121 replies to this topic

[Tender Lad]

Went to modified to see the Wal-Mart documentary and stuck around to see The Album Leaf. They are all very good players. That said, it was one of the most boring shows I've ever seen. All of their songs were ten minute droning pieces that could have been a music score for a really lame romance movie. At least I had some heinous gas to spread around the club.

The documentary was very good "Wal-Mart: the high cost of low prices". You should rent it.

[EliK]

i dont really like any of the bands on that show,
so i was not going;
i didnt buy a pre-sale ticket.

does that mean i'm an unappreciative, ignorant dumbass who is hurting the phoenix music scene? no.

everybody seems to be hyping up the significance of this show being cancelled as some sort of condemnation for Phoenix, which i disagree with. i know there are plenty of people who consistantly support plenty of bands; just because there weren't enough people for these particular bands on this particular show doesn't mean the general (musically aware) population is completely WRONG about their taste in music.

[EliK]

i never meant that if you dont like those bands you are lame. try this. you might not agree with my point, but you might better understand it. 

1. pick your favorite band.
2. go to the tour section of their website.
3. compare the size of venues they are typically playing with the size of venue they are playing in phoenix.
4. compare the population of the phoenix with the population of the cities where the venues are bigger than the one they are playing in phoenix.

-a

most of the bands i'm interested in seeing play modified/solar culture-sized venues in most cities...

and anyway, i dont understand what that would prove? that in this general area, there's a smaller percentage of people interested in the same music that you or I listen to? ok. this is probably true. i dont really care though.

i understand that it takes money/fans to bring bigger bands, but i don't understand why we need those bands to somehow be legitimized as a city. when people say things like "OH WE BLEW IT ON THIS ONE" it makes it seem as if big bands being successful here is the only way to be a musically relevant city, and i disagree with that.

[SceneIsDead Concerts]

I was very disappointed to hear about the cancellation of this weekend event. However, I would like to applaud the effort put forth in arranging The Grand Cayenne Music Festival. This was a tremendous undertaking for any single promoter and/or individual passionate about furthering the music scene today. I've definitely lost my fair share of money while hosting shows these past couple of years - that said, I wouldn't even want to imagine the losses sustained by Stateside Presents as a result of this. Charlie Levy is certainly in a class of his own.

I just hope that something positive might come as a result of all this. Now isn't the time for assigning blame amongst ourselves - rather, we should be focusing on what improvements can still be made within our music scene. I mean, we have all the components necessary for a thriving local market. All we need is that connection.

[weener]

look at it this way. Your band can get a show at ANY CLUB IN TOWN this way. And, if you get what would be considered a moderate sort of following in a bigger city here, like the Minibosses, you're the most famous band in town! You're the baddest motherfucker in town if 150 people come to your show, and that would be small potatoes somewhere else.

[Big_Poppa]

i'm willing to bet the SHOTFEST WENT EXTREMELY WELL.

I haven't seen that many people at the Alley since the Jeremy Enigk show (that was a long time ago). I missed you LB, that is just the sort of nonsense that you would have appreciated.

[bob]

OMG, I was at the Jeremy Enigk show. Amazing. I don' remember what local band I had to sit through for that one. Seven Storey Mountain? Ouch. LOL, Lance... apologies I wasn't a fan till Norwood hit the scene!


Also, I'm not interested in creating a "thriving local market" at all. I'm interested in thriving culture. Does money play a part? Of course, I have to live here, but I'm interested in sustainability not profitability.

[psykosteve]

i dont really like any of the bands on that show,
so i was not going;
i didnt buy a pre-sale ticket.

does that mean i'm an unappreciative, ignorant dumbass who is hurting the phoenix music scene? no.

But the point is you wouldn't go see these bands anyway, you wouldn't buy there albums. So why would you go to their shows?


So many people in this twon buy Spoon records and love Mates of State. None of them bought tickets. How many people have I heard in the last year or two say they wish Black Heart would come back, their name comes up a lot and the people who have said that for years didn't buy tickets. How many people just go to smaller indie shows and aren't as opininated as you (or I) and didn't buy tickets. And this Ticket was CHEEP and they wouldn't go. Thats why it is really lame.

[JMG3]

Any possibility of legit local music festivals in the future depends on the turnout of the show. I planned on being there to support local music, and support a "scene" that's always been good to me, but I was busy doing the band thing all weekend...
go figure.

[chadk]

it is sad that the show was canceled.

but i don't feel that phoenix bashing is going to get anything acomplished.

i like the conversation and peoples imput, but being a defeatist will only incourage others to be "haters"

if i were looking into setting up a show somewhere out of town and i stumbled into a music forum in a particular area and found a buch of people dog-ing their town i would most likely find somewhere else.

the shizz has a national audience, just ask where everybodies from in the minibosses forum, (the most traffic is there also)

[psykosteve]

Also, I'm not interested in creating a "thriving local market" at all. I'm interested in thriving culture. Does money play a part? Of course, I have to live here, but I'm interested in sustainability not profitability.

Sustainability is NOT AT ALL POSIBLE with out profitability. They go hand in hand.

How long would Modified last if they lost money every month? Would PHIX? Would Hollywood Ally? Who would put on shows if everyone lost money? A few people would do it once or twice, do a mediocer job and disapaer not wanting to lose more money. Everyone complains about money untile it is theres.

We are not talking about some big corprate company trying to make a buck. We are talking about one guy who loves music and has been trying to bring great bands small and large to phoenix for a decade. He is what a "thriving culture" needs. He didn't try and put on this festivle to make a buck, he did it to try and do something ligitimatly cool in Phoenix.

I can count the number of times Charlie has brought great new bands to Phoenix that no one cared about at the time. He brought Bright Eyes, Death Cab, Moduse Mouse, Ryan Adams, Eliot Smith, Maron 5. All when they were playing in fornt of 50 people. Did he bring them because he thought they would some day be huge and make him a buck? No. They are huge because people like charlie beleived in them when no one did.



If Charlie stoped doing shows I would really worry about this towns sustainability.

[psykosteve]

if i were looking into setting up a show somewhere out of town and i stumbled into a music forum in a particular area and found a buch of people dog-ing their town i would most likely find somewhere else.

So if you found a website the size of the Shizz saying LA or New York or Seatle sucked you would take its word and skip those towns?


Phoenix is the 4 largest city in the country, Mesa buy it self is the 18th. The Phoenix metro area is larger than San Fransisco, Austin, San Diago, Dalas, Boston. Good bands skip this town because people don't suport the shows, not because people "talk" on mesage boards.

[bob]

psychosteve, i'm certainly not disagreeing with you, believe me. my only imput to the topic is that the bottom line is not the bottom line, good music is.

all i've got today are dumb catchphrases.

phoenix can pull national acts and has a place to host them in an all ages setting. that's more than flagstaff's got, and yeah, we could look at population demographics and all that, but really it has to do with people on this board and elsewhere and the work put into creating such things. however, can you really blame a national/international touring band that chooses tucson over phoenix? you just can't. tucson is that much nicer a place to be. maybe not weatherwise, but all things considered. that said, the bands i've been in, the shows i've had in tucson, have all been underattended to the point of almost no attendance. so it can go back and forth all day.