It List: Thursday 4/20/06
Amidst all the bong smoking madness going on in, um, some circles today, you can probably go see some decent music tonight. However, I discovered a new local band I hate that you can click on if you really need to fuck up your high and get sober quickly. You know, if you get called into work or have to have dinner with your mom or something, this would be the thing you should listen to first. They are called Melba Toast. They are sensitive frat boys. Sheesh. The better stuff:
1. Fruit Bats/Amandine/Sam Jayne (Dan's Silverleaf Denton): Fruit Bats don't really do anything new: folk influenced 70's radio pop that will remind some people of the Shins (if you don't have any frame of reference before 1998). Pretty straight forward. But the songwriting is so catchy, and their albums are so well done, that the sameness of their approach really doesn't matter after a few songs. In fact, you'll probably forget all about who they sound like, and just enjoy how they sound. Really, their last record is the perfect spring time listen, and we've had it on our stereo a lot lately. And don't worry, you won't even have to show up early because the other two bands are, well, boring as shit.
2. Prayer for Animals/Eat Avery's Bones (Redblood Club): EAB goes on first, and Prayer for Animals goes on last. In between is an absolutely horrible punk band called Black Eyes and Neckties. Really, they are a pretty good summary of why I think "punk," at least in its current incarnation, absolutely and completely sucks. There is also a band from Dallas called the Lash Outs playing. Um, they're really not my thing (garage rock, rockabilly), but they aren't bad at all if you're into that sort of thing. Listen for yourself.
3. And of course, there is always the world of mid period hip hop at the Slip Inn tonight, if you feel like going "Out" out, you know? You might even catch various members of the We Shot JR crew there, pretending to be cool.
posted by stonedranger at 3:35 PM
48 Comments:
i hate when bands play EVERY week
true enough.
I don't know... I can't keep track of this shit. What do you think, I have some blog about local music or something?
Any band, even bands that I like, make a mistake when they play too much.... its quite easy to get bored.
Cool, I hope this puts the hint out there to these bands that play every week. It's a friendly hint, don't get offended but give your public a break and go write some new shit. Please. And playing multiple times a week is terrible. TERRIBLE IDEA.
Well there is certainly a balance between over-exposure and not playing enough at the risk of being forgotten.
IMO, when starting out or if you don't have a record at all, you should play often and with different bands to build an audience and get seen by different people. It's also the best way to refine and tweak and get a confident stage presence.
But that's just me... I don't play in bands but that's what I think the balance that they strive for.
What I wish we had in Dallas is bands who have residences at clubs like they do in NY and Chicago and what I want bands and clubs to start understanding is that playing late shows on weekdays is a sure fire way to play to an empty room or at the very least watch your crowd evaporate after the opening act. I would say that the largest proportion of show-goers and people who go out in general start early and leave early so they can be in bed at a reasonable hour... this goes for Dallas, not Denton where the crowd is younger I suspect.
good point.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
some bands need it to live
I'd play ever fucking day, given the opprotunity.
You certainly don't have be there.
Meridian was trying to do residences for a while, but they never really panned out. Mostly because live music in there sucks for all parties involved. It was a good idea, though.
And Barley used to (maybe still does?) have somebody different each month on Sundays. I can recall Peter Schmidt and Salim playing those.
Strangeboys were at D-Wide on Thursdays for a while, which was cool and people went there... but I always just hung out in the bar or in the yard, like everybody else.
And the Boys Named Sue did really well at the Beagle every Wednesday. But then again, they kinda have a loyal, built-in audience already ....and the place served 99 CENT Lone Stars and Bud Lite. Which is why I always went there.
So there have been some fairly successful examples, it's just that once everyone has heard the act, either change it up, or have a good drink special to keep people coming back. Or at least, me.
stonedranger smokes pot?
happy 420
if you are relying on gigs to give you $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to live then you're in the WRONG business
the most urtu has made is 25 dollars.
I just listened to Prayer for Animals finally. I'm an idiot. I should have listened a long time ago. Maybe I'll go see them tonight. Or next week. Then again, I could go see them some other time as well.
I wonder if blackeyes and neckties will do a cover of "the monster mash" tonight?
Even if you don't like us, cuz some nice folks do and don't, whateva (SO scary to speak up on this blog these days!)... A big part of Record Hop's gaining an audience was the fact that we played all the fucking time. But instead of 3 nights in a row in our hometown of Denton (though, yes, at the start we did that a bit!)... We followed the whole "one weekend in Denton, one weekend in Dallas, one weekend in Fort Worth, and one weekend off out of ton or off" plan. We got tight, we met folks, and we found bands that we dug.
Task #1 in a band - play the gig!
point #2- heard Prayer for Anmals finally, one song on a myspace account... Really like it!
point #3 - a great place for a residencey is The Porch. The Porch is the name of a Denton literary magazine that holds showcases every 2 weeks. They'll let you do the res iffin' they like you, and they are good dudes... So if you don't suck, you're in!
When I sober up tomorrow, I'll try to remeber to post a link to them.
We're all bitches, we're all critics, we all just wanna do our thing... Good luck to all of you... Prolly see you at a show.
If you want to play 3 shows in a week- do it! If you wanna record a record and only play 4 shows that year to promote it- do it!
Seriously- who gives a shit?
Zak is pretty spot on with why I've been booking more shows for Prayer for Animals lately. They love to play & want to play and they need the experience & exposure. They've had an opportunity to play & meet some amazing area bands while performing some great (& not so great) shows. They're branching out though to San Antonio, Austin & Denton, so the Dallas shows will wane off a bit.
Also, Zak & I were discussing the early show idea & I'm all for it. My only concern is how long would it take for people to get used to coming out earlier? Would they come to a show that started at 7 or 8pm sharp? The Cavern is doing early shows on Sundays. Has anyone been to one?
People like to barhop, so unless your show is the hot-shit of the night and theres not a lot of competing events then an early show may work fine. Personally I like to find one cool spot to hang out at and stay there all night and see all the acts and as for playing I prefer playing middle fiddle. I think the crappy traffic at 2 am makes people want to leave earlier. Either way, good luck cause I can't figure out if people like coming early or late anymore.
Ohmygod, wank wank wank, who cares if bands play every freaking night? New bands need exposure. I'm not in a band and I've never been in one, but honestly, I don't see someone who's just starting out and who cares about getting fans saying "No, I don't think I want someone new to hear my music tonight. Sorry."
well I was just saying that I get burned out when I see any local band too many times, and other people probably do too. Thats all.
Of course, but just because they're playing doesn't mean you have to go see them every time. Unless you stop liking a band because you physically see their name on gig lists too many times, in which case you're probably just a retard.
But, who the hell goes to one bands show every night a week? I mean, what it seems like you guys are saying is you don't like to a bands name in print too much, you know? Which is pretty much the kind of cynical bullshit that most "music fans" love.
I apparently just had a psychic dualpost with andrea. Think I'll have a cigarette now.
that was so sexy.
but I also think that when a band plays too often, after a certain point they start to get smaller crowds than they normally would because people have already seen them like, that week. And no this isn't about Prayer for Animals, I have no idea how often they play.
But lets say that there are 100 people that would go see Jimmy and the Cool Dudes once a month. If Jimmy and the Cool Dudes play two shows that month, we can say that an average of 50 of those people would come out and see them at each show.
If they play 5 times that month, we can say that an average of only 20 people would come out and see them at each show.
And the less people that come out, the less that the club or bar makes, and I would guess, the venue will be less likely to invite them back.
I know its not quite as simple as Jimmy and the Cool Dudes and their 100 fans, but you see my point?
overexposure. it's great for bands to play shows and develop their set but then what? get a new set. bands aren't picky enough about where they play in my opinion, grabbing at any lame show that comes their way and then complaining because no one went out to see them in Deep Ellum on Tuesday night at 1am or something lame. what is annoying? same clubs with the same bands, over and over and over and over and it is lame because there are so many other bands that could have exposure but aren't being given a chance by the club booking agents unless they know the "right" people. and no, Im not in a band.
and yes stonedranger is right, thats exactly how it is.
The S'dR is right, if Jimmy and the Cool Dudes would hold out and not blow their wad till one, well promoted show, it makes a bigger impact, rather than a bunch of little crappy shows.
I believe it DOES influence people's general opinion of a band, to see their name printed every night of the week. I usually see something like that and go, "Aww, let's not do that, we can go see them anytime." And then I usually never go see them. This is a common reaction for lots of people.
But if I know musicians, they'd rather have 20 bucks right now, than 300 later. So they'll do what they want.
it's not about "indie cred" it's about buiseness sense.... supply in demand.
you start out and try to build demand by being seen often and with many different bands (w/ any luck, ones you like and that like your music... or at least that have similar audiences)...
once that becomes routine and you start to see the same faces at every show it's time to either start playing other venues and with other bands or it's time to take a break for a little bit.
if a band plays live too often they can deplete the demand for their product... as long as you are playing for different people in various venues and places and with different bands then this doesn't happen.... but if you play twice a week at the doublewide with dj stink-stank and some cover band then people start thinking "these guys are cool... but i can see them any time"
...before that happens you either take time off and write/record, or get a few out-of-town gigs.
but it's not about indie posturing... it's about creating a demand for a product, and common business sense.... i know that's not something that creative minded people like to consider, but even if you dont' like it... you're pushing a product here. and people can get sick of it very fast... especially if you're just learining how to be a band
Yeah. What he said.
So what if my band plays all the time. We love music, what the hell is so wrong with that? All you have to do is look at my record collection and you'll see what I'm talking about. But hopefully perusing my record collection won't make your head explode from trying to comprehend all the far-out shit in there. But it probably will, so I don't recommend it. You're just not ready for it yet, my friends.
Jimmy and the Cool Dudes have laid the foundation for everything you know about. And we've been laying that foundation for longer than any of you could possibly remember. So what if that means we've created a building entirely made out of built up concrete? That is a rock solid house, people, and that's exactly where I'm going with this analogy.
Am I bragging? Am I namedropping? Well, my friend Arto Lindsay doesn't think so. And neither does Xenakis. I know he's dead, but he told me in a dream once. Crazy, I know, but that's the kind of shit that happens to me.
What's even crazier is, for the amount of shows Jimmy and the Cool Dudes play, we're promoting other bands even more!
BRING ON THE HATE!!
ok there is a wsjr RULE about doing that isn't there?
I think I just peed in my pants a little. hahahahahahaha
oh yeah? well my band played our best gig w/ little blue octopus @ some kids basement in oak cliff... there were 4 dudes there, sitting on a couch and smoking pot... but we ROCKED them... spiritually, for real.... it really made reading the complete works of Lester Bangs worth while....
for that show, we shipped in Enuit throat-singers.
it was the best gig that no one ever saw... and we planned it that way... gotta build up the mystery.
...we broke up 2 gigs later because i thought everyone else was getting too mainstream
I organized that show. And designed the sound system for it.
and I didn't review it in my lame paper cause I'm lame
there is a rule. But that was a pretty funny violation of the rule.
Now the rule goes into effect.
What's the rule?
the rule is that whatever dranger says is the rule.
Speaking of playing all the time, we're playing at the Metrognome Collective tonight with Brooke Opie and 1/90th (seriously, how many members are in that band?) of the Voot Cha Index - Zach's solo project Washing Machine.
Er, not Washing Machine, Battery Science.
yeah. And I says that the rule is:
"No comments may be posted about Wanz Dover, whether negative or positive, on the comment thread of any post that has nothing to do with Wanz Dover."
Unless its funny. If its not, delete city.
do miss this one? huh? wha?
No way... I love melba toast crackers (ask my wife) and when I saw someone named their band that, I was like, right on... melba toast is good.
I am being completely serious. And, yes, my life is just that dull.
M-.
I have no coment on the band, Melba Toast, though - just the crackers.
I don't know anything about the band.
M-.
Melba Toast is well-named. Considering every song they have on their myspace sounds exactly the same.
I WOULD SEE WASHING MACHINE EVERY CHANCE I GOT EVEN IF THEY PLAYED FIVE TIMES A WEEK
here's another local band that you guys will probably think blows..... Little Red Rooster.
... a little background info: SMU kids... a mixture of "jamband" "reggae" and 311/sublime stuff..... they opened for Vanilla Ice recently.
....i can't see why these guys haven't taken over the universe
...so remember, if you want to laugh.... Little Red Rooster
Post a Comment
<< Home