RTP-area local music and culture

[musicscribe AT gmail.com]

> > I just feel like it's a lot harder to make music than
> > it is to listen to it.  It's very hard to go on tour.
> > Booking shows, paying for gas, eating, lodging,
> > playing in front of crowds ranging from 4 to 400.

My perception is that playing in front of people -- however many -- is
a charge, and if it weren't fun, there are plenty of opportunities to
do something else, like snapping up that lone retail job where the
music isn't set to '80s Mix or, worse, John Mayer and other Algia-
produced crap. Or getting a real job.

I inevitably am trapped into conversations with frustrated musicians
wondering why we have to criticize any music at all. "If you don't
make it how can you appreciate how hard it is to do? If you can't do
it how can you criticize someone who does." Plenty of people can't
play quarterback, but that doesn't stop the Monday morning post-
mortems. I could not hit a curveball to save my life, but, after years
in the minor leagues, I would expect someone who has dedicated their
life to hitting the ball to be able to do it. That's what they're paid
for, so when I bitch the living hell out of Wily Mo Pena for swinging
in the wind like a shutter, I believe that's legitimate.

Similarly anyone who has made it their choice to entertain others for
a living needs to get used to being booed off the stage. I really am
not too worried about the thin skin and bruised egos of visiting
musicians; let them work at the bakery if their confidence is shaken
by 50-100 negative words. I heard a lot worse than I dish out in my
creative writing class decades ago. (perhaps for good reason....)

--

Interestingly no one has raised the issue of entertainment value,
other than obliquely. I suppose no one else finds their eyes glazing
over reading reviews. While part of our job is informative, I
sincerely believe part of it is entertainment as well. Now Grady, you
may not be impressed with my 50 words on 3 crappy '80s bands, or my
100 on the sad case of Mike Love, and I'll make no excuse about a
target's relative ease; what I'm looking for is (hopefully) an amusing
zing that maybe has some context rather than, say, "how old are these
guys again?" or "If I knew what love was, I'd tell you so you could
shut up."

Frankly, I think there's a lot of hot air pumping up a lot of these
bands, and while, admittedly there's an inside baseball aspect to
savaging, say, a KRS band, or even better, one of these meandering
freak-f**kers that Grayson likes so much, sometimes I think it's
worthwhile to suggest the Emperor's New wardrobe blows.

I would agree that not all these are entertaining or even always very
well argued. I gave Grayson grief about Mackey's Ted Leo review, and
felt it was poorly argued. But I like the fact that we're even talking
about it, and what constitutes good music rather than simply bowing to
whoever has a positive opinion... (instead of writing about Bush from
a critical perspective, let's just take feedback from people who like
him...)

--

Like anyone else I worry that this discourages people from going to
shows, but my thought is that hopefully it steers them to better
shows. Pitching entertainment is a zero-sum game folks. If people go
to one thing, they don't go to another. Admittedly we're not always
tackling stuff people will take our word on (who's going to not go to
see the Beach Boys because I ragged on them?), hopefully I can make a
good case why Midlake might not appeal to someone, while opening the
eyes of someone who really likes pre-digested '70s Laurel Canyon soft
rock.


CRS