The Joy of Live Music

I'm writing this as a fan of live music, and someone who wants to see it flourish get bigger and bigger. First off, let's be honest: Live Music will NEVER die, but it could be doing better. I've been on nearly every end of the live music experience, with the exception of not having the talent to write it or sing it myself: I've been a roadie as a teenager, promoted festivals through college, and owned clubs in Hollywood and even the Parish Room in Austin, Texas for years, so I've seen the different sides of the business, although I'd never pretend to know it all. What I do know is that there are certain cities that are incredible, and that should grow.

Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, and ironically, our motto is, Keep Austin Weird... Coincidence? I don't think so. Let's look at a small sampling of the best music cities:
Nashville
New Orleans
Chicago
Los Angeles
Seattle
New York

Yeah, I know there are a bunch more, but is there one on this list that couldn't go by the same slogan as Austin? Live music cities are weird, eclectic, fun places that allow the best musicians to flourish and grow. They're where the left brained people thrive. They're where you're generally free to express yourself, and break away from the standard norms. They're the areas where being "normal," is okay, but to be unique is extraordinary. Where passion is applauded, and where apathy is worse than hate. I love these areas because it's what makes life worth living.

When we took over the Parish Room back in 2007, it was for a love of music, and a desire to be immersed in a subculture that may not be very profitable, but was exciting nearly every day. We had a great staff that loved what being a part of it, and most all of our staff worked for the same reasons. It wasn't just about the money, because frankly, unless your Sony music, there isn't a lot of it, but to have the chance to be there when a band or a singer came through, and to be amazed by what you were hearing and seeing, is what it's all about. Now let be honest. Being a club owner, I wish I could say that I had my thumb on the pulse of the music scene more than I did, but frankly, I often times felt like I was out of the loop, hearing some of the most amazing music as a band played for the first time. We had shows that would sell out clubs in California, that would barely pull a handfull of people in Austin, just because they hadn't hit it big outside of their home towns. We had an incredibly passionate girl, Brynn Scott, who booked our calendar for us, and I can say that although she didn't have the greatest business sense, she loved the acts, and understood their needs more than most people in the industry. She worked because she loved what she did, and we appreciated her for that. I was lucky enough to have a business partner, Chad Helton, who had ground his teeth as Director of Operations for the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip, and knew more about music as an industry and a business then most major promoters. We had bartenders and bouncers like Jason Lowrie and Acea who not only worked the venue, but would also play it because it wasn't enough to just play, they wanted to always be around it because the music would be the thing that would get them recharged and excited about life. I wish that more people could see these things and feel it like the people that are part of all these important pieces of the sub culture.

The fans are the best part. We had the opportunity to be part of some of the biggest national festivals, SXSW (South By Southwest) and ACL (Austin City Limits). To see the crowds line up, in some cases thousands of people, trying to get into a club that had a capacity of less than 450, shows the passion that a true fan has. It may not make any sense, but these are the things that make music great. Fighting for the ability to just be close enough to the music, KNOWING that you're not going to get in, but just to be close enough to hear and be a part of what's going on. That's what makes live music so special. So what's the point? Why blog about this? The reason is, if you're part of these groups, this would be the same as someone trying to explain to a car enthusiast why cars are so cool. If you're not part of this, then you need to know what you're missing, and become a part of it.

I don't have the Parish any more, and unfortunately, it's not the same as when we had it. It's become corporate and I hope it falls into more passionate hands one day, but the music still lives on and Austin will hopefully always keep it's musical roots. The music shouldn't be treated like a holiday, and only be appreciated to its fullest when a big act, or a festival comes to town. I'd like to see fans go back to making more of an effort to just popping into shows that they think might appeal to them on those "off days." It seems that more and more of what I'm seeing are the "normal," clubs with their standard music tracks and bars becoming more and more popular, and less people heading out to see the local talent that needs our support. Some of my favorite venues are still the smaller ones like Stubbs, Emo's, Antoines, Lucky Lounge, Aces Lounge, LaZona, etc, and there are diamonds that shine there on a regular basis. I'm constantly amazed to pop in and see a band like the Dandy Warhols, or Lucas Cookus, or other acts that put on amazing shows, not fill the house. Beit local acts, national acts, or even open mic nights, we're surrounded by some of the most talented artists in the world. It's what makes our weird towns the best in the nation.

Music is business, and artists deserve more than a pat on the back for the sacrifices that they make for their art. Venues need to be frequented and artists need to be followed and investigated so they have the chance to either die out, get better, or hopefully grow. Currently, the Cactus Cafe on the UT campus has been put on the chopping block, and is in jeopardy of being closed down unless the throngs of protestors that are working to keep it alive and well are able to succeed and stop the closure. I can only assume that before this outpouring of support, they venue must have been slowly dying away from lack of attendance, otherwise, why would the doors close? What happened to this landmark that things started to get so bad? I love that Austin is growing, but the growth should scare all of us just a little. When I moved here, the skyline was probably half as built up as it is now, and that was only 5 years ago. With growth, you'd assume that these venues would get busier, but that growth hasn't really happened. Is it the tech crowd that's coming in that's focused on their work, and not on the culture? Is it the fact that rents are going up while the economy is coming down? Heck, UT tuition just went up by 5% while they simultaneously cut funding for programs by nearly the same percentage. Is the town changing in the right way?

Yes, I admit it... I'm one of those Californian's that moved to Austin looking for a fresh change to a great town. This is undoubtedly the best town in the US, in my humble opinion. I've always described it as Santa Barbara or San Diego, 20 years ago, whenever I try to explain it to my friends. That WAS the description that I gave it 5 years ago, and my description has changed dramatically since then. We're still the best city in the nation, and I'm surrounded by some of the best people I've ever known, but we all need to make the effort to keep Austin Weird, and the music is where it should all begin.