signs,' Hess says. 'And so they understand that changing a lyric — you know, not dropping the f-bomb in the middle of a song — is worth doing to help out what we are trying to do, which is to just give back to the community.
“'When people think Everyday Joe’s is not Christian enough and other people think we are too Christian, that’s when we know we are in the right spot.'”
third places
church
Rocky Mountain Chronicle - PSST : "Everyday Joe’s is a non-profit, Old Town coffee shop affiliated with Timberline Church, the sprawling mega-structure on Timberline and Harmony roads that, minus a huge cross, could be confused with a sizable public high school. Timberline Oldtown is an offshoot congregation that meets at Everyday Joe’s on Sundays. During the week, Hess says, the space is open to all, like 'a community center with a coffee bar in the corner' that is 'not going to slam Jesus down someone’s ears when they walk in the door.' ...
" ... Everyday Joe’s frequently books events that are of interest to non-Christians. Many local and national musicians with offbeat, artistic approaches are overlooked by Fort Collins bars and end up soliciting Everyday Joe’s for exposure. The catch is, those who want to play Everyday Joe’s may have to edit their expression.
“'We have a usage agreement that anyone who performs here signs,' Hess says. 'And so they understand that changing a lyric — you know, not dropping the f-bomb in the middle of a song — is worth doing to help out what we are trying to do, which is to just give back to the community.
“'When people think Everyday Joe’s is not Christian enough and other people think we are too Christian, that’s when we know we are in the right spot.'”
third places
church
The arts and economic growth
The whole premise of the creative class is that they enrich an area and attract high quality economic development.
Here's a bit on that from the blog that covers the subject in depth.
The Creativity Exchange: The Bohemian Factor:
"Arts, design and related occupations are very highly correlated with regional wages, income and housing values. They are more closely correlated with income than life scientists, engineers, and management occupations. Only two occupations - computer scientists and business and financial professionals - outperform them.
The core arts occupations of fine artists, musicians, dancers, and so on are most important of all. The correlations between them and regional wages, income and housing values are far far higher than for designers and decorators, entertainment and media, and sports where the correlations are low or insignificant.
The top 10 regions for core arts occupations are: New York, DC, LA, Honolulu and San Franciso.
Santa Fe tops the list for fine artists.
LA leads in actors with Orlando second.
Honolulu, San Fran, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City top the list for dancers.
Honolulu, New York, San Fran and Nashville lead for musicians."
economic development
creative class
Here's a bit on that from the blog that covers the subject in depth.
The Creativity Exchange: The Bohemian Factor:
"Arts, design and related occupations are very highly correlated with regional wages, income and housing values. They are more closely correlated with income than life scientists, engineers, and management occupations. Only two occupations - computer scientists and business and financial professionals - outperform them.
The core arts occupations of fine artists, musicians, dancers, and so on are most important of all. The correlations between them and regional wages, income and housing values are far far higher than for designers and decorators, entertainment and media, and sports where the correlations are low or insignificant.
The top 10 regions for core arts occupations are: New York, DC, LA, Honolulu and San Franciso.
Santa Fe tops the list for fine artists.
LA leads in actors with Orlando second.
Honolulu, San Fran, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City top the list for dancers.
Honolulu, New York, San Fran and Nashville lead for musicians."
economic development
creative class
Arts and religion
In my blog I have highlighted a number of churches that are also serving as music venues. It's not that I am a spokesperson for the religious right. Rather, what I see is that churches are moving into a void left by a lack of "third places" which bring people together around music.
Bars are not appropriate places for many people to enjoy music. The alternative (coffeehouses and all-ages clubs) can't always make it if they have to bring in a certain amount of income.
But churches, which exist to serve people on Sunday, but sit empty much of the rest of the week, offer available venues.
This particular article talks about the need to foster both creativity and Jesus. What caught my eye was the quote below.
I have written extensively about people in the information society, and I have seen many engineers laid off as jobs are outsourced overseas. So I have questioned the wisdom of encouraging students to specialize in science, math, and engineering careers when those offer no more lifetime job security than less "practical" endeavors.
The quote below is the first I have seen to suggest that the information age is already over.
Refractions: Being a Child of the Creative Age: "The Information Age is behind us, and yet we, in America, are educating our children to thrive in that past. The skills and knowledge for Information Age are now outsourced, but we are ill equipped to lead in the age of imagination, the age of synthesis."
creative class
third places
creativity
church
Bars are not appropriate places for many people to enjoy music. The alternative (coffeehouses and all-ages clubs) can't always make it if they have to bring in a certain amount of income.
But churches, which exist to serve people on Sunday, but sit empty much of the rest of the week, offer available venues.
This particular article talks about the need to foster both creativity and Jesus. What caught my eye was the quote below.
I have written extensively about people in the information society, and I have seen many engineers laid off as jobs are outsourced overseas. So I have questioned the wisdom of encouraging students to specialize in science, math, and engineering careers when those offer no more lifetime job security than less "practical" endeavors.
The quote below is the first I have seen to suggest that the information age is already over.
Refractions: Being a Child of the Creative Age: "The Information Age is behind us, and yet we, in America, are educating our children to thrive in that past. The skills and knowledge for Information Age are now outsourced, but we are ill equipped to lead in the age of imagination, the age of synthesis."
creative class
third places
creativity
church
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