RTP-area local music and culture

[Bryk <chscene AT bryk.com>]

Fuck!! Figures I would be out of town for all of this. Then again,  
it's sort of fun reading through the post-facto mudslinging all at once.

Speaking as a indie musician who has probably sucked live at least  
half the time, I've always found the "if you don't have anything nice  
to say, don't say anything" kid gloves approach in indie (not "Indy")  
media to be demeaning. If you put your work out there long enough,  
you're gonna collect some shit reviews, and some of them are even  
going to be way off the mark or even mean-sprited. Some of those are  
my favourites; actually I can quote one from memory: "When a man has  
no voice and seriously lacks material to write, you get Lovers Leap,  
the latest release from Dan Bryk."  But I was also taught that it's  
better to be written about than not be written about, and it's uh,  
MUCH more likely to not be written about.

While I definitely feel for Glenn's perspective (_anything_ that  
deters beer and merch-purchasing bodies from seeing bands is bad  
thing) if there's one thing I've learned first-hand it's that even  
the most ecstatic press DOES NOT automatically generate foot traffic  
in the general reading public -- if there isn't already a buzz, radio  
play or other exposure to the music that's already prompting their  
curiosity. Assuming a bad review is going to make people who aren't  
already aware of the artist (or already on the fence about the gig)  
not attend is SERIOUSLY overstating the influence of a weekly  
entertainment paper.

I don't believe that the real music heads (you know the kind) are  
reading the Indy music section to have their minds made up for them  
-- they're looking to be moved by the writers' potential insight,  
ability to present context, wit or mere entertainment value. And in  
that regard (admittedly as someone who has gotten favourable press  
from the Indy in the past year) I don't find myself disappointed at  
all with their overall tone, style and ability to help me find things  
I wasn't aware of and understand things I didn't know I was wasn't  
aware of.

I can't even begin to IMAGINE the shit they have to listen to, the  
endless phone ring of publicists haranguing them to hype bullshit  
acts that they honestly don't respond to but if they don't they won't  
get access to someone they like next time, or bands that are on the  
left side of the learning curve filling their inboxes with MP3s. So  
what's the big deal with letting them blow off a little steam?

dB