Usually I'm all about the Buy Nothing Day. But when it comes down to it, I'm in need of items that will be marked down to ultra-low prices on just one day. So I get two choices: 1) Wait and give the corporate jack-asses more of my money but also make a statement that I won't buy into their crazy agenda to make people spend more OR 2) Go out on Friday, spend less money, but also participate in a ritualistic shopping madness. Who knows, maybe it'll be kinda fun in a really fucked up way.
In the meantime being sick has really put me behind learning how to drive, so hopefully I'll get a chance to do that a bunch this coming long weekend. I tend to have a lousy immune system, so my mom actually recommended surgery (getting my tonsils out)... which I don't know how in the world I'd pay for. And would kinda set me back even more.
I've followed through with a bit of research on each area I plan to be visiting, made it through the whole trip, but I don't have any definite plans. Tahoe and North Carolina present problems. While I'm assured that will find all-ages music there (it's everywhere) the internet doesn't seem to be very forthcoming with where exactly I might find it. I'm going to check and see if there are some newspapers with listings that I might check out.
In other very important news, as Devon who was saying he could go with me now implies this wouldn't work for him and Kelso who also was interested but lacks the funds necessary can't join me for the trip it looks like I might go solo, which is dangerous but not going to stop me. There's a new hope though that my good friend Callie might go with me, if her parents pay her back the money they owe her (and it's a sum large enough to cover a fair share of the trip if she so chooses to use it for that). Hopefully I'll know for sure soon and I can introduce how awesome of a chick she is and see if she has any ideas that could make this trip even cooler.
I hope to update soon with some links and basic research on a couple places that I've found through my research, but as this is the only day of the week that I have the opportunity to work (and boy, do I need the money, especially being sick so much lately) I'm going back there.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Some Sad News
I'm still knee-deep in researching all-ages venues around the country to go to. Although I haven't really contacted anyone yet (I'm somewhat waiting on the cellphone thing, just so my phone number can be consistent) I went ahead and emailed the guys from Tahoe Underground. I'm planning to visit my dad who lives in Tahoe this winter with a few friends, so I figured that it would be a good time to check out the area for the scene.
In any case, so I emailed the contact email I found on the website saying that my dad was a local and he told me about this place and how I hoped to catch a show there this winter. I really quick explained a couple of my goals with the road-trip. A day or two later I got an email back from Chris saying that after years of people asking them to become all-ages, a lot of community attention, and finally having an opening party this September "alot of huffin and puffin but no support, so we gave up... sorry."
Part of me wants to fire back somewhat indignant emails saying that it can be tough but you have to hang in there to make it work, but really, I understand exactly where this is coming from. This is why The Placebo is currently having a lot of problems. If no one comes out to support or help it can be incredibly, extremely hard to keep going, especially when you're just first starting up. Just got me a bit melancholy.
In any case, so I emailed the contact email I found on the website saying that my dad was a local and he told me about this place and how I hoped to catch a show there this winter. I really quick explained a couple of my goals with the road-trip. A day or two later I got an email back from Chris saying that after years of people asking them to become all-ages, a lot of community attention, and finally having an opening party this September "alot of huffin and puffin but no support, so we gave up... sorry."
Part of me wants to fire back somewhat indignant emails saying that it can be tough but you have to hang in there to make it work, but really, I understand exactly where this is coming from. This is why The Placebo is currently having a lot of problems. If no one comes out to support or help it can be incredibly, extremely hard to keep going, especially when you're just first starting up. Just got me a bit melancholy.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Russ Interview Write-Up
The Humboldt scene, especially the Humboldt all-ages scene, is one of constant change. To get a good picture of the all-ages scene in Humboldt it's important to talk not only to people involved in venues, but people who've been in bands that have played the all-ages circuit for many years. I sat down with a good friend of mine who's been playing the all-ages circuit for nearly a decade and is currently involved in the band The Invasions: Russ Spivey.
Russ started playing in a band when he was in high school. When asked about the scene then he said, "I was sorta forced into it, I mean, I... and not only that but I think that when I started that I just had no idea that there even was a scene..." His first band, Magilicutty and the Flying Fishsticks first played primarily at local churches and at Eureka High events, "'Cause they gave us the sense of community," he said, especially the churches. "And then when things went along we started to find like, oh hey, there's shows locally. Oh, local bands. I didn't know. I thought we were the only one. I didn't know. I thought we were the only one. I know it sounds stupid but like, who knows? When you're just growing up you don't know that there's other local bands." It was almost a revelation to find groups like The Placebo and other all-ages venues in the area, as well as other groups to play with. He quickly found that in the all-ages scene you really have to know someone to get an in, and to get your name out there. Flyering for his first band he learned the hard way that promotion is not an easy task. One time in particular his band put up around a hundred flyers and no new people came out to the show. Russ was specific about how his experiences have been group experiences, "Yeah. I would say 'we' because for me it was always about the bands I was in."
For Russ it's always been about the all-ages scene, even after he became of age, and he believes he's not alone in this, "I mean, you talk to guys that are like, 30, 40, whatever and they're always like 'Oh yeah, all-ages is the way to go!' 'Cause like, 'cause the shows are always so much more fun." Unlike in 21 and over venues, Russ believes that people who go to all-ages shows are really there just for the music and just to have a good time, "Especially like, I played like, lock-ins before, then they really don't have a choice. They're forced to watch your music. Listen. Listen and watch." In 21 and over venues however, "... there's something else going on there and they're trying to make money off of the alcohol or drink... So yeah, definitely all-ages is the way to go. And I think I'll probably say that until either I'm dead or I start playing in a 50s cover band," he joked. Another thing he prefers about all-ages groups is "... nothing is out of the question... any band can just like, do whatever the fuck they want."
But as far as how the scene is perceived by the general outside community? "I would say they're indifferent, and a lot of them probably don't even know that it exists," he answered. He talked a little bit about recent closures of venues, notably The Placebo and Out of the Sun. On Out of the Sun he remembered that the mayor closed the place down last year, "Politics are the same as music, you have to know someone to get shit done." As far as The Placebo goes though, "Those people have been doing it for so long that like, I mean it's been a revolving group of people but it's been going on for so long and like, the name is already so big so it's almost to the point where it can't be stopped... Like, they say 'Hey, you have to retrofit this building, come up with thousands of dollars, and you know, jump through all these hoops,' but like, they'll do it eventually." He remembered playing a lot of Placebo benefit shows even before they got their location at the Manila Community Center in 2003. Although he had some qualms with the amount of time or the general laziness of some of the organizers, he's confident in the group's ability to stay afloat. "'Cause music's never really stopped, you can't stop people from playing music. You can't stop high schoolers from picking up guitars, starting bands, you know," he said in general reference to groups getting shut down.
The topic of conversation changed to The Vista. Russ called The Vista his favorite all-ages experience. The Vista is a bit different from other places because "'Cause it's like 'Yeah, it's all-ages! But we're totally going to endorse everyone get like, fucked up and high here. But not the people that are under 21 though. They're just going to hang-out with everyone that's getting fucked up.' And that's cool! I don't know. I love going to the Vista." He seemed to have somewhat awkward but good memories of being the 16 year old in the midst of a bunch of older people who were "... falling over. Like, literally, falling over drunk, whole floor just covered in alcohol, and it's a fucking all-ages show!" Mostly he liked the vibe and the sense of community that was around The Vista, "The Vista was kick-ass."
More than playing at well established venues like The Vista or The Placebo, though, Russ loves house shows best, "... a lot of times you get a really big house party show, and there are a lot of people there that are like, really tight. and like, they're totally into like, having a really kick-ass time and not only the music but like, hanging out with each other..." One of Russ's favorite experiences in the scene was a house show that he and a couple friends threw together last minute for their favorite band, "... almost of all time," The Volumen of Missoula, Montana. The group had been booked to play a Panache show at the Denny's in Arcata, "... back when they had Denny's in Arcata," but the sports bar was closed to shows by the time the group arrived. Russ and his friend Brendan had been previously conspiring to play a show with The Volumen, so they jumped at the chance to make the show happen. It ended up happening in a friend's basement, "his basement was like, really cool, they had like, a pool table down there, and
like, all the washers and dryers and stuff..." Russ and his friends made special shirts for the show to give to The Volumen and their fans. They called Michele of Panache booking and informed her of the last minute show they had thrown together, and as it was the best available option The Volumen were able to play. "The bands set up over near the washer and dryer and stuff, so we got some like, pictures of just everyone totally playing next to the washer and dryer," Russ recalled. He said it was "almost like a break-through for me because that was the first time I like, really tried to put together a show on my own and like, make it happen. And it worked. So from then I was kinda like, 'Well, if I need a show to happen then maybe I'll just book it myself." And like, I guess that's kinda like, what gets to like, the core of like, do it yourself scene. Wanna make something happen? Just like, just do it yourself. And that's pretty much the way it'll happen."
Russ praised Humboldt for our local media outlets that are great for promotion, "I mean, there's HumboldtMusic.com, which a lot of people check out, there's you know, the Journal, uh, people at the Arcata Eye, the Times-Standard now... and then there's K-Slug, and KHUM... and then of course flyers..." he advises to other people trying to promote shows. In general, he prefers Humboldt to other places for our music scene, "Humboldt really rocks for all-ages music if you do it right. It is a great place to play like, and to be, and to be involved in.... 'cause everyone that's involved in it is really into it..." He cited the college as source of creativity, but believes that most of the true local bands are the ones with members who've been around and stick around throughout the years. "I have been to other places, and most other places suck, is my point." In larger cities, he complained, "It's just like, so cut-throat. Like, I've tried to book shows like, in big cities and stuff for tours, and it's just like, everyone is such a bitch about it, you know? They want guarantees or something or they want like, some sort of proof that you're a decent band other than your music or you know, proof that people are going to show up, you know. It's like, what the fuck, you know, we're just like trying to go on our first tour, you know, and everyone's like 'Oh, you have to be good already, you know, you have to already have people that like you in order to play here.'" He also complained that people in larger cities are less likely to go out and see a band that they've never heard of. And as far as other small towns goes, "there's just like, a lot of towns like, that, like, are centered around the Wal-Mart or whatever." People in smaller cities, he believed, are likely to just go to big cities to see music, "Local music doesn't exist in a lot of like, you know, little towns in America." He ended on a positive note, talking of a few other cities that he likes the scene in and listed Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon, although he noted that both are larger than Eureka. But even then, "Humboldt's good for music, I have to conclude."
Perhaps though, Russ's attitude towards other small towns is unfounded, maybe there are other Eurekas out there where all it takes to find a scene is just to dig a little deeper for it.
Russ Spivey, 12-26-06
Russ has been involved in local bands like Magilicutty and the Flying Fishsticks, Nobody's Star, The Small Time, Fro the Lazy, Boys Only Club, The Professional Superheroes, and currently The Invasions. He's done local booking and recording for bands like The Ian Fays and The Broken Hearts and recorded and produced "The Acoustic Comp."
Russ started playing in a band when he was in high school. When asked about the scene then he said, "I was sorta forced into it, I mean, I... and not only that but I think that when I started that I just had no idea that there even was a scene..." His first band, Magilicutty and the Flying Fishsticks first played primarily at local churches and at Eureka High events, "'Cause they gave us the sense of community," he said, especially the churches. "And then when things went along we started to find like, oh hey, there's shows locally. Oh, local bands. I didn't know. I thought we were the only one. I didn't know. I thought we were the only one. I know it sounds stupid but like, who knows? When you're just growing up you don't know that there's other local bands." It was almost a revelation to find groups like The Placebo and other all-ages venues in the area, as well as other groups to play with. He quickly found that in the all-ages scene you really have to know someone to get an in, and to get your name out there. Flyering for his first band he learned the hard way that promotion is not an easy task. One time in particular his band put up around a hundred flyers and no new people came out to the show. Russ was specific about how his experiences have been group experiences, "Yeah. I would say 'we' because for me it was always about the bands I was in."
For Russ it's always been about the all-ages scene, even after he became of age, and he believes he's not alone in this, "I mean, you talk to guys that are like, 30, 40, whatever and they're always like 'Oh yeah, all-ages is the way to go!' 'Cause like, 'cause the shows are always so much more fun." Unlike in 21 and over venues, Russ believes that people who go to all-ages shows are really there just for the music and just to have a good time, "Especially like, I played like, lock-ins before, then they really don't have a choice. They're forced to watch your music. Listen. Listen and watch." In 21 and over venues however, "... there's something else going on there and they're trying to make money off of the alcohol or drink... So yeah, definitely all-ages is the way to go. And I think I'll probably say that until either I'm dead or I start playing in a 50s cover band," he joked. Another thing he prefers about all-ages groups is "... nothing is out of the question... any band can just like, do whatever the fuck they want."
But as far as how the scene is perceived by the general outside community? "I would say they're indifferent, and a lot of them probably don't even know that it exists," he answered. He talked a little bit about recent closures of venues, notably The Placebo and Out of the Sun. On Out of the Sun he remembered that the mayor closed the place down last year, "Politics are the same as music, you have to know someone to get shit done." As far as The Placebo goes though, "Those people have been doing it for so long that like, I mean it's been a revolving group of people but it's been going on for so long and like, the name is already so big so it's almost to the point where it can't be stopped... Like, they say 'Hey, you have to retrofit this building, come up with thousands of dollars, and you know, jump through all these hoops,' but like, they'll do it eventually." He remembered playing a lot of Placebo benefit shows even before they got their location at the Manila Community Center in 2003. Although he had some qualms with the amount of time or the general laziness of some of the organizers, he's confident in the group's ability to stay afloat. "'Cause music's never really stopped, you can't stop people from playing music. You can't stop high schoolers from picking up guitars, starting bands, you know," he said in general reference to groups getting shut down.
The topic of conversation changed to The Vista. Russ called The Vista his favorite all-ages experience. The Vista is a bit different from other places because "'Cause it's like 'Yeah, it's all-ages! But we're totally going to endorse everyone get like, fucked up and high here. But not the people that are under 21 though. They're just going to hang-out with everyone that's getting fucked up.' And that's cool! I don't know. I love going to the Vista." He seemed to have somewhat awkward but good memories of being the 16 year old in the midst of a bunch of older people who were "... falling over. Like, literally, falling over drunk, whole floor just covered in alcohol, and it's a fucking all-ages show!" Mostly he liked the vibe and the sense of community that was around The Vista, "The Vista was kick-ass."
More than playing at well established venues like The Vista or The Placebo, though, Russ loves house shows best, "... a lot of times you get a really big house party show, and there are a lot of people there that are like, really tight. and like, they're totally into like, having a really kick-ass time and not only the music but like, hanging out with each other..." One of Russ's favorite experiences in the scene was a house show that he and a couple friends threw together last minute for their favorite band, "... almost of all time," The Volumen of Missoula, Montana. The group had been booked to play a Panache show at the Denny's in Arcata, "... back when they had Denny's in Arcata," but the sports bar was closed to shows by the time the group arrived. Russ and his friend Brendan had been previously conspiring to play a show with The Volumen, so they jumped at the chance to make the show happen. It ended up happening in a friend's basement, "his basement was like, really cool, they had like, a pool table down there, and
like, all the washers and dryers and stuff..." Russ and his friends made special shirts for the show to give to The Volumen and their fans. They called Michele of Panache booking and informed her of the last minute show they had thrown together, and as it was the best available option The Volumen were able to play. "The bands set up over near the washer and dryer and stuff, so we got some like, pictures of just everyone totally playing next to the washer and dryer," Russ recalled. He said it was "almost like a break-through for me because that was the first time I like, really tried to put together a show on my own and like, make it happen. And it worked. So from then I was kinda like, 'Well, if I need a show to happen then maybe I'll just book it myself." And like, I guess that's kinda like, what gets to like, the core of like, do it yourself scene. Wanna make something happen? Just like, just do it yourself. And that's pretty much the way it'll happen."
Russ praised Humboldt for our local media outlets that are great for promotion, "I mean, there's HumboldtMusic.com, which a lot of people check out, there's you know, the Journal, uh, people at the Arcata Eye, the Times-Standard now... and then there's K-Slug, and KHUM... and then of course flyers..." he advises to other people trying to promote shows. In general, he prefers Humboldt to other places for our music scene, "Humboldt really rocks for all-ages music if you do it right. It is a great place to play like, and to be, and to be involved in.... 'cause everyone that's involved in it is really into it..." He cited the college as source of creativity, but believes that most of the true local bands are the ones with members who've been around and stick around throughout the years. "I have been to other places, and most other places suck, is my point." In larger cities, he complained, "It's just like, so cut-throat. Like, I've tried to book shows like, in big cities and stuff for tours, and it's just like, everyone is such a bitch about it, you know? They want guarantees or something or they want like, some sort of proof that you're a decent band other than your music or you know, proof that people are going to show up, you know. It's like, what the fuck, you know, we're just like trying to go on our first tour, you know, and everyone's like 'Oh, you have to be good already, you know, you have to already have people that like you in order to play here.'" He also complained that people in larger cities are less likely to go out and see a band that they've never heard of. And as far as other small towns goes, "there's just like, a lot of towns like, that, like, are centered around the Wal-Mart or whatever." People in smaller cities, he believed, are likely to just go to big cities to see music, "Local music doesn't exist in a lot of like, you know, little towns in America." He ended on a positive note, talking of a few other cities that he likes the scene in and listed Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon, although he noted that both are larger than Eureka. But even then, "Humboldt's good for music, I have to conclude."
Perhaps though, Russ's attitude towards other small towns is unfounded, maybe there are other Eurekas out there where all it takes to find a scene is just to dig a little deeper for it.
Russ Spivey, 12-26-06Russ has been involved in local bands like Magilicutty and the Flying Fishsticks, Nobody's Star, The Small Time, Fro the Lazy, Boys Only Club, The Professional Superheroes, and currently The Invasions. He's done local booking and recording for bands like The Ian Fays and The Broken Hearts and recorded and produced "The Acoustic Comp."
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Interviews - Of and By Me
I seem to have caught a bit of tonsilitus, so I've been pretty bed-ridden for the last three days (save leaving the house in search of a working toilet, mine is currently out of commission, and I might have to deal with it being so until Monday... *sigh*) but only in the last day have I actually done anything besides one of the following (in order of how much time I have spent on each): 1) watch movies 2) nap 3) browse the internet and 4) try and get someone to fix my toilet. That something is that I have been attempting to transcribe my interview with Russ into text format to better examen it. I'm not really sure whether or not I'll put the whole text up, perhaps a link to it will suffice (it's rather long, the whole interview lasted about 45 minutes of varying speed of talking). But I'm working on it, and will probably start up a written overview tomorrow (I only have about 7 more minutes to transcribe... ish). I also hope to have the entire mp3 up for anyone who wants to to listen to (then you can hear all the "um's" and "uh's" that didn't make it into the transcribed text, although I assure you that the majority are kept). Although I do treat this whole thing lightly I would say that the interview itself went really well, Russ more than answered my questions and really explained a great deal of how he feels about the all-ages scene. Kudos to Russ. Kudos all the way south to San Francisco where he currently is staying.
In other news, as Veteran's Day is a school holiday on Monday I'm being provided with a possible one time chance to get on the radio and talk about myself and the project. I'm still floundering with a name, but I might end up just calling it The April O'Neil Project like I call my booking, but I'd still like something fresh and new. Julie is interviewing me on KHSU between 2 and 4, I need to call her to get some real details on it. I'll post the time up here (AND on myspace, AND on facebook...) as soon as I have it set down.
Now I really ought to lie down and watch some movie until I fall asleep, least I start whining about how lousy I feel.
UPDATE!: I guess I'll be on at 2, then. KHSU, that is. 90.5 fm. Alright!
In other news, as Veteran's Day is a school holiday on Monday I'm being provided with a possible one time chance to get on the radio and talk about myself and the project. I'm still floundering with a name, but I might end up just calling it The April O'Neil Project like I call my booking, but I'd still like something fresh and new. Julie is interviewing me on KHSU between 2 and 4, I need to call her to get some real details on it. I'll post the time up here (AND on myspace, AND on facebook...) as soon as I have it set down.
Now I really ought to lie down and watch some movie until I fall asleep, least I start whining about how lousy I feel.
UPDATE!: I guess I'll be on at 2, then. KHSU, that is. 90.5 fm. Alright!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Preliminary Planning Stage 2-2
Yesterday at lunch I had a meeting with Julie to talk about this road-trip. Mostly we were talking about a way to market it and throw benefit shows to raise extra money. One of my problems with this trip is that I need some sort of good name for the trip. I want to emphasize that it's all about the all-ages music, but also relate it back to some of the things I've done in the scene in the past. I think having a cool acronym for a name might work out best. If you have ideas or suggestions, please let me know. I might also appear on Julie's radio show so she can interview me about this.
I also got together with Russ last night and conducted our interview, hopefully I'll have the mp3 up on my domain so I can link to it here and anyone interested can listen. I'll be breaking it down and doing a rough write-up here in the next few days.
I'm going to hang-out with Dao later today and talk more about all of this stuff.
I also got together with Russ last night and conducted our interview, hopefully I'll have the mp3 up on my domain so I can link to it here and anyone interested can listen. I'll be breaking it down and doing a rough write-up here in the next few days.
I'm going to hang-out with Dao later today and talk more about all of this stuff.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Research - Cell Phones
As many of you might or might not be aware, I do not presently own a cell phone. I would say I never have, but I did for like, two weeks once. But I think it would be a smart move for me to get one for this trip. Thing is... I don't know much about phones or plans or any of that. I'm attempting to look around at different plans with different companies but I don't know where to start. So far everything I want looks way out of my price range, my price range being: cheap. I don't care so much about the phone itself, but I need to be able to use my phone pretty much anywhere in the US and Canada, I don't want an uber-long contract, and the idea of roaming really scares me. So it seems I've eliminated US Cellular from my options, as they only have operations in 25 states, Verizon has noticeably more coverage, but I feel like I'm forgeting another phone giant in all of this that might be a good choice. A better choice. If you have tips, please, please help me out.
I've also been looking around at different hardware, specifically exterior harddrives, it seems like my best choice would to be a 60 gb from Western Digital for $60, but I'm still waiting 'til Black Friday to shop for more electronics.
I've also been looking around at different hardware, specifically exterior harddrives, it seems like my best choice would to be a 60 gb from Western Digital for $60, but I'm still waiting 'til Black Friday to shop for more electronics.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Research - Stage 1
So currently I'm attempting to start looking up the venues that I plan to visit next year. This part of the process seems to go both simultaneously really slow and also really fast. Occasionally I'll find a website that dedicates itself to the same goal that I have. I've known about the All-Ages Movement Project for a while now, but last night I discovered a similar group geared towards houses that have DIY shows called Do DIY USA. If you're not familiar with them (as most people don't seem to be... and to an extent it looks like they're not familiar with each other) let me give you a little bit of the info that I've gleaned off of their websites.
The All-Ages Movement Project (or AMP for short) is a non-profit grant funded organization run out of San Francisco. Shannon, the project manager, has big dreams. She's currently creating a network of all-ages non-profit music and art collectives all around the United States. Her goal is to have a continually updated database of not only these collectives, but also tools that anyone can use to make their non-profit all-ages collective a reality, something permanent and reliable. She hopes to have a book out next year with stories from ten successful collectives and also at some point wants to mount a summit for these collectives. Like I said, big dreams.
Do DIY USA appears to be (and I say appears because I haven't talked to them like I've talked to Shannon, all I have to go on is their myspace) attempting to create a network of DIY venues across the United States, similar to AMP except with a different focus. They currently have listings of more than a few DIY house venues all over, from Iowa to New York, but it appears that there are only one, maybe two, legit venues on their list. They say they want to help bands book all all-ages tours and share resources. More power to them. I sent them a message and wait for a response back, maybe we can help each other.
As far as the research is going, it's somewhat tough. Although I can be sure to find venues in areas I plan to visit, there's no way that while it's still October I can discover who's going to be playing the night that I stop in these cities. After I conduct my research here I think I'll be a little more confident about contacting people and telling them what I'm about. But as a booker I know it can be somewhat intimidating to have something planned so far in advance when there are so many variables. Then again, maybe I should just bite the bullet and suck it up, stop being so timid about this.
The All-Ages Movement Project (or AMP for short) is a non-profit grant funded organization run out of San Francisco. Shannon, the project manager, has big dreams. She's currently creating a network of all-ages non-profit music and art collectives all around the United States. Her goal is to have a continually updated database of not only these collectives, but also tools that anyone can use to make their non-profit all-ages collective a reality, something permanent and reliable. She hopes to have a book out next year with stories from ten successful collectives and also at some point wants to mount a summit for these collectives. Like I said, big dreams.
Do DIY USA appears to be (and I say appears because I haven't talked to them like I've talked to Shannon, all I have to go on is their myspace) attempting to create a network of DIY venues across the United States, similar to AMP except with a different focus. They currently have listings of more than a few DIY house venues all over, from Iowa to New York, but it appears that there are only one, maybe two, legit venues on their list. They say they want to help bands book all all-ages tours and share resources. More power to them. I sent them a message and wait for a response back, maybe we can help each other.
As far as the research is going, it's somewhat tough. Although I can be sure to find venues in areas I plan to visit, there's no way that while it's still October I can discover who's going to be playing the night that I stop in these cities. After I conduct my research here I think I'll be a little more confident about contacting people and telling them what I'm about. But as a booker I know it can be somewhat intimidating to have something planned so far in advance when there are so many variables. Then again, maybe I should just bite the bullet and suck it up, stop being so timid about this.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Research - Active! in Lakeport
So Dao is just incredibly awesome. She forwarded me this message from a girl in Lakeport about a group called Active! that does all-ages shows down there. It seems they've been putting stuff together since 2005, had a lot of shows at a bowling alley, but as the bowling alley wasn't doing enough business they had to stop doing shows there. They still have a yearly festival called Rocktoberfest, which I can only assume is also at the bowling alley. Lakeport is, after all, next to Clear Lake. The aformentioned girl is moving with her family up here and is interested in helping out The Placebo after she moves, or at least that's what I understand out of the message. Which, of course, is totally rad.
I want to see if I can do an interview with her or more people from this place, maybe talk to them when I'm on my way down or back from Tahoe this year. T'would be rad. I'll have already done my interview with Russ by then, so I might have a better idea of what I want to ask.
I want to see if I can do an interview with her or more people from this place, maybe talk to them when I'm on my way down or back from Tahoe this year. T'would be rad. I'll have already done my interview with Russ by then, so I might have a better idea of what I want to ask.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Preliminary Planning Stage 2
I feel it's time to move on to stage 2 of my plans. Not that I've accomplished everything from stage 1, I still have a bit of shopping and learning how to drive and such, but I can do that intermitantly. what's necessary now is research. I've just started researching the music of these areas, starting with Vancouver. Why Vancouver? Even though I'm going to have been through four cities before I get there? O yeah, because I already have a basic knowledge of what's going on in Oregon and Washington. So I'm starting with Vancouver. The only awareness I have of their scene is They Shoot Horses Don't They, this crazy band with more precussion than can fit in a suitcase.
I put up the placeholders and dates for the secondary route (which is actually first priority, but it's called route 2 because it was made-up second) with dates on the map. So there you go, Tab.
If you know of a particularly great band or venue from one of my cities, now is the time to tell me. I honestly don't have that much of an idea how to do this research bit besides Google-searching "[city name] all-ages music," which doesn't always turn up the best results (vancouvermusicscene.ca? Fuck that website. There's like, nothing there!).
I put up the placeholders and dates for the secondary route (which is actually first priority, but it's called route 2 because it was made-up second) with dates on the map. So there you go, Tab.
If you know of a particularly great band or venue from one of my cities, now is the time to tell me. I honestly don't have that much of an idea how to do this research bit besides Google-searching "[city name] all-ages music," which doesn't always turn up the best results (vancouvermusicscene.ca? Fuck that website. There's like, nothing there!).
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Preliminary Planning - Interview Questions
So I went out and bought myself a good mic from Target (and still, every time I even think of Target the song "Target has my Heart" by SOJH runs through my head). Okay, so maybe it's not a "good" mic per say, but it was $10. It's omni directional (which was pretty much my only requirement) and I can either use it in a stand or plug the mic-head directly into my laptop, which is good because I seem to pick up less static that way. As far as the other equipment goes, Gaura, my computer guru and roommate, suggests that I wait 'til Black Friday. Although the process of this scares me it would also be a good opportunity to grab some winter wear that I'm sure to need, just as long as I don't get trampled.
In any case, I'm writing today to brainstorm some good interview questions for Russ. He's going to do some recording for my sister tomorrow and maybe I can kill two birds with one stone and do an interview in another room or something.
Objectives to learn:
-How did you get involved in the scene?
-What are some of the positive experiences you've had with all-ages music?
-What are some of the negative experience you've had?
-What's kept you involved in all-ages music?
-How does playing an all-ages club feel different from playing in a bar?
-How does playing at a house feel different from playing somewhere else?
-What's your favorite all-ages club and why? How do the clubs differ?
-How do you think the community as a whole feels about all-ages music?
Somehow through this interview I want to steer towards talking about Out of the Sun's closing and re-opening, The Placebo, and a few other venues around here.
O, and on a last note, I think I'll officially here and now set the departure date for February 22nd. I'm tired of being wishy-washy about this. February 21st is my mom's birthday, so I kinda want to be here for that, it's a better marker than most as far as when would be a good time to leave. By my newly created schedule I should get back home by April 9th (just in time to file an extension on my tax return!)
I'm going driving again today, I already have my permit in my pocket. I've got a long way to go before I can feel confident shifting onto the freeway and heading north for Eugene.
In any case, I'm writing today to brainstorm some good interview questions for Russ. He's going to do some recording for my sister tomorrow and maybe I can kill two birds with one stone and do an interview in another room or something.
Objectives to learn:
-How did you get involved in the scene?
-What are some of the positive experiences you've had with all-ages music?
-What are some of the negative experience you've had?
-What's kept you involved in all-ages music?
-How does playing an all-ages club feel different from playing in a bar?
-How does playing at a house feel different from playing somewhere else?
-What's your favorite all-ages club and why? How do the clubs differ?
-How do you think the community as a whole feels about all-ages music?
Somehow through this interview I want to steer towards talking about Out of the Sun's closing and re-opening, The Placebo, and a few other venues around here.
O, and on a last note, I think I'll officially here and now set the departure date for February 22nd. I'm tired of being wishy-washy about this. February 21st is my mom's birthday, so I kinda want to be here for that, it's a better marker than most as far as when would be a good time to leave. By my newly created schedule I should get back home by April 9th (just in time to file an extension on my tax return!)
I'm going driving again today, I already have my permit in my pocket. I've got a long way to go before I can feel confident shifting onto the freeway and heading north for Eugene.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Review - The Vista 10-17-07 rough
A rough draft of a review of The Vista I was working on Wednesday night before, during, and after the show...
Imagining a Legend
I had never been to The Vista before re-opening. I had heard the tales, of course, the legends of former glory from Humboldt scene giants speaking of The Vista and some of the epic shows they used to have. In my mind I pictured a dark club with a stage in the back and a bar lit up on the side. Rockers filling the dance space wearing Docs and band t-shirts, milling about outside smoking cigarettes and drinking 40s of PBR. A punk rock paradise. Something more fitting in San Francisco, perhaps.
So I was at the re-opening show. I wanted to see the rumors for myself, to get some experience at The Vista for myself, to come out of the dark about this place. We get to the building, looking in the front door I can see it looks, for the most part, like a restaurant. A bar curls around and sea-oriented objects adorn the walls. I follow my more experienced friend to the music space by walking toward the kitchen and then into a wide hallway. A long window exposes dishwashers still cleaning the day's dirty wares. The band is set up at the end of this hallway in front of a window facing the bay. The ceiling is low, and the patrons of the venue stand around and talk in front of the band who are setting up. I can hear voices from outside, there's a door halfway through the room that opens into an "outdoor" area: a wood floored and walled deck with chicken wire roofing. The overheard fluorescents are turned off and two colored bulbs of blue and red provide the light and ambiance for the room. This isn't what I pictured.
Now I know that my report could cast a somewhat dismal light compared to my imagined beacon of rock 'n roll, but there's an important distinction between the two: the white hallway of The Vista is real. My flattering dreams aren't. The Vista has been booking way more shows than it can handle lately, and good shows too. There's always a local act on the bill and the price is usually $5 or less. The people are friendly unless you cause trouble, but the scene there is uneasy and unestablished. It's young. But full of old E-town scensters who remember the way things used to be. Given time, and a little help, The Vista will soon be once again the stuff of legend, and this time I'm going to get to be part of that.
Imagining a Legend
I had never been to The Vista before re-opening. I had heard the tales, of course, the legends of former glory from Humboldt scene giants speaking of The Vista and some of the epic shows they used to have. In my mind I pictured a dark club with a stage in the back and a bar lit up on the side. Rockers filling the dance space wearing Docs and band t-shirts, milling about outside smoking cigarettes and drinking 40s of PBR. A punk rock paradise. Something more fitting in San Francisco, perhaps.
So I was at the re-opening show. I wanted to see the rumors for myself, to get some experience at The Vista for myself, to come out of the dark about this place. We get to the building, looking in the front door I can see it looks, for the most part, like a restaurant. A bar curls around and sea-oriented objects adorn the walls. I follow my more experienced friend to the music space by walking toward the kitchen and then into a wide hallway. A long window exposes dishwashers still cleaning the day's dirty wares. The band is set up at the end of this hallway in front of a window facing the bay. The ceiling is low, and the patrons of the venue stand around and talk in front of the band who are setting up. I can hear voices from outside, there's a door halfway through the room that opens into an "outdoor" area: a wood floored and walled deck with chicken wire roofing. The overheard fluorescents are turned off and two colored bulbs of blue and red provide the light and ambiance for the room. This isn't what I pictured.
Now I know that my report could cast a somewhat dismal light compared to my imagined beacon of rock 'n roll, but there's an important distinction between the two: the white hallway of The Vista is real. My flattering dreams aren't. The Vista has been booking way more shows than it can handle lately, and good shows too. There's always a local act on the bill and the price is usually $5 or less. The people are friendly unless you cause trouble, but the scene there is uneasy and unestablished. It's young. But full of old E-town scensters who remember the way things used to be. Given time, and a little help, The Vista will soon be once again the stuff of legend, and this time I'm going to get to be part of that.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Preliminary Planning - Map v. 1
This is what I've come up with based on hints and suggestions as far as a map of my route goes. If you have comments or tips or some bullshit like that that you want to throw-out there, now is the time. I plan to later go through and edit the descriptions of the placemarks and add dates and specific bands and venues to them.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Preliminary Planning - Local Interviews
Although I don't have a good mic yet, I know where I can get the equipment around here to conduct an interview and actually record it with some quality. So I'm currently planning out my own local interviews to start to get a handle on this thing. Instead of focusing on The Placebo (my first inclination, obviously) I'd like to get a better, more well-rounded picture of the all-ages scene in Humboldt. And really, I want to talk about the thing in the scene that I feel gave me the most joy (and maybe the most pain too, but in very personal ways). This is not The Placebo, but rather The Professional Superheroes. I plan to connect them to a good number of the local all-ages venues and the all-ages scene in general. To cover this story I plan to interview them (or at least Russ, maybe Devon and Oliver), people from The Placebo (Willoughby, Julie, Dao, Mike, Eva, etc.), and Tina from Out of the Sun. To round out the all-ages scene around here I plan to talk to someone pretty unrelated... John who books at The Vista and lives at The Firehouse, just to do a bit more coverage on house shows and for-profit venues.
I also started to write a rough piece about The Pro Heroes when I was bored in history...
"When it comes to the all-ages experience, it's first easiest to talk about my won experience. And when it comes to my own experience, it's first easiest to talk about The Placebo, but that wouldn't be really giving the whole picture, a picture talking about The Professional Superheroes would more easily provide. The Professional Superheroes (or Pro Heroes for short) were an indie rock cover group that I palled around with. Through the band i had experienc ewith many of the all-ages venues in the area, as well as somewhat playing without a tradtional venue. Most of he group's shows were all-ages, as most of its fans were under 21. They played the come-back show for Out of the Sun. They played Thee Parkside, which spends most of it's time being a 21+ bar. They played people's birthday parties. They played out on the street at Arts! Alive with a generator. And even removing the young fanbase, most of the members were models of the people passionate about the all-ages scene..."
Not much, I know, but perhaps to give a better idea why I'll focus on telling that story to tell the story of Humboldt all-ages music.
I also started to write a rough piece about The Pro Heroes when I was bored in history...
"When it comes to the all-ages experience, it's first easiest to talk about my won experience. And when it comes to my own experience, it's first easiest to talk about The Placebo, but that wouldn't be really giving the whole picture, a picture talking about The Professional Superheroes would more easily provide. The Professional Superheroes (or Pro Heroes for short) were an indie rock cover group that I palled around with. Through the band i had experienc ewith many of the all-ages venues in the area, as well as somewhat playing without a tradtional venue. Most of he group's shows were all-ages, as most of its fans were under 21. They played the come-back show for Out of the Sun. They played Thee Parkside, which spends most of it's time being a 21+ bar. They played people's birthday parties. They played out on the street at Arts! Alive with a generator. And even removing the young fanbase, most of the members were models of the people passionate about the all-ages scene..."
Not much, I know, but perhaps to give a better idea why I'll focus on telling that story to tell the story of Humboldt all-ages music.
Preliminary Planning Stage 1-3
I wrote some notes for things that I'm going to have to start looking into in the next couple weeks this morning. This is it.
Next steps of planning:
Next steps of planning:
- Shop for a good mic to do interviews with, something light, chea, and compatible. Russ says to be prepared to spend around $100.
- Shop for a decent digital camera, something with basic manual functions and maybe rechargable battery. Be prepared to spend $200.
- Shop for a good external harddrive, soemwhere between 50gb and 100gb. I have no idea how much space I'll ned but that should be more than enough space.
- Finalize route. Go to Rochester with Jon? Pick day of departure and start contacting and confirming people on dates needed to stay.
- Once route(s) is finalized, begin researc of scenes. Do I already know bands fromt hat area? Can they help me find all-ages venues? Check to see if any groups listed on AMP that coincide with my trip are still up and running (many aren't).
Some ideas that might help me out in the long run...
- Eat cheap. Food can cost big $$ (last night I had to finally fix my spaghetti fixation, so I actually went to a sit-down restaurant better than a diner for the first time in months) that I'd rather have on the trip.
- Don't plan any more trips than the ones I already have committed to (Leftover Crack next week and Tahoe this winter) unless I can spend $25 or less on them (transportation and a place to stay). Find more people to go to Tahoe with.
- Sell somethings. I have way more clothes than I need, if I can sell some it'll help multiple fronts. Also, as I plan on buying wintery clothes, make them work appropreate so I can write that off my debt with my mom.
- Practice query letters. contact writing resources and see who might be interested. Write apology to Jen Savage. Email Grandma Kate. Talk to Bob about trip, see if he has ideas.
- Look at grants, ask Julie or Libby for help. You never know.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Rough Copy of Introduction
Okay, I really should be heading to Pastels right now but I'm having trouble keeping my head up (literally) so I think I'll put this up first. And I will think of a better title.
On Music, the All-Ages Scene, and Why I Want to Take This Trip...
Music is one of the most important aspects of cultures all over the globe. It permeates our lives, young and old, rich and poor, and it's everywhere we go. Although there are many ways to enjoy music, there is nothing that compares with a live show or concert. Here in the U.S. and Canada we have thousands of bars, clubs, and other venues dedicated towards live music, from the large halls like the Carnigie in New York to tiny coffeeshops like Luna's in Sacramento. With all these shows and concerts, it's bewildering that there's a stark age discrimination present in the live music business. A common thread woven throughout the U.S. is the struggle of all-ages clubs and venues, while bars and 18+ venues thrive. Why, in such a vibrant musical culture, would those who sought to bring music to youth come under fire?
I have firsthand experience with this peculiar phenomenon. When I was 17 I first started promoting all-ages events through an email list. This lead me to a group called The Placebo, an all-ages collective run venue in Eureka, California. I immediately was entranced and started helping as much as I could, booking, promoting, managing shows, and even learning how to run the PA. After that I was offered a column in a local weekly paper to talk about all-ages events, furthering my skillset as a promoter. I loved it. So I didn't really understand when things started to go wrong. We kept getting noise complaints, even though we were operating in an industrial neighborhood. I had to end a few shows early when the cops would show up. I knew about The Placebo's rotten luck in the past, but the whole thing just felt unfair. Then our neighbors, another all-ages venue, were shut down for want of proper permits. We followed suit by closing our doors, to be safe.
What happened over the next couple months was hard. I attended city council meetings, not only in support of my club, but another that had been shut down in a different city. I experienced yet another all-ages show getting shut down by cops. here we were, attempting to provide a drug and alcohol free space for kids to see music, and due to busts by police the scene was moved to houses where kids would routinely get too drunk to stand up straight. It didn't make any sense!
Then I had my epiphany. I was trying to book a band I was friends with a show north in Oregon or Washington, and discovered that in those places there were venues just like the ones in my area facing similar problems. I thought to myself, "Maybe if we stand together and share with each other, we can all become stronger and overcome this." Of course I'm not the first person to get this idea, there are actually a couple groups out there like the All-Ages Movement Project currently run out of San Francisco that have the same aim as me. There are a cople bands out there that have at least attempted all all-ages tours, a surprisingly difficult feat. But for the most part, a good majority of all-ages clubs are struggling to stay in business themselves, and frankly don't have time to help other clubs. So instead of having venues send me information I intend to go to them for it.
My goal behind this trip is simple, I ant to see how I can help the all-ages scene across the country. I intend to find out why places like The Vera Project succeeded where others like Yes Yes Alliance failed. What are the stories of those involved? One of the things that all-ages venues tend to have universally is people involved who care more than a little about music, youth, and doing something positive for the community. What is it about the all-ages scene that makes them passionate to keep fighting? I want to see if I'm right, see if the best way to win is to unite and fight together.
On Music, the All-Ages Scene, and Why I Want to Take This Trip...
Music is one of the most important aspects of cultures all over the globe. It permeates our lives, young and old, rich and poor, and it's everywhere we go. Although there are many ways to enjoy music, there is nothing that compares with a live show or concert. Here in the U.S. and Canada we have thousands of bars, clubs, and other venues dedicated towards live music, from the large halls like the Carnigie in New York to tiny coffeeshops like Luna's in Sacramento. With all these shows and concerts, it's bewildering that there's a stark age discrimination present in the live music business. A common thread woven throughout the U.S. is the struggle of all-ages clubs and venues, while bars and 18+ venues thrive. Why, in such a vibrant musical culture, would those who sought to bring music to youth come under fire?
I have firsthand experience with this peculiar phenomenon. When I was 17 I first started promoting all-ages events through an email list. This lead me to a group called The Placebo, an all-ages collective run venue in Eureka, California. I immediately was entranced and started helping as much as I could, booking, promoting, managing shows, and even learning how to run the PA. After that I was offered a column in a local weekly paper to talk about all-ages events, furthering my skillset as a promoter. I loved it. So I didn't really understand when things started to go wrong. We kept getting noise complaints, even though we were operating in an industrial neighborhood. I had to end a few shows early when the cops would show up. I knew about The Placebo's rotten luck in the past, but the whole thing just felt unfair. Then our neighbors, another all-ages venue, were shut down for want of proper permits. We followed suit by closing our doors, to be safe.
What happened over the next couple months was hard. I attended city council meetings, not only in support of my club, but another that had been shut down in a different city. I experienced yet another all-ages show getting shut down by cops. here we were, attempting to provide a drug and alcohol free space for kids to see music, and due to busts by police the scene was moved to houses where kids would routinely get too drunk to stand up straight. It didn't make any sense!
Then I had my epiphany. I was trying to book a band I was friends with a show north in Oregon or Washington, and discovered that in those places there were venues just like the ones in my area facing similar problems. I thought to myself, "Maybe if we stand together and share with each other, we can all become stronger and overcome this." Of course I'm not the first person to get this idea, there are actually a couple groups out there like the All-Ages Movement Project currently run out of San Francisco that have the same aim as me. There are a cople bands out there that have at least attempted all all-ages tours, a surprisingly difficult feat. But for the most part, a good majority of all-ages clubs are struggling to stay in business themselves, and frankly don't have time to help other clubs. So instead of having venues send me information I intend to go to them for it.
My goal behind this trip is simple, I ant to see how I can help the all-ages scene across the country. I intend to find out why places like The Vera Project succeeded where others like Yes Yes Alliance failed. What are the stories of those involved? One of the things that all-ages venues tend to have universally is people involved who care more than a little about music, youth, and doing something positive for the community. What is it about the all-ages scene that makes them passionate to keep fighting? I want to see if I'm right, see if the best way to win is to unite and fight together.
Preliminary Planning Stage 1-2
I'm working a bit more on my big long list of goals and objectives and preparations for the trip. I have a rough draft of sort of a cover letter/introduction to the whole piece, although I would definitely recommend that it is particularly rough. I intend to post it up here in the next day or so, right now my ears are ringing and I've got quite the case of whiplash, both ailments to be complimented to Iceage Cobra for rocking me so hard it causes injury. Hopefully I will be able to see them when I'm on my trip, as they're based out of Seattle. Awesome guys. They're doing an interview tomorrow on KSLG 94.1 with my good friend Monica.
So not much of an update on the trip planning, I guess, but I will post that rough up here in a little bit. But now it's time to veg out so I can actually get up tomorrow to do a square for Pastels on the Plaza.
So not much of an update on the trip planning, I guess, but I will post that rough up here in a little bit. But now it's time to veg out so I can actually get up tomorrow to do a square for Pastels on the Plaza.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Preliminary Planning Stage 1
So in the interest of getting ready for this trip I've started the preliminary planning for this coming winter/spring. I'm driving every couple days with my grandma (and I'm getting a bit better too, I'm starting the car on the first try without stalling out most of the time now). I also purchased a US road map and have been attempting to figure out distances of travel and plan on and pick which cities to visit. Devon insists that we should go through Austin, TX, but I think that by the time we're in Lincoln, NE we're just going to want to get home. I offered the compromise that we figure out the trip going both routes and then decide when we're in Lincoln what we want to do. I'm attempting to try and consider this as realistically as possible, although I have no context to compare it too. But now it's solidified that the end of the trip will need to be in April, as there is no way neither of us (nor the car, most probably) want to be in the heat of the southwest in the summer.
The next stage, after figuring out a basic route, will be to do research on the decided cities. I'm attempting to contact people I already know in those cities or who have been to those cities for information. I also want to conduct practice interviews with people in the local all-ages community. I will begin to shop for digital cameras and microphones with Russ. Russ and I are also planning a sort of practice road-trip, going down to visit my dad in S. Lake Tahoe this winter (and I can start research and info gathering there while I'm at it). My goal is to take an equal share in driving, and also to bring Gus (the black car) down there. Dad has agreed to teach me how to put chains on Gus and drive with them on the car, a skill I'll most likely need when I'm traveling through Montana, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Dakotas.
I'll be putting up the preliminary destinations, a started rough draft of my goals and objectives for the trip (for magazines and/or people in areas I'm unfamiliar with to show them what I'm after), and possibly see if I can make a Google map of the trip... all in the next few days (I hope).
The next stage, after figuring out a basic route, will be to do research on the decided cities. I'm attempting to contact people I already know in those cities or who have been to those cities for information. I also want to conduct practice interviews with people in the local all-ages community. I will begin to shop for digital cameras and microphones with Russ. Russ and I are also planning a sort of practice road-trip, going down to visit my dad in S. Lake Tahoe this winter (and I can start research and info gathering there while I'm at it). My goal is to take an equal share in driving, and also to bring Gus (the black car) down there. Dad has agreed to teach me how to put chains on Gus and drive with them on the car, a skill I'll most likely need when I'm traveling through Montana, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Dakotas.
I'll be putting up the preliminary destinations, a started rough draft of my goals and objectives for the trip (for magazines and/or people in areas I'm unfamiliar with to show them what I'm after), and possibly see if I can make a Google map of the trip... all in the next few days (I hope).
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