Austin, My Two Cents by Norman Wanklord

The last few months, anyone living in the Austin area, or anyone following Austinites, has surely been bombarded with this proclamation that the Austin Music Scene is dying, or in danger of dying out.  I’ve mostly stayed out of it, helped out where I could, offered advice here and there, but steered clear…that is until now.

Feel free to click below, leave comments calling me a jerk, and everything in between, but trust me, I’m aware this is just another opinion floating off into the great Internet void. 

For starters, a little about myself…if you’re not already acquainted.

Born and raised in Austin, since 1980.  Been hitting up shows since 93′ on my own, many more with my pops before that time.  I’ve toured with bands, local and beyond. I’ve run ATH with friends for close to 10 years, and have run a record label on the side for several years.  I’m a teacher by trade.

Now, does any of that qualify me to comment on the Austin Music Scene, making my voice better or louder than most? Absolutely not. I’d just like to offer another way to glimpse the entirety of this situation before we reach hysterical levels.

So, ultimately, is the “scene” dying? NO. At least not anymore than in any other medium-to-large city in America. Now, what led to my declaration? Here’s a few bullets:

-We’ve been spoon-fed the marketing ploy “Live Music Capital of the World” since 1991, officially speaking.  Those who’ve come from larger cities or traveled about surely know that this is simply not true.  Unless the guy covering Sublime at Chuggin Monkey exemplifies “live music.” It’s the same thing with the myth that we’re trying to “Keep Austin Weird,” which is about local business opportunities rather than Austin having a bunch of oddballs running about town.

-Businesses, music venues especially, come and go. It’s the nature of the beast.  Since I’ve been participating in live music, here’s a list of venues I’ve been to that have closed (or are about to): Emos (pre-Riverside), Liberty Lunch, La Zona Rosa, Flipnotics, Austin Music Hall (pre-2000), The Ghost Room, Voodoo Lounge, Antones, Club deVille, Beauty Bar, Southpark Meadows, Holy Mountain. A lot of these places were filled with beautiful people and beautiful memories, but we should be grateful we were able to attend such places. Even places like CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City eventually faded into the annals of music footnotes.

***This is not to mention that there are still stalwart venues to see bands: Stubbs, Beerland, Mohawk, Red 7, Continental Club, Saxon Pub, Hotel Vegas, Red Eyed Fly, Flamingo Cantina, Scoot Inn, The Parish, Hole in the Wall, The North Door…not to mention newer venues like Cheer Up Charlies (post-East Side), Empire Control Room, Swan Dive, ACL Live (Moody Theater), The Blackheart, ABGB, Radio Coffee, Studium Space.  The point being, it’s cyclical…old ones go away, new ones are born.  Tragic, perhaps. Sad, definitely. End of the world? Not even close.

-Bands still come here to play music for a living. If you use THIS SITE, which compares living expenses, then Austin is cheaper than comparable cities like Portland or Denver…and out of the cities with historical, or recent explosions in music, only Nashville is cheaper than Austin, and not by much. I’m not saying there isn’t a great deal wrong with the world of Austin and what our artistic community must face, but rather that these are things artists in all locations must face.

-Austin’s growing, and changing.  And sadly, the people doing the most complaining are the ones that have the ability to make the largest impact.  As humans, we naturally gravitate towards like-minded individuals, thus the artists, owners, music fans, etc., all feel like this is a huge issue…and it is.  But, do you think the average Austinite cares about the plight of the Austin musicians? Sadly, the answer is probably not. It’s not because they don’t appreciate you as an artist, but rather a great portion of the world, while appreciating music, just don’t see the point in going to local shows when they can get their “music” fill by attending a festival.  They see all the bands they love, and call it a day.  Unfortunately, the Live Music Capital of the World is turning into the Festival City of the World…so your average Austinite probably isn’t as concerned as your guitar player’s girlfriend.

-Here’s the asshole idea of all ideas. Music, as a profession, is not the viable living it once was…if it ever truly was.  Austin has managed to push some bands into the mainstream limelight, such as the Spoon or the Butthole Surfers before them, but the majority of the bands struggling are going to struggle.  The music industry is not what it once was.  No one is interested in the “album” by and large, instead craving the latest single…and usually without paying for it.  That makes it difficult for labels to fund tours, which inevitably makes it difficult for bands to hit the road, spread their name and earn a living.  I’m not saying this is good, but it’s the sad reality.  I’ve no idea how to change it or impact it…but I’m doing my damnedest to do my part every day.

In summation, I don’t think that the Austin Music Scene is dying.  I’m not saying there are not areas of improvement such as health care, affordable housing, wage standards (part time jobs and gigs), etc, but I’m saying that we need to be realists. We can’t call this an “Austin” problem, when in fact, it’s a problem facing bands all over the globe.  It’s the sad truth of the evolution of the music industry, and all we can do to impact it is continue to go to shows, buy merch, help a band crash on your floor or couch.

If Austin’s changed, and it’s not your cup of tea anymore, then so be it.  I wish you the best on your journey to wherever. But, if you’re staying, rest assured that there are tons of artists working really hard in this town to bring you their music, and still tons of venues willing to have them play.  We can be nostalgic about the days gone by, or the venues we’ve left behind…but we also can look forward to great tunes, or even bad tunes, continuing to come from the various musicians in our city.  There are thousands of really hard-working individuals in this town trying to book shows, promote shows, throw house parties, record music and put out records…and we should be grateful that while it might not always be the most fruitful passion, these individuals are here in abundance, proving that Austin’s music scene must go on.

Plus…remember this is mostly opinion based on my experiences. I realize there are problems here, but they exist everywhere. Lets drop the self-importance and go out and see some local bands.