Artist communities can do many things — give individual artists the chance to collaborate with one another, put on events to get an artist’s work across to the public and help shape a city’s identity. One of the most important things that an artist community can do, it seems to me, is to simply support one another by going to each other’s shows.
With regard to local music, it’s often difficult to get regular gigs, to make a name for yourself and to cultivate a fan-base. Simply put, it’s easy to be a good band that no one in your home-town has ever heard of. But an easy way to spread the word is for musicians to support their fellow musicians by making an effort to make it out to shows and to con unsuspecting folks into going along.
We are fortunate enough to have two showcase events that make this easy to do — The Crown Town Showdown and the weekly Open Mic at the Evening Muse. The Salvador Deli also helps out by giving local bands exposure in front of the folks who mill around NoDa on Friday and Saturday nights.
I make this point because over the last year or so I’ve made an effort to get a sense of what’s going on in the Charlotte local music scene. I’ve done so because I’m curious and because I enjoy a good show. As a musician, I also like to see what bands are doing well whether they have good stage presence, compositions, musicianship, or a unique approach to an established genre.
Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the sense that Charlotte musicians are terribly supportive of one another. I’m not saying that there is a complete lack of support, but I can say that I’ve met too many musicians who want everyone to come out to THEIR show but who do not make much of an effort to go see shows put on by other local bands. I often get the sense that there’s an implicit assumption that THEIR band is the best and consequently they don’t really need to go see other bands (What’s the point if you’re the best?). Heaven forbid that they buy a CD put out by another band. After all, if you’re not going to waste your money on a cover charge, why would you waste it on a CD?!
I’m being a bit cynical, but I’ve lived in other cities that have supportive music communities and the stark reality is that local bands need support from local musicians. They don’t have a big name, they probably don’t have the cash to pay for advertising, they are most likely trying to promote themselves by whatever means possible (fliers, handbills, emails, etc.) and they can’t keep relying on their friends and family to come out and support them at another show.
I believe that Charlotte’s music scene will only improve if musicians make the effort to support each other’s projects. It’s really simple:
Don’t make excuses.
Got to the Crown Town Showdown.
Go to the Muse on Monday night.
Go to the SalDeli on Friday night.
Check out a band’s website.
Get on their email list.
Get on a venue’s email list.
Buy a CD.
Tell a friend.
Repeat.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 4, 2009.
Come out to Salvador Deli this Friday at 7pm. Pradigy GT will be opening the show for night a good music! Its Free!
http://www.myspace.com/pradigygt
stupid article..music scene’s are pipe dreams. no one wants to pay 5-10 dollars to hear nonsense
I would agree and disagree with your assertion. There are pockets of mutually supportive musicians; not only sharing members, but going to see each other play and sharing loyal fan-bases.
However, even within the limited community, there are the standouts who don’t ever get to anyone else’s shows but their own. This is often noted and remarked upon. It gets to be a downward spiral after that!
Mac is more cynical than me!!!!
Charlotte musicians are clique-ish. The fans are too. Very narrow minded. And, you’ve got a tiny group of fans for each genre. That, coupled with the fact that most dolts would rather shell out money to see a shitty tribute/cover band… quite a predicament. Oh wait, there’s a new music venue in town where I can see one hit wonders from the 90s! Pffft.
Phil and Hal,
I think you’re right….
there are small groups of musicians who make the effort to support one another. There are also musicians who make no effort.
The utopian in me wonders what the Charlotte music scene would be like if the musicians were more cohesive. “Musicians of the world unite!”
If 90’s music, pop, etc. is so popular, then the musicians who work outside of those genres have to work together…..or move to a differnt town.
As a musician myself, I have seen both what people like Hal and Phil are talking about and what the article talks about. There are lots of musicians that support one another, but there can be a cliqueishness. It seems that a lot of musicians in town view other bands as either inauthentic or competition. This is going to be the case wherever you go, not just Charlotte. But there are a lot of talented musicians who don’t get properly supported by either other musicians or anyone else.
But there just doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of cohesion among the community (not scene, a scene is a different thing entirely). It gets discouraging when so many musicians are down on one another rather than being excited that there is something going on in their town.
As soon as most Charlotte bands stop sucking so much people might go see them.
Bacondero,
contra to Qcp and Mac, I think that there are plenty of good musicians and groups in Charlotte. The Crowntown Showdown, for example, won’t just let any shitty band get up there and play….and they’ve found plenty of good local acts.
And, I think you’re right about the lack of cohesion (maybe there isn’t a scene at all). It seems to me that the problem concerns the attitude that many local musicians and music goers have. But how do you go about trying to change people’s attitudes?
I’m tempted to just file the whole disappointment under ‘Charlotte Sucks’ but I can’t disagree with the points. I’ve always felt obliged to go to others’ shows when I’m not playing myself & can swing it just for the pure kharma. Can’t moan about folks not coming to your gigs when you refuse to get off your ass and reciprocate. Charlotte is pretty lame across the board and Eric’s right on-point with this one b/c I’ve not noticed much of that brotherhood factor myself outside of the bands I know personally. It’s a bummer for sure.
I have just a few points to make.
1. There are plenty of venues that have been supporting the local music scene(yes there is a large music scene that you apparently are not aware of)for years that are not on your list.
2. It seems as if you are a promoter/musician at the places mentioned above and arent getting the turn out you desire.(does your band suck?)
3. you might check out these venues to see the Charlotte music scene alive and well(only one on the list is in NODA):
the milestone club
snug harbor
the doubledoor inn
the visualite
the neighborhood theater
smokey joes
the philosophers stone
those are a few of my favorites. There are many more so do your homework before writing and opinionated article like this. Just a thought…
One last thing.
Music to me is something that I cherish deeply. To me, it doesnt matter who listens to or likes the art I make. It only matters what I get out of the process of making it. If more artists truly believed this, we would have no problems with artistic communities. Instead, we bicker back and forth about things that ultimately do not matter.
Go surf. It will make you feel better…
Seek, you will find. Apparently you have not. Music is not within the big names you can trust or not trust at all. It is within everyone putting effort to be heard and to make you feel good, at least for a moment. Do you search the papers for things to hear and do? Go out and listen for a noise and follow it. There, you will find something. You just haven’t been listening. It has been there for a while.
Good day to you.
Marc and Milkjug,
You’ve missed the point my friends! No doubt Charlotte has plenty of good venues and bands. That’s why I encouraged people to go to the live music venues in the blog in the first place!!!
My main point (that neither of you addressed) is: Charlotte’s music scene would be even better if musicians made the effort to support one another and that that support is a must in a place like Charlotte NC.
p.s. Mark, one last thing….I do play in a damn-fine band. But I suppose you’ll have to catch our act and tell me what you think! 😉 e.
One cliche about Charlotte is that “no one is actually from here.” I think in a weird way that’s extended to the musicians through a lack of any great solidarity. While a few acts are “hometown boys” (Avetts, e.g.), it doesn’t seem like there’s as much of an collective impetus to make Charlotte’s music into something special. Maybe it’s because people are not as invested in the city as they may be in where they first came from.
I know that there’s been plenty of local musicians that I’ve loved and made efforts to support them particularly when it’s at a new venue for them or somewhere out of town. I think there’s a lot of fellow musicians who do the same. We recognize that what we are all doing separately is important to us, and we of all people should know how much it means that someone made an effort to come out.
That being said, seems like a lot more conversations between musicians begin “Hey man, if you’re not doing anything Friday come to my show” rather than “Hey man, when are you coming next.”
Marketing yourself is an unfortunate part of being a musician, but it’s not all of it.
heh, second one should be “hey man, when are you *playing* next”
Bacondero,
Word.
I agree with Eric’s original statement that, yes, many musicians don’t make out to each other’s shows. I am guilty of this myself…not intentionally. I am a professional musician and therefore am usually working when my musician friends are playing their shows. Many of my musician friends support by attending each other’s shows within our “clique”, as some would say. I don’t think “clique” is the right word, they are my friends that share common interests, want more fans, go out and meet more people.