A Plea: Don’t Forget the Locals
In my town, and many others across the nation, on any given night there are dozens upon dozens of bands setting up and ascending stages, from the darkest corner of the diviest bar to the blinding lights of an arena gig. The venues are strewn all across the city, and a few are even legendary—grand, opulent ballrooms, dim but stately theaters, and renowned punk clubs. The city’s been host to many a seminal act’s first US stop and seen a great number of bands sing their swansong. From all over the globe, the artists swoop down on a nightly basis to provide us with unparalleled entertainment. It’s awesome. I don’t think anyone takes it for granted.
The flipside to all of this vast and varied music coming through town is that it actually detracts from the local music community. While it brings us together night after night, luring us out of our homes to see dinosaur bands of the ‘80s reunite or a hugely successful ensemble grace a venue’s stage for a week-long residency, these high-profile gigs are quite a distraction. The music scene is bustling and bursting at the seams, but do our local acts get overshadowed by this caliber of live music?
Many major cities seem to share this “dilemma”—the small, local bands that are in need of community support don’t get it because of the number of bands and artists that make these cities an obvious stop on their tour. Sure, these local acts have a large number of venues at which to play, which is, indisputably, a good thing. CD release parties abound. There is live music seven nights a week. Most of the active music community is well aware of the bands that comprise their local network, but whether they spend their time, night after night, supporting these guys and girls that actually need and rely on the community to back them, well… that’s where I’m not so sure. Because there are only so many nights in a week that even the most impassioned of us can spend going to see live music.
I’ve lived elsewhere than the city in which I currently reside. The small community in Virginia that was my home for five years had very few large bands coming through town. There simply weren’t many places for them to play. As a result, the few really solid acts that were residents of the area had massive local support behind them. Nearly all of their shows were well attended. They would play at the biggest venue in town one night, and the next in the basement or backyard of a house party. Everyone became fellows in the same circle; we’d pass out flyers to their shows or sit at the merch table. And they were, for the most part, good bands, and our community was visibly 100% behind them.
There was one particularly successful band in the community, getting radio play on major stations in DC and Baltimore and heading out on many nationwide tours. Covering our grounds in stickers and flyers, their name became known far and wide across the truck-stop town, simply because of the exposure they were shoving down our throats. So even though they weren’t a band anyone with taste was particularly into, they were local celebrities. And we weren’t unhappy for them, even though we were not fans of their music. There was a local bond behind our community, and the bands were, of course, essential. We appreciated them at all costs. The few big acts that would swing through town would book local bands as their supporting acts, and it would only enhance their draw. I’ve no doubt this is the case in many small towns across the US and beyond.
Today, living in a city that has, for decades, given rise to cultural movements and influential waves of new sounds in rock ‘n’ roll, I feel that we are not bonded musically by the fabric that makes up our network like we have proven to be in the past. Sure, there are great bands coming out of the region, and certainly many of them have active fan bases. But I feel like they have to hit the road to get the attention they aren’t finding in their home town. We are, at times, too judgmental of the little guys and gals, because frankly, we feel like we can be. The cities that I speak of are premier stops for the best bands in the world. When you can catch a massively influential band on a Sunday night at a 500-person capacity venue, see the lead singer of a hugely popular band at a tiny theater the next, dance to a world class British DJ at an underground club the night after, scope out a buzzing new band out of Austin or LA the following… how are the pretty good, low profile, new to the scene, local bands able to compete with this seemingly ubiquitous preeminence?
I feel certain in saying that San Francisco is not the only city with this sort of dichotomy—a cosmopolitan city that is known as a music town but not necessarily in part to its own current community. It’s but one of the major US cities that is on any touring band’s agenda, and we get inundated with live music. This is the land of the mighty Fillmore Auditorium, and bands cross the Atlantic to play on its hallowed stage. This is the home of Bottom of the Hill, a tiny, 350-person club that’s hosted everyone from Modest Mouse to the White Stripes to Pavement. If there is one thing that residents of urban metropolises generally have in common, it’s considerable respect and admiration for culture and creativity. And those who are immersed gladly sing praises and go to shows… but as for the masses, I can’t help but be skeptical to think that, if you are only attending periodic shows, it will probably be the ones that are really exciting. Our eyes skim down the page of a listings guide only to get caught on the fact that so and so is playing their first show together in years, or blah blah blah is playing a very small venue for a band of their caliber. Whether or not people love and nurture music and the arts is not even the question; it comes down to the fact that most people just don’t, well… rely on the locals for entertainment like they do in small towns.
There is, without a doubt, a passion and collective energy that comes out of this city that has bred, and will continue to breed, strong resonating bands. Today, there are dozens of local acts gaining momentum and with that, a respected following; they are making great albums; they are getting people together to see them play. While it’s not as easy as it could be, as it should be, for them, the reason is also attributable to the fact that it’s a region where artists, writers, critics, and music aficionados alike are drawn, and in that large pool of talent, it’s difficult for any act to emerge and stand out from their musical peers. On the other hand, they are bestowed with a built-in audience of people who, for the most part, engage with music and I think any young band values that ratio.
So, wherever it is that you may dwell, don’t neglect to support your local musicians. Mark another night on your calendar to see a show, and make it a local act. Give them the nurture and support that any young band needs to keep going. Pay the five dollar cover to get in the back room to see who’s playing. Buy their CD. Any one of us is lucky to have all this creativity and artistry driving our town’s musical role in the world at large, and simply by living in a place, we are a part of that community.
I often remind myself that it would indeed be a somber existence without local artists because, after all, they are the glue providing the bonds of any scene. It’s the shared cultural locality of a place that defines a town and drives a community, and that, ultimately, can have an impact on the rest of the world.
About the Author
I am an editor at Crawdaddy! Magazine, the first magazine of rock journalism that was brought back to life online in May 2007. I grew up in Maryland, moved to San Francisco after college, and have found my sanctuary incorporating my passion into my profession.
Marianopolis Swing Dance Club performing at Cat’s Corner
