Aaron is my name. Ticker Tape Parade is my band. why do i think this town is weak? the best way to sum it up is this, i guess. semi-popular bands that play in chicago play at the metro. 1200 cap. venue. one week later, on the exact same tour, that same band plays in phoenix, at the modified, to about 93 people. know what i mean?
charlie has been putting on shows in this town for ten years, and the show that he just cancelled would be a no brainer in ANY other major city. instead, this awesome town of ours sees more and more touring bands skipping us to go straight to tuscon. like spoon did the last time they were in AZ.
this town is awesome.
-a
TTP = TickerTape Parade, of course! Welcome to the Shizz, Aaron.
Anyway...
I know how frustrating small audiences are. I've been playing locally in a solo capacity for six years, and there's still a whole bunch of people who don't know who the hell I am. I played a show to 100+ people three months ago where I could hear people singing along to my songs. One week ago, I played to a room of two people, and the two people were friends of mine from junior high (I'm 27, so we're talking over a decade ago) who randomly found my website on the internet and decided to check out the show.
I'm still not sure why this festival got cancelled, I'm guessing low ticket sales... though while I'll admit I wasn't planning on going, I know a lot of people who would have gone, and would have enjoyed it. But something that has always bothered me, and I'm sure a lot of other musicians on this board and in our town, is that companies like Stateside, companies like Luckyman, etc., always seem to use the same local opening acts on their show. I don't want to name names, because I don't want to detract from the integrity or quality of those bands.
But... isn't it possible... that some shows are poorly attended because the local show-going audience are sick of seeing the same bands? Maybe those bands aren't interesting anymore?
I don't want this to seem like a case of sour grapes. I know I could do a lot more for myself, to get my demo in the hands of a Charlie Levy or a Will Anderson... to put together a press kit and make sure every venue and booker in town knows my name... but I do notice that a lot of the bands I like and respect stick to the Trunk Space/Four White Walls/Paper Heart market. And that's great. I love our Grand Avenue scene, I think a lot of people in the East Valley who think Phoenix is "too far" to drive for shows, or that the art district is "too ghetto" are missing out on a great scene.
It's really easy to blame the average person, to say Phoenix is uncultured... but I have to wonder, are we as an art/music/etc. community always giving patrons the most kick-ass material for their dollar? Could it be that people don't venture out because they're not expecting much?
If we want people to come to our shows, we have to do a better job promoting, and we have to make sure what we're promoting is good stuff. Also, we have to support great ideas, even when... get ready for this... THEY'RE NOT OUR OWN.
I'm guilty, for sure. I need to come out to more Shizz Second Saturdays. And I'd like to see more Shizz folks at Modest Proposal nights (whether it be the MUSICOMANIA night I'll be helping host on final Saturdays at Trunk Space or the comedy show we've been doing on Third Saturdays at Paper Heart). We need more East Valley bands to come support what's happening in Phoenix (and somebody needs to do something interesting in the East Valley to inspire me to get off my ass and drive out there).
I don't think we act like a community. We try, oh, how we try. But I think Phoenix and the surrounding areas has always been a load of untapped potential held back by schisms and cliques and professional jealousy (and as I said before, I'm guilty of some, if not all, of these things myself).
I think many of us get inspired every once in a while, and things feel like they're moving upwards again, and then everybody gets tired and lazy and we get back to where we started.
I'm not offering any real solutions here. I'm just making observations. The best I can do is try to write good music, try to promote the hell out of my shows, try to book bands that are really worthwhile, and support shows and bands that really deserve it, that I want representing me and my hometown.
And, Aaron, I'm not being sarcastic when
I say, GODDAMN I LOVE PHOENIX.
