Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:I'm not going to sacrifice the chance to accomplish these things unless I have a pretty good idea what's going down is gonna enhance my own work or entertain and delight me so much that I don't care about anything else.

I'm in the same boat, dude.

Far as I'm concerned, if you're actually making good art yourself you aren't obligated to see shit.











(Granted I have an unwieldy appetite for other people's art, but perhaps this is intertwined with some sort of guilt reflex. I'm open to the possiblity anyway. Fear of being useless, least of all to oneself, propells peopel to do all sorts of crazy things.)

regardless of your taste for garagey stuff - i think that "scene" seems pretty alive right now, supportive of its own - and unifying not only in chicago, but all over.

check out

http://victimoftime.com/

and the goner records stuff - there seems to be a chicago/memphis sister city kinda thing going on. the ponys of course being the big standouts that grew out of that scene.

it seems to be a great time to be involved in that scene - they're frequently pressing 7"s, selling them out quickly and just sorta doing thier own thing totally independent of pitchfork, or the people here or whatever else.

they've (i'm using they quite sweepingly) also sorta managed to take the mutiny from a place i wouldn't want to be caught dead in, to a place often packed - and a lot of fun.

most of the venues in town quality are pretty directly related to who's booking them. since benetti took over at beat kitchen, that place has also gotten about 100 times better in the last 1.5 yrs. i think that's my favorite place to play now in town. onstage sound is great. it doesn;t have the stuffiness of the bottle, people actually dance there and it's not such a fashion show. and if you hate the opening band you can stay in the front and not have to scream to talk and want to shoot yourself. benetti also comes from the fireside crew, so of course is favorable to touring bands and really fair to who he works with.

sub t also used to be a laughing stock, but derron swan definitely did his part in fostering the garage scene and bringing good bands through. he's also booked wicker park fest and brought some good people in (thermals, high on fire). that load in sucks balls for sure, but there's something to be said that has developed around him/that scene in the last 5 yrs that was definitely not there before.

i can only imagine much of the reason everyone loved lounge ax was the owners taste - and that "we all" sort of fell/fall in line with their taste. i don;t think the scene here is really dead or anything, people are just into different shit now.

and salut to caix with the boneshaker stuff, and permanent records doing instores... and shows at ronnies, [peterson - also the only reason the note is having anything decent there since he's booking it] and the wierdo UIC/art institute school crowd... and even quencher's has some cool shit every so often. look at the last year and ronnies... the mauled by tigers scene...

http://www.mauledbytigers.com/fest.html

you guys are crazy, chicago has a fantastic music scene and shitloads going on - you just need to look for it and talk to people. of if you don't like what's going on, you can't fault that. my problem is there's too much going on that you're constantly missing things that you'd like to be seeing since you have your own band practice, or your own show or need a night to hang w/your girl or whatever that prevents you from doing things like seeing scott's - and everyone elses band here for example.

no snubs going on, there's just a shitload of stuff to do and see in this city. and i don't even really feel like my bands ever really fit into any scenes here - but there's tons of stuff going on.

I am my own scene.

El Protoolio wrote:I am my own scene.

Ha. Hmm. In this town, such a position has become necessary. The scene as it stands consists of interesting good people in interesting bad bands.

H-GM wrote:

sunset_gun wrote:Most unestablished, local bands that I see I'm not impressed by.

Sadly I would have to agree with you, as I think many here will. But what does this say about the willingness to expose ourselves to something new?

I don't have the stamina, like so many under- and unemployed hipsters do, to stand for five hours and four bands in the hope that maybe one of them will rock my face. If I hear something about a band sounding like something I'd like, or if I am in the mood to check one out at random, that's what MySpace is for.

That said, though, since most of the bands I've enjoyed the past 6-7 years are either defunct or play rarely, I need to start checking out a new rotation of bands to enjoy.

caix wrote:First, I'd never go to Elbo Room to go see an unknown band. I think I'd have a pretty sure bet that it would suck. I say this because every show I've ever been to there was terrible. I would go to Ronny's, Empty Bottle, Hideout and even Beat Kitchen. Those places tend to churn out decent enough bands on a consistent basis. That is a hard truth - a club is known for the quality bands they book.

Aside from Marsupialized's broken heart, the bigger question is how does a band with virtually no connections land shows at reputable venues? Instead of keeping the focus on smaller acts for the Empty Bottle's free Monday night series, they've been steadily bringing in more established bands, and if a band does happen to get a slot on an off-night at a more reputable venue the question then becomes how does one get a city full of jaded fans, myself included, invoved enough to give someone a chance? As for a smallish band getting a show at a less-than-stellar club like the Elbo Room, it is not necessarily the band's fault they're not playing at some place with more of a cache. Unknown bands aren't given much of a chance to prove themselves in bigger venues, so they're forced to the crappier bars that no one in their right mind would want to patronize, whihc brings me to this...

Germ War wrote:I will say this about Chicago, however: If you don't know anyone, and you don't have someone to vouch for you, it is exceedingly hard to get a show anywhere for your first time. It's a tough process to "prove" yourself, but if you manage to find a way, I think it does get a little easier to book your band. However, this is, again, applicable in many places not named Chicago.

What I've failed to mention are the handful of alternative spaces like Mr. City who tend to support the underground moreso than any of the more-recognized venues. Again, however, the question becomes how do you get thirty-year-old, jaded adults to attend these somewhat insular events? If you think seeing a show at the Bottle is an exercise in tolerating hipsters, try standing around in a crowded loft, or, basement with kids swilling from warm cans of Schlitz while listening to noise bands at an ear-splitting volume run through a shitty PA, or, no PA at all. (This is actually big fun and I highly recommend it) To me, it's actually the alternative spaces that show more grass-roots support than the wildely recognized "secne."

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:Besides, there's plenty of young whippersnappers out there, I figure, to populate these shows. They don't need an old fuddy-duddy like me around anyway.

Pish Posh, Brett. Good music is good music regardless of age, as is the appreciation of good music. I'm assuming the kids in Times New Viking are at least ten years younger than myself, but it won't stop me from going to Ronny's this Friday to jump around like an idiot. Besides, if I didn't have older friends in college to hang around with and show me the "way" so to speak, I'd still might be shouting from the rooftops the merits of Soul Asylum or Sex Gang Children. I had really weird tastes back then. I do, however, understand the benefits of precious free time being used to be creative and/or relaxing with a good book, favorite record, etc. Conversely, I do honestly believe, my friend, that among the crap there's much goodness to experience. So much that the occasional night out behooves us all.

As for the hot chicks, well, I always have a bevy of them surrounding me. Stick with me and I'll throw you a bone.

Germ War wrote:I will say this about Chicago, however: If you don't know anyone, and you don't have someone to vouch for you, it is exceedingly hard to get a show anywhere for your first time. It's a tough process to "prove" yourself, but if you manage to find a way, I think it does get a little easier to book your band. However, this is, again, applicable in many places not named Chicago.

*nods vigorously*

We've had the biggest pains in the ass trying to break into Chicago over the years. After 7 years of being in this band, it's finally started to turn around for us, but i'd be lying if i said it wasn't because of, say, 60% politics/who we know and 40% actual merits of the band.

As Germ War said, though, this is applicable in many places not named Chicago. In fact, i often say the same thing about Milwaukee.

H-GM wrote:Aside from Marsupialized's broken heart, the bigger question is how does a band with virtually no connections land shows at reputable venues?

There is this big misconception out there that it is impossible to get a show at a good venue if you don't know anyone. I started my band not knowing anyone or anything. I made some poor choices on places to play, but never repeated those. It took awhile to crack the Bottle, and I don't blame them for being picky, they have a business to run and a reputation to uphold. I bugged the Bottle for the better part of a year, until they finally gave me a show. By then, we had proven ourselves a bit and they gave us a chance. But once you're in, it's easier to get another show because they know what to expect.

Getting a Monday at the Bottle is very hard. But to be honest, the trick to getting one is patience. The first one I played was booked six months in advance.

I've also played Schubas and Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, Darkroom, Double Door and Fireside (before it shut down) without knowing anyone. These were not impossible. I just asked and had a press kit available and awaited a response. You'd be surprised, sometimes just a reminder email to a booker or a follow-up phone call land you an immediate booking.

But be tenacious. Talk to bookers, call them if you have to. Email isn't always the best source, but you'll find out after awhile what's the best way to contact a booker. Sometimes, it's not who you know, but how to get a hold of someone. Your band is a drop in the bucket and the only way to get attention is to remind these venues that you're still alive.

The only club i know that has been impossible to book by phone, email and smoke signal is the Hideout.

Shows are not going to be handed out, especially if no one knows who you are. The quality of your music speaks volumes, of course. Don't think because your music is awesome, you're going to get all the best shows. Knowing someone or something is always going to give you a leg up over that. But they do work hand-in-hand. Once you're given the chance to prove yourself (and you will, trust me), take the bull by the horns.

My advice really is to avoid the clubs you wouldn't go see shows there yourself.

caix wrote:There is this big misconception out there that it is impossible to get a show at a good venue if you don't know anyone.

I assume you're just talking about being a local Chicago band, right? Totally different beast for us out-of-towners.

caix, are you giving me advice on where and how to book a show in Chicago?

EDIT: Ah, my original question is rhetorical. I will therefore put away the flamethrower. You lucked out, Frida.