[atlantaprog] Re: Attendance Policy for CJ's

I agree with you Wade... up to a point. My biggest resistance is that 
it sounds so draconian (be there OR ELSE! Some allowance should be made 
for REASONABLE exceptions to the policy!) For instance, if Cobweb WERE 
to become available, then I think that by all means you should be given 
a slot... you all have done much to promote the whole scene already... 
so just because you can't be at a each and every show shouldn't 
disqualify you. Also it would be of benefit to all concerned because 
you would draw in your own audience.... which would then get to hear 
the other band and perhaps their audience would grow a bit.

Part of the reason ARIA was founded was to build an audience... to find 
ways to get other people to come out and see us. If we end up playing 
just for ourselves month after month, then we aren't accomplishing that 
goal. That's why I said I supported the attendance thing for the first 
few months... but after every band has played a time or two and the 
audience hasn't grown... perhaps we are just spinning our wheels?

Promotion is the key... but flyers alone are mostly a waste of time... 
we need to work on other avenues. Press, of course, is a good way, but 
not a silly condescending little sound menu blurb like CL gave 
Roguefest... we need a REAL article by someone who actually gives a 
flip about our music. That's why I'm pushing Wheat to work on this(!) 
but we'll need more than just him. All of us need to be doing our best 
to get attention from AJC AND CL. We also need to work on cultivating 
some radio contacts (Wade, don't you have a friend at GSU's station? 
Paul, do have have any contacts at WREK?). We also need to think 
outside the box...try and think of new ways to drum up interest... and 
don't forget word of mouth!

But to be brutally honest, I'm pessimistic about the CJs thing taking 
off beyond the first few months - simply because of where it is. The 
demographics of our most realistic potential audiences (ie those most 
likely to dig what we do - 40-something prog fans, artsy college types, 
other musicians of similar styles) don't match the demographics of the 
people who frequent Buckhead (ie yuppie singles on the prowl, suburban 
party animals, hip-hop folks).

What I suspect will happen is that the CJs thing will become a 
proving-ground and a chance for us to develop our live chops and try 
out new material in front of a familiar audience... so the attendance 
thing WILL help guarantee that we will have some sort of an audience! 
Maybe that's a good enough reason!

AWG

PS - if one of you knows how to reach Jeff Blanks (other than email), 
please let him know that I've been getting many postings bounced back 
from his address for being "over quota"! Also someone named Randall 
Castello signed up recently, but his address seems to be having 
problems. If anyone knows him, please let him know!

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