I Love You Austin, But You’re Bringing Us Down
Read it. Tell me I’m a jerkstore.
This is a topic I’ve been discussing with friends, bands and those outside the realms of Austin for quite some time, and while I’ve avoided a proposal to the masses, I just don’t want to sit behind my computer anymore, letting the problem persist. Austin, I’m sorry to say it, but our music scene is struggling.
Now, I realize this brief expose may come across as a condemnation of sorts, but I don’t want it to be a criticism, so much as a call to arms. I’ve been a part of the Austin music scene, in some manner or another, since the mid-90s (I realize this might be a few years too late); my hope is that in writing this, someone, somewhere will see the potential in Austin, thus bringing our music scene back to where we’ve claimed it to be.
Again, this is not a proposal of hate; it’s merely a dream of a man who sees the town he loves in the death throes of everything he grew to expect.
First, we must discuss the “Live Music Capital of the World” moniker. I’m sorry to say, but Austin no longer deserves such a title. Sure, my buddy gets to play Dave Matthews covers at Dizzy Rooster, but that’s not the spirit of the name. Yes, I’ve seen tons of incredible acts grace the various stages in Austin, but few of those acts actually found their sound in our fair city. We’ve lived on this title for far too long, and in doing so, we’ve grown lazy and entitled, expecting the best acts in the world to come to our town…and they do. But, in doing so, we’ve neglected our own brethren; we’ve chosen to endorse travelling acts, rather than support our own. A music community cannot exist without the support of those involved.
Now, many will say that there are several acts that have been able to rise to stardom from our town. Spoon? Well, Britt doesn’t live here anymore, and as the main songwriter, that makes that null-and-void. Okkervill River? Will spends the majority of his time in NYC, so again, we can’t stake claim to that. There are a few others that have garnered national attention, but even those acts have struggled to move beyond the confines of our city. Where have we gone wrong my friends? We’ve chosen to neglect our own, instead choosing to embrace those who come to our city. If we don’t have our own foundation, we’re going to see things fall apart.
Where have we gone wrong?
For one, bands in Austin, give or take a handful of hardworking folks, struggle to carve out an existence for themselves. Many, and I know many, work at restaurants or coffee shops, hoping to save up enough money just to record a singular song. Austinites, for the most part, don’t buy merch, from touring acts, and especially not local acts. Therefore, many acts cannot afford to exist on the cusp of popularity in Austin, treading water until eventually they have to turn to other options. As a fan of your local musician, you’ve got to buy t-shirts or LPs, or perhaps just give them $3 from your wallet. It might not go a long way, but it’s a start. And yes, I know we’re in a recession, but I just saw you buy Dewar’s on the rocks, so you can save that last drink you probably don’t need, and offer it to the band.
Another act we’ve neglected, the good times Austin can offer. I was fortunate to grow up during the hey-day of Liberty Lunch or Voodoo Lounge, but the most special times for me revolved around the ridiculous events that went down at house parties. I remember seeing Skate or Die at the Duck Pond by my house. You’ve never heard of them, nor their hit single “Hormigas en el Parque,” but members of that band went on to be part of the Sword and Octopus Project. Or house parties where Recover played, and all the local cognoscenti showed up to support them. We were alive, and so was the city. It made our local shows a gathering of friends, which brings up another sad point.
Why don’t you all go see local bands? Whether or not they’re opening for the next big thing, or they’re throwing an album release at Beerland, why aren’t you there? My biggest Austin complaint is that music lovers don’t seem to love music. You’ll go catch the biggest thing according to Pitchfork, and I’m there too, but when the opener begins, there are four people there. That opener, more often than not, is an Austin band getting their big break, and we forgot about them; we only want to see the headliner. Unfortunately, that doesn’t do the band, nor the promoter, justice. The promoter sees the band doesn’t have a draw, so they don’t book them again. Headliners see the same thing, thus they don’t want to play with that act again. Thus the Austin scene stagnates. The same 10 bands open, and no one new gets a break. I get that Uchiko has a great happy hour, but skip it, see your new favorite local band.
If you’re asking why any of this really matters, then perhaps I’m not entirely clear on the subject at hand. Austin brings in great bands, true, but we’re not lifting up our own bands to the same level of greatness. You look at cities like Brooklyn or San Francisco, and they’re band are doing extremely well. They’ve got great hype, they can tour behind that, and they can make a living. The sad truth for Austin bands is that they cannot. True, a few bands have branched out and toured on their own dollar, only to come back broke or barely above breaking even. Some bands, and this is true fact, have had to move away from Austin in order to eek out a living as musicians. This shouldn’t be the case. Our bands should be our priority. In order for the exodus to cease, we’ve got to correct a few things.
1) Buy stuff. Seems simple, right? But, bands make their livings off merch. They record with that extra two dollars you spend on pizza. It might seem silly, but next time your drunk friend begs for a beer, give it to the band instead. They’ll appreciate it a great deal more than your friend who’s going to drunk dial you at 5 in the morning.
2) Go support local acts. Seems simple, but even if you’ve never heard of the bands, go support your local venues and local bands. I suggest places like Holy Mountain, Cheer-Up Charlies, Scoot Inn, Mohawk, Beerland, Hotel Vegas or the Owl. All those place definitely want to make Austin what it should be.
3) Don’t get mad, fix it. You hate what I have to say? I’m okay with that. Go start a blog or something to become involved. Throw a house party; we’ll spread the word. Austin grew its music scene on the DIY spirit, and we’ve got to get back to that. Meet the bands and throw a show. Most bands will play for beer, as long you promise to get people to hear their music. There’s nothing wrong with that.
4) Read up on the locals. You want news on the local scene, no better place than your devoted slew of local Austin blogs: AustinTownHall, OVRLD, PopPressInternational, Ultra8201, Austin Bloggy Limits, SideOneTrackOne, RepublicofAustin. We all are friends, and our goal is to make your lives easier by helping share our insider trading info, hoping you’ll show up. We care about music, and we care about Austin. That’s our bottom line, and we hope it’s yours too.
In conclusion, this is probably not the post I intended it to be. But, I wanted to make it filled with less hate than how I occasionally admit to feeling. I’m not mad at Austin, or those who love music here, I just want better. I want better for our friends, our bands, our venues and those that want to see a great show. I want the best for you, and I want the best for me; I know we can do better.
I love Ringo Deathstarr. I think they still live in Austin…=)
And Nathan, you are doing a good work for your home fellow bands. I knew Literature with this blog and loved their music, so I ordered the LP that you’ve launched with them here. Crowdfunding is democratizing music recording around the world. Hope that more Austin bands come to launch good albuns here.
Best wishes,
Gabriel (São Paulo – Brazil)
This isn’t to say there aren’t great bands here, it is to say that Austin has to support the bands and cultivate the bands. These guys and gals work hard and their work is good, some great. We will lose these talented people to other places if we don’t support them.
It is funny to be the one wanting to promote, wanting to cover, wanting to help and at times feeling helpless. People will show up only for the headliner and complain about standing in the back or be dicks in the crowd when the photo guy for the site that first told them about the band tries to get by. Stop that. Be a scene of fans, not a fan of scenes.
And hey, you “live music venues” downtown, how about you book something besides a shitty cover band? (OK, quick note, meant to read as band playing shitty cover music.) Pretty sure there are plenty of guys in those cover bands with original music, let them play it. That is how Sixth St. was when I liked going there. Joe’s, Steamboat, Black Cat – those places would fill the streets with the original sounds of Austin every night.
Anyway, see you tonight at The Mohawk…
like. hey i’m one of the 4 people watching the opener, and i spend way more on merch than drinks. i agree we have some great local acts that are sadly under-supported.
hooray for being part of the solution! :p
my biggest current gripe with the music scene is actually that new ticketing company that doesn’t sell real, actual tickets. when did people stop caring about that? i still do 🙁
I’m with you Byron(e). I still have a box of tickets that sits in my music office, along with buttons galore.
There is a great show every other Thursday, the next being the 27th, at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard on East 11th next to the Victory Grill. These folks are putting on some of the most original sounding stuff to ever grace this city. It’s called Jazz OUTside Jazz, get it? It’s about creative music not your granmas Jazz. Go and give them some support. Support is all that will keep it alive and the local scene alive.
Thanks for the heads up. We’ll definitely spread the word. I just want everyone to be more active. It takes hard work, and we’re here to help.
I went to a record release show on Thurs night and there was an alright number of people there despite of the NBA finals. At one point, the headliner who had released a new album in addition to mentioning the new merch available, he also mentioned his restaurant shift that he’s working tonight and reminded people to “please tip”.
I agree. People should make a commitment, especially locals, to see a local band at least 1x a month. I have always had this grand idea that these venues (some that you mentioned above that ” want to make Austin what it should be”) help locals, like me, make these shows more affordable (i.e. a frequent listener/supporter card or something) and in turn, allow you to come out and support a local band or three. Many people, sadly, want incentives to go out like free beer, free admission, free whiskey shots for the first 12 people, etc. I’ll scratch their back if they scratch mine. Its these simple and small things venue can help reach out to locals and invite them in no matter what incentive it is (just even saying you have a “special secret guest” on the bill makes me solidify my commitment to going to the show).
I am trying my best to go out at least once a week to a local show. Although, I am finding it extremely frustrating as a professional to go to some of these shows. SET TIMES are hardly ever posted by the venue, sound quality is not always up to par (the mix at some of the venues you listed above are completely poor and sad), and even the accountability of the promoter/venue/artists/organizer is not there. How can we venture to show and teach one another (bands, artists, performers, etc) where and what venues are treating you like you matter. I know, as an audience member, I am treated like crap by some bartenders, managers, and in some cases, I get no response when I ask/inquire about set times in some cases, and/or upcoming shows and collaborations.
Guys – we need professionals in this town to run these venues. We need someone who knows how to mix (try looking for sound ladies too, not just GUYS), how to manage bands/festivals, how to even just make sure the band has a SAFE stage to perform on, contracts should be signed between venue/artist to ensure that some monetary (or beer/pizza) will be given, communication re: shows, set times, venues, bands, load in, etc needs to be worked on, and hell, even a lighting rig (nothing fancy) could help many of these small venues out in town. Once we get that all in place and actually PAY artists, technicians, managers, and NOT JUST PROMOTERS – you will begin to see Austin go back to the “LIve Music Capital of the World”. We’re way behind that title. I do agree with you.
Thank you for sharing and voicing your opinion. I like the discussion that has opened up and has made me personally think and want to take action on.
I agree with you Mel. I think there are definitely improvements that can, and will, be made in the future, especially in regards to sound and lighting. Perhaps we all need to set up some local organization with promoters, bloggers, journalists, bands, etc that can meet once every few months and discuss improvements. Austin’s great at bringing in jobs, but it’s struggled to encourage the art (not just music) going on in town. I guess that’s why I wanted to write this, as I want the best for our town, our musicians. I want the scene to center around the music/art, not just the “scene” where we all hang out and drink together.
Starts with asses in seats, Melissa. Cultivate artists, but you make a point about cultivating the support team. I guess that is why I love The Mohawk so much. That team is screwed down. The small venues will have people learning how to run the board, just like they’ll have bands learning how to play their new songs.
But it all starts with us…
…and you’ll never get an argument from me about better lighting. 🙂
a lot of bands in Austin are pushing envelopes and escaping the normal 4-piece sound of the past and moving into making music for the future. they bring out more than one instrument per person and thousands of dollars worth of gear are put at risk of theft or breakage all for the sake of performance and (maybe) a lousy $50 which we spent more on gas and parking just getting there. not-to-mention missing an important weekend shift at work to be at a venue for 7+ hours before we (maybe) get paid…
with that said, check out all the openers at the Prince Rama show this Sunday at Red 7. you’ll be surprised.
The cities problem: Transmission Entertainment. If Rosa doesn’t have a crush on one of your band mates or if you don’t already work for Transmission you’re pretty much not going to get any worthwhile “big-break” type of shows. Thank you for putting Emo’s downtown out of business and for becoming the next worse version of C3. I can’t wait to go see Washed Out once a month.
Josh-
Here’s a question…how do we help? Clearly we here at ATH care, and we’re trying to open a conversation up. We’ll do all we can to help, it’s just hard to get everyone (writers/promoters/venues/bands) on the same page. Any ideas?
Thee Voice makes a great point. Another one is the fact that venues rarely do their own promotion, let alone actually pay the bands!
This town is also over saturated with bands. Everyone and their Mom thinks they’re a musician, and its gotten to the point where when someone says they’re in a local band, peoples first reaction is that they probably aren’t very good. I also feel like with so many bands, it can me a little intimidating for average fans.
Also, 6th street is a shadow of what it used to be. Its actually quite pathetic.
Then there’s this: Remember when chicks liked to dance to rock ‘n roll instead of pop rap?
Sorry, but this article absolutely DOES come off as criticism. I find this all to be whiny bullshit from someone who seems to feel like they have a false sense of entitlement because they put up a fucking blog post.
Off the top of my head I can think five local bands currently (or soon to be) on tour totally funded themselves. One tour kickoff show for one of these bands was last night at Holy Mountain, another is tonight at Hotel Vegas. The show tonight, which has 4 local bands on the bill, will be packed – I guarantee it.
If people aren’t going to see or don’t watch your local band, then you either 1) need to work harder at promotion for said band, or 2) your band sucks. Rehearse more. Make some flyers, you know, printed on ACTUAL PAPER and put them up around town. Spread the word. Using the internet/facebook/whatever digital means as the only way to get the word out about shows is incredibly short sighted. People don’t always go see my bands, and I know I could work harder at both points 1 and 2 above. Oh, and none of the blogs you mentioned have ever written a single thing about one of my bands, despite the fact that I have sent some (but not all) information about the bands and their shows. Are these blogs really helping?
As for the labels (yes, I do one of those too), the one thing that Austin lacks is one, single label with distribution putting out many records by bands representing the scene, which would in turn MAKE a scene on a national/global level. Instead, there are 20 people putting out 1-2 records a year and going largely unnoticed with poor/no national/international distribution. Putting out records is great, an I applaud you for doing it, but… do you have distribution? Are you running ads in nationally distributed magazines? Are you taking the next step?
And FYI, there are still house shows – just last week a DIY rager happened at Little Tulsa House with a touring band from GA and multiple local bands opening. Were you there? Maybe you need to look and try harder yourself before you start pointing fingers at others.
My point is really this: The grass is always greener on the other side. Fuck San Francisco and fuck Brooklyn. We have a good thing going here, and this blog post does more to hurt it than help. The end.
PS – Transmission has done tons for Austin’s music scene. The comment about Transmission above is absolutely fucking ridiculous. Go practice more, asshat. Please see above, re: not helping.
Oh, geeze, not this again. Austin’s music scene was dying in 1980. And 1985. And 1992. And 1998. And 2002. And 2009. It’s always been dying.
Nathan, I agree with everything you wrote here–in fact, i was working on a similar post. So many people will rave about the headliners that Pitchfork has spoon fed them, but doesn’t even listen to an Austin band that is 1000x more talented because they haven’t been blessed by the nationals.
People who say that there aren’t anything but cover bands, Stevie Ray Vaughn knockoffs, or 90s shoe gaze throwbacks need to go outside of their comfort zone and take note of the amazing music we have in this city.
That said, I think that there’s something ironic about a site called Austin Town Hall that covers mostly out of town music and then bitches about the lack of support for the Austin music scene.
How often do you cover a local band on Austin Town Hall? Once a week? Once every two weeks?
One of the reasons why I stopped covering national bands on Republic of Austin was because there are SOOO many amazing bands in this city. There are at least 5-7 new releases each week. That means that there are more releases than I have time to write about.
I’m not trying to point fingers. I don’t get around to writing about all of those bands, but I’ve made a conscious decision to focus ONLY on Austin businesses, bands, entrepreneurs and issues.
I’m not saying that ATH shift their content as dramatically as I did–but at least call it out. Name the article LOCAL SPOTLIGHT or some shit so that people pay attention to it.
The only way to keep a scene alive is if we support musicians. That can mean going to shows and buying merch. But on the basic level, if no one talks about it, no one can know about it. The more we share the music we love with people, the more people will know. The more they know, the more we shift their perceptions. And when perceptions change, things happen.
It’s good to have this conversation. I thank you for bringing it up, Nathan.
It’s a vicious cycle Josh and a complicated issue worth discussing. With rising real estate/rent prices in Austin, a venue can’t afford to pay you more than that measly $50 when they’re making nothing at the door due to lazy Austin “music fans”. Not saying you’re not right, just pointing out that many venues are left in tight spots and go out of business or *gulp* move to Riverside.
re: Transmission. NAILED IT. Completely. Down to the crushie poo Ms. Rosa has to have if you want to succeed. God help you if you happen to be a group of ladies with no cute fella in your band. And C3 has proven themselves to be the devil, but they’re not even glancing at the folks not bringing in a full house, so they’re not quite the major pain that Transmission is. Come on, kids. Let everyone sit at the cool kids’ table sometimes.
The “scene” is the problem in Austin. Everyone is jockeying to be hipper than thou on said scene, and bands with an extreme amount of talent are overlooked if they aren’t part of the clique. Austin has a giant issue with saturation. In any other major player city in this country….well, no. You CAN’T play 5 days a week. There’s a good reason for that.
Austin has a majorly inflated ego, and while deservedly so on many, many levels, it’s become distasteful and completely unpalatable to a whole lot of people—especially the live musicians who make it the damn live music capital of the world. An attitude adjustment would serve it well.
Pedro’s Little Friend-
You’ve got some valid points, and I think I made some too. That’s sort of the point. I think Austin can do so much more. We’ve tried to write about as many Austin bands as we can, but in all honesty, the Austin bands that send us music are generally rap-metal or teen pop. Have you sent us your tunes? You can send it to me directly at nathan@austintownhall.com. I always listen. Always.
As for the local bands funding their own tours…I know they exist, but do you think Fleshlights/OBN IIIS, Sweet Talk, Sour Notes are the only bands that can get out of this town? I think there’s more, many more in fact, and I want to encourage that and help that. A lot of things go in to getting bands to tour, and that starts with earning money at the merch table or at the door. I just hope that everyone at Hotel Vegas tonight watches the band rather than sits around outside chatting.
And as for the Transmission, I can only speak for our site. Rosa, and everyone at TE, has always been good to us, and helped us out.
And for local bands complaining about not playing or not getting exposure, fucking create your own shit. That’s how it works.
If you play hybrid Japanese-Mayan Punk Folk Rock and no one books you, book your own show with similar bands. It can be anywhere. It doesn’t have to be the Mohawk, Stubb’s or Red 7. Do a series of house parties. Build your own scene. Make your own money. Build a following. And then when you get large enough, start your own festival.
Sound familiar? It’s because that’s not just what ACL, SXSW, and Fun Fun Fun Fest did, it’s what every scene in the history of music has done.
No one write about you? Ask a blogger to coffee or a drink. Don’t just send them emails wanting to write about them. Make friends with them. And for God’s sake, share the posts they write about you. If that doesn’t work, start your own blog that covers the local music you like.
If something isn’t working in your life, you have to move outside of your normal routine and world view to see a new path.
As someone who has been a booker, a manager, a musician, and a blogger, that’s my two cents.
R.I.P. The Duck Pond.
I agree Chris. We do need to be better about covering more Austin acts, and we do our best. We need more of the bands to reach out to us, as we can’t always make it out and get to every last show. That being said, we’re also huge music nerds, so we love every thing. I love sharing music I discover, and I’m working harder to get more Austin band’s coverage. I’ll actually be putting up a song in a bit from a great up-and-comer. I just wanted to open the door a little bit. I’m not saying the Austin music scene is dying per se, but that it can, and should, be better. Everyone in this town needs to play a role in that, thus why I wanted to start the conversation up. I know it comes across as a complaint, or criticism, but it’s meant to be constructive. We can all make changes, us included, to keep things going forward.
Chris just hit a home run. If C3, transmission, etc isn’t working for you, then fuck em and do your own thing.
Also love your comment about emailing bloggers. Try to be friendly and not just looking to get something from us.
Love these comments
Also adding my two cents and advice to local bands. Push your music hard, but if you come across someone who doesn’t care for your tunes, accept the criticism and move on. We’ve had several experiences with bands becoming abrasive and confrontational when someone doesn’t like their music.
You make art. Must have thick skin
Pedro’s Little Friend:
Your band is psych-punk-garage-rock I’m guessing? When you’re done raging, thrashing and slamming tall-boys and you start getting serious about listening to music or cultivating a sound for the future, then you can speak to the adults.
come on, Transmission doesn’t pay locals fairly. In fact, as a local, if you ask for a guarantee, you get practically blacklisted with them. It’s just the way it is. They run shit. They have one of the largest venues in town and book the majority of “indie” touring bands. They don’t need to actually curate shows or pay locals fairly because the bread and butter of their business has built in crowds. And yes, they like many booking people all over the world book w a sense of nepotism, although it is more transparent with them. I will say that the mohawk has an ace stage manager that makes shit happen, but they way it’s booked, BLAH, LAME.
Basically booking people need to:
A. Curate shows w intelligence and taste, rather than putting their bro’s band/their own band on the bill. That’s just tacky.
B. Kick the openers a few hundred dollars on those huge sell out shows, not because you have to, but because it’s the right thing to do.
C. Hire sound people who have experience beyond doing sound for hardcore bands
D. Show a little respect! When you play outside of America, it’s totally customary for venues to read your tech+hospitality riders and take it seriously. Most venues put you up in hotels that they work in conjunction with. Obviously hotels for locals isn’t the issue, but providing more than three beers and a green room would be a good place to start.
E. Communicate real soundcheck times. Yes, everyone deserves to get a soundcheck. Even if you are opening.
F. Promote the show? I get the whole DIY thing, but if you care about what you are curating, you should take the time to promote it yourself.
G Reach out to people who know about shit going on outside of the box and get them to organize events.
H. ASK FOR RIDERS, EVEN FROM LOCALS. Encourage them. Welcome them.
As someone who has played FFFFest more than once its obvious Transmission has been cutting corners over the years. They used to treat locals like royalty, now it’s uh two drink tickets the day you play… Wait, you don’t have an alcohol sponsor? Oh, you do! Hmmm…
I’ve worked (and played) in the Austin music scene for years. Just because a band is local doesn’t mean we should care. If they release poorly-produced, badly-marketed music, and don’t put on a good show, no one is going to follow them. Want to make money and get good gigs? Make better art.
My simple response as a music fan, but one who has not invested a lot of time in the local scene: I’m just not often impressed with what I see – musically – so I’m not motivated to do more. There seem to be a lot of bands that value experimentalism over melody and rhythm, for example.
The indie/hipster credo seems to be, “Do something different.” To me, being different isn’t enough – you also have to be good. Many bands seem to be stuck in the punk rock approach to (not style of) music where aesthetically pleasing sounds are seen as mainstream and conformist. The response is to overvalue a bad voice or lo-fi recording because it seems to make a statement against pop. That may be interesting as a statement, but not as a song.
Here are a few things I find myself frustrated with:
1) Bad voices of lead singers. Somehow we’ve sent out the message that anyone can sing.
2) Uninteresting chord structures. Dissonance or intentionally oversimplified chords are used, again similar to a punk rock approach of 2-3 chords specifically designed to not be accessible.
3) Uninteresting melodies. To me, there is a difference between a song having a generally pleasing sound, and having a really engaging melody. So often I’ll hear a band that generally sounds good, but am never really engaged by melodies.
Of course, bands have no obligation to make music I like, and I utterly respect the artistic freedom we want to grant bands. However, bands have to realize that there may be a very direct relationship between the kind of music they make and who comes to see them. I think bands should stay true to their sound, but consider their work to be part of a larger conversation with potential audiences. Give some thought to what elements of your sound might speak to a larger group of people and go with that – if you want that larger group of people to show up.
People are pretty simple. They aren’t just going to !!! or CHVRCHES because they’re cool – they’re going because there is something that those bands have to offer. If I were as entertained by a local band as I am when I see !!! for example, I’d be there. It’s not laziness, addition to pitchfork trends, or unwillingness to spend money.
As a positive example, look at Mike & The Moonpies – I think they’re doing something really interesting and relevant to Austin, and the size of audiences when they play reflects that.
maybe the problem is that most good music belongs to a niche of people who seek it out. There are good shows and good locals, I think all you need is to look out for it.
That aside, I sort of like that there’s not a shitload of normal people at the shows I want to go to.
Here’s a question to everyone responding here…what are your favorite local acts? What bands deserve a larger audience?
Bodytronix (RIP?)
Silent Diane
Sleep Over
Survive
Thousand Foot Whale Claw
Pure X
Deep Time
Troller
Missions
Slugbug
Ssleeperhold
Silk Rodeo
to name a few…
@Nathan – Bob Schneider.
I would like to see Blogs and Radio pitch in more around town. Too often I see industry folks acting like they make the scene and don’t work for it and in it. It’s not enough going to parties and trying to be on every VIP and guest list.
Favorite local bands?
Daniel Francis Doyle
Pataphysics
I love how some of the commenters on this thread think that bands start as perfect packaged works to consume. Sorry, folks, that’s not the case. None of your favorite bands started out perfect. They need to practice, perform, and grow. But the only way that happens is if people support them.
In Berlin I never heard people bitch about how unrefined musicians were. They applauded people for trying. People who think art is automatically perfect and prepackaged expose their own self esteem issues. Maybe Austin is full of cynical folks who wish their were musicians. I mean, it’s easier to tell yourself that it’s got to be perfect before you can create because it keeps you from creating. And it’s a lot easier to not even try than it is to set yourself up for potential failure.
Art is something that takes practice and time to develop. Again, the only way it can develop is if there’s a supportive space that welcomes that. It takes all members of the community: fans, media, bloggers, bookers, and bands.
That doesn’t mean you have to like bands because they are local. What it means is that you should acknowledge that it’s not going to be perfect right away–but over time, it can get there. Look for the diamond in the rough. Talent in the making. None of the bands you like would be where they are had someone not seen that talent and supported it.
Art is about sharing this human existence. It’s not about how glossy the packaging is. Anyone can throw marketing money at the shittiest band to make them look good–any pop music can show you that.
My band got signed to a nationally recognized and critically-acclaimed independent record label last year. I refuse to post our name since I’m not here to promote. Simply to make a point. We’re about to record our 3rd album with a big-name guitarist in rock and roll at a studio in town that has engineered some of the biggest records in music. Our music has been licensed on MTV a handful of times. When we play at home in Austin, we play to like 5 people… 3 of which are our girlfriends.
@nathan re: local bands
deep time
Daniel Johnston
white dress (rip)
Harlem (rip) / grape st.
pure x
Christian bland & the revelators
ghostland observatory
also does anyone have an explanation on why transmission decided we’re all too cool to get real tickets to their shows? I really do think it’s bullshit, so I’ve decided to not give their web site any more of my money- which means I’ll no longer be getting in to any sold out shows. but hey when your only voice is your wallet (they don’t respond to my emails), you have to use it I guess.
There are some points on this thread that I agree with. There are others I absolutely can not disagree more with.
One thing that I haven’t seen too much touched on is about the independent promoters in this town. Get to know them. They’re the ones who are constantly supporting local music, and putting together fantastic bills with local/regional bands. Their work is a sheer labor of love. They make hardly ZERO money doing what they do. It’s one of the hardest jobs when you are an independent promoter and you’re up against the big dogs like Transmission, C3, ACL Live, etc who have massive budgets. However, they got to be the big dogs because they had solid business structure, as well as a team full of truly talented people. When the big dogs can’t spend as much time on the local scene, look to see what promoters are booking shows at the venues you like to go to.
I have been a musician in Austin for 7 years,a promoting for 6 years. The statement about Rosa @ Transmission is bogus. Rosa supported my art and business ethic for YEARS, and if you can’t tell by the name, I am not of the male gender. She supports people who she knows are talented, as well as movers and shakers.
Bands need to take a bit responsibility for themselves too in order to make the local music scene what they want it to be. Oversaturating your market with 4 shows in a week is a big no-no. Don’t say yes to a show 2 months in advance and then keep booking shows around it. You’re not going to bring a draw to places like Mohawk, Holy Mountain, Red 7, Scoot Inn, Hotel Vegas, etc. that you normally would if you’re playing so frequently. The bookers will see that and they won’t be so keen to ask you back again. Keep this golden rule in mind: No shows 2 weeks in or out.
Promoting in a market that is very crowded is difficult, but if you have the talent, the charisma, and the balls to go out there and make something for yourself then you will see positive results. Success and fame doesn’t happen over night. This isn’t Disney. If you don’t give it 5 years you’re not giving it a chance.
Austin can learn a lot from Athens, GA. If you’re from Athens then chances are you are so incredibly in love with your scene and your bands. Successful bands such as REM have put money into the economy by buying businesses, creating job, creating non-profits that offer facilities for musicians to record, practice, get health services, even free dental work.
Nobody ever said the music industry was easy. If you don’t love the art and the community you belong to then you’re not doing it the right way. Start there and THEN worry about the rest.
Amen brother. I’m helping a local musician right now and it breaks my heart to see how tough it is even get to play for free in austin. Now you’ve got me thinking of ways to help. I love this city but I’m not a fan of how the culture is changing.
That’s the realest thing I’ve read about music in Austin. To the 5 people that show up for shows, thanks.
Apathy is the H-bomb to all good things. Nothing kills a band or blog or whatever quicker than if its own fanbase can’t be bothered to throw a buck or two into ensuring its continued existence.
I’m coming at this from the point-of-view of someone who is smack dab in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign (not for a band but for a documentary series about bands). I should point out that I’m really happy with our progress and super grateful that our fans have stepped up (and will hopefully continue to step up). Crowdfunding really is a lifesaver for us.
Having said all that, if you look at the number of fans we have on Facebook vs. the number of donations we’ve received, it’s not a great ratio. But the thing is, I think that in terms of that ratio, we’re doing as well as anyone else. I bet This American Life has a similar ratio of fans to donators. (They just have 2 million more fans.)
So if you think of it that way – that the percentage of fans who will give to your project will always be small – then the only solution is to make your fanbase large enough so that even a small percentage is a large number.
Then you have to think, “Is your band, blog, TV show capable of getting that big of a fanbase?”
Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? I honestly don’t know what it takes. In my admittedly limited experience, it seems to come down to making good stuff and a whole lot of promotion. It’s that second thing that costs a lot of money. (I’m looking at you, Facebook ads – you horrible, evil, necessary thing.)
I think the lesson here is that you have to support the bands and blogs and TV shows that you do actually like. There are a handful of bands that I genuinely love that are Austin-based, and I make a point to buy their albums when they go on sale because I rarely go to their shows. I can tell you that from the side of someone who actually makes a thing and hopes people like it enough to help support it – it can be utterly heartbreaking when things don’t go as well as you’d hoped especially given all the hard work and dedication you put into it.
I think what’s most frustrating is the attitude some people seem to have which is that they are owed something from content creators. “Just make the thing and give it to us. Quit bugging us about money.” As if TV shows magically grow on trees and we’re just the farmhands who pick them.
But those people are admittedly few and far between. Our fanbase, I think, has been amazing and generous and so, so great about promoting our stuff.
So yeah, if you love a band, there is no reason you shouldn’t buy their album or go to their shows or buy a t-shirt or whatever. It seriously rarely costs more than $5.
“Every time you spend money you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want” and all that.
Austin is suffering from serious musical brain drain. There are many well-rehearsed, highly talented artists (bands and solo acts) with lots of supportive local fans that are hard pressed to find a paying local gig. My boyfriend’s band tours ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, making their name, in no small part, on their Austin origins. Their local gigs are few, and pay a fraction of what they get at seemingly podunk venues in other states…that is unless they are playing for tips. They are not alone either. This is what I call the “popular in Colorado” syndrome. Granted, every genre and clique is faced with unique problems, but regardless, there are things that can be done to improve the conditions for all kinds of local musicians. Austin is overpopulated with unimaginative bars (ie: Sixth Street, thought this phenomenon is spreading all over) that base their success on alcohol sales. I’m far from a prohibitionist, but I think the city would do well to offer tax cuts (or some such incentive) to venues who employ multifaceted business models that promote local talent.
Well this is quite the circle jerk of mediocrity. If you aren’t getting what you want out of the Austin music scene, it’s because you suck as an artist, don’t work hard enough, have unrealistic expectations, or the most logical conclusion Transmission is holding Austin artists down. Damn that corporate behemoth!!! I asked Rosa last week if my 1 year old psychobilly band could open for Belle and Sebastian, but she chose a much less deserved band because the lead singer’s butt was nicer than mine.
I am not really in touch with the current state of the scene in Austin, but I know that when I left in 2006 it was already in decline. I played in a local band called America Is Waiting in the early to mid 2000’s. Back then, you could feel the static in the air. There was a really great scene for a few years. There were a few factors that played into it.
1. Community: Bands liked and respected each other. We were all fans of each other. We would play shows together, party together, and draw inspiration from each other. Sure, there was some pettiness and ego, but for the most part we were all on the same team.
2. People: People were energized. They genuinely loved music. They were willing to sacrafice their living room for a good show. They were willing to go see a band they have never heard of because someone somewhere might have said they were ok. There was a sense that discovering your next favorite band could happen at any time. Selling merch was still a problem, but at least you made a decent cut off the door and bar if you were lucky.
3. Venues: Booking shows was easy. People who booked shows respected local bands. Grahm at Emo’s would book a local act opening directly before rock legends and it was business as usual. It was still difficult to get a show at Emo’s if you were a new band though. Randall at Beerland on the other hand, would give anybody a show. Beerland made it possible for a lot of bands to get their start. It sounds like it’s not as easy for bands to do this now?
The one thing we didn’t have was a really great regional label. In my opinion, this is the biggest reason Austin never broke out like Seattle, New York, Chicago, etc. Austin needed a Saddle Creek. Obviously, this isn’t so much the case anymore. Thanks to technology, bands don’t need to pound the pavement like they used to and they don’t need the distro that back in the day only a decent label could provide.
Anyway, my point is that it takes more than just one factor to have a really great scene. It really starts from the inside out. If you have great bands and passionate people, you find a way to do it. Damn the venues. Play shows in parking lots, living rooms, parks, wherever. If people care, then everything else will come together.
I’m shocked that the person who picked Daniel Johnston as his/her favorite local artist didn’t just include Meatloaf, Robert Plant, or Iron & Wine too.
Austin, if you don’t know about Sean Padilla and the bands around him, then you don’t know what Austin is all about. The Cocker Spaniels, Zest of Yore, and many more….go see him, and quit bitching about the scene.
The Flesh Lights tour kick-off partay at Hotel Vegas starts in a couple of hours!
…a few random points that may or may not contradict each other:
-ignore Austin bands unless they are really worth your time. Don’t go see a band play just because they are from Austin. See them because you believe in their music – NOT where they are from, how cute they are, or how many cool people will be at their show. This is part of what makes what little remains of the Austin scene so obnoxious and unappealing in the first place. Take a hard look at whomever the local Austin scene darlings of the moment are and say to yourself, “would I still enjoy this music if instead of the “insert cool venue at the moment”, it was at the Carousel Lounge and instead of a packed room of slick hipsters, it was a handful of everyday people?”. This is why so many of the “big” austin scene bands fail to make it outside of this city. Local tastemakers and concert goers tend to promote the wrong bands here. Face it, we have more salesmen than true local tastemakers & people who know how to organize a scene in this city.
– let’s be honest – if we ALL buy a little more local band merch, it’s not going to help the real problem which is that this city is becoming more expensive to live in at a rate that will soon exceed the means of more and more artists living in this city. Our city isn’t growing in a way that scales well for those with non-professional jobs. I have already started to noticed a real drop off in the quality of available local musicians. This can’t be a good sign for the longevity of a true local scene.
– I’m glad someone said it – the influx of national acts that come through Austin have made it difficult for local musicians to bring a real drawl on a consistent basis. Not only is it tough to compete with the nationals, but there is an overwhelming amount of bands here AND an overwhelming amount of venues. For a music lover, it’s a full time job keeping up with the local bands who are around, when they are playing, and where(and that’s ignoring the national acts). That’s why I like what a place like the White Horse is doing in terms of making their venue representative of a specific niche and keeping those types of bands playing that venue every night. Maybe that’s something we can do as musicians – consolidate our services to a place, get all of our like minded friends who play that style to play there and make that venue a scene for everyone who loves that niche. We are too scattered around the city now – pick one or two places, pool your fans(and ultimately fans of the genre) up at those venues and build a following there…and maybe in time the sound guys who work there will be pretty good at working that niche too because part of why sound engineers are so bad here is because you could literally get 4 completely different sounding bands on the same bill(because people who book here consider genre last)…and then the music is just a little bit better and the fans enjoy it a little more and hey, maybe then some of these venues actually start making money and sharing with the bands too. Let’s put the “scene” in concentrate!