[atlantaprog] Re: Lord Only at the Masquerade, ARIA at CJ's, and more...

     That's a good point,  Bill,  but I think that clearing one night a 
month on a continual basis isn't all that much to ask,  especially when 
the bands in question have got 3-6 people to help share the load.  For 
something that's supposed to be an important thing in our lives,  I 
don't think it's unreasonable.  And without a real incentive to show up 
and a real consequence for not showing up,  I can see this whole deal 
running out of gas within three shows.  What I'm trying to do with these 
nights at CJ's is put attendance on more of an equal footing with 
performing,  the idea being that for one night a month,  if you can make 
time for one,  you can make time for the other.
      We all have the tendency to only show up when we,  ourselves,  are 
playing,  and in no small part,  getting past that mentality is what 
this whole exercise is about.  Can we do it?  Can we get to the point 
where we all show up,  no matter who's on stage that night?  That's the 
only way that I can see towards making a real community out of all of 
these bands.
      Sure,  we'd all love it if any of us booked a gig and thousands of 
strangers magically heard about it and were instantly compelled to turn 
out,  so that it was no big deal if our friend Joe Guitar in neighbor 
band X didn't make it.  But that doesn't ever happen,  and we all know 
it.  The reality is that it totally matters if Joe shows up.  Last night 
at Lord Only,  Joe was 5% of the crowd.
     I hate to get all "We Are the World" here,  but for all intents and 
purposes,  that mystical audience that somehow never makes it to our 
shows isn't out there,  guys.  All we have is ourselves and each other, 
 and the only prayer we've got of ever catching the eye of the non- 
musician,  the person who just enjoys music without necessarily aspiring 
to be a performer themselves,  is by joining together and creating 
events that look like a great time from any angle.  John Q needs to be 
able to look at what we're doing and say,  "Hey!  That looks like fun. 
 I think I'll go do that instead of....."  
     And it's not even a matter of trying to interest people from the 
outside,  because there is no outside.  All we're ever going to have are 
the people we actually know,  and I think the only way to build the 
family is to <have> one in the first place,  and then add to it one 
person at a time.  Make that "outsider" feel like an "insider,"  and 
you'll have someone you can count on for life.  
     It might seem like an odd reference,  but David Lee Roth used to 
describe Van Halen concerts as "just a little get together with 20,000 
of our closest friends,"  and that,  in a nutshell,  is exactly what I'm 
talking about.  
     For us,  though,  it's not just a snappy catch phrase,  it's our 
reality.  To really make our concerts into larger events with lots of 
people in the audience,   we just need to make a lot of friends, 
 friends whose first common bond (among many,  hopefully!)  is the 
mutual enjoyment and appreciation of this kind of music.  Our shows then 
become a focal point,  a reason for people to get together,  not only to 
see whoever's playing that night,  but to see each other,  and to carry 
on those never ending conversations that we all enjoy,  be it about 
obscure Gentle Giant albums or the latest Rush tour or whatever.  That 
stuff is really important,  and creating a friendly and welcoming and 
<active> environment for these shows is probably the most effective 
thing we can do to help build our audience.  
     To make it happen,  it's going to take personal committment and 
personal involvement to and with each other,  and to and with each and 
every person who comes out to see us play.  From my point of view,  it's 
really the only road.  
     Anyway,  blah,  blah,  blah,  I'll shut up now.  And I don't mean 
to wag the finger,  especially towards you,  Bill,  someone who has so 
often been the model of what I'd like us all to be:  a person who is 
regularly in attendence even when he's not performing.  We could all 
take a cue from your example!
See you soon!

Matthew


Bill Kargel wrote:

>Not to poo-poo on the plan Matthew, but there are a
>few things to consider about the "attendance policy".
>
>I totally agree that if an ARIA musician has another
>gig on the same night that it would be impossible to
>make it to the CJ's shows, and that is excusable.  A
>perfect example would be Cobweb Strange, as they also
>have their McFly band obligations to meet.
>
> If I WANT to go but CAN'T go because I have to work
>late that night and can't work around that, I would
>hate to penalized for that.  Now, if I was ABLE to go
>and had ample opportunity and CHOSE not to go...well,
>that is a different story...my loss!
>
>What I am trying to say is that we need to make clear
>what is considered a clear attendance mark...or not. 
>
>Otherwise, it is an excellent plan!  I am making an
>effort to be certain that I have the night of October
>17th off so that I can make it to the first CJ's show!
>
>Cheers,
>
>Bill
>
>
>
>--- Matthew Trautwein <absolute_music@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>wrote:
>  
>
>>Hey everybody,
>>
>>I just got home from seeing Lord Only at the
>>Masquerade, and 
>>congratulations, guys, on a great set! I thought the
>>band was really on, 
>>and the sound was actually pretty good (Karma Lingo
>>has had some really 
>>bad experiences there, and the volume later on this
>>evening went through 
>>the roof for Nik Turner and Spaceseed!! Ouch!!!).
>>I did a rough head count tonight, and I saw 20
>>people or so in the 
>>audience for Lord Only. OK! I think that it might be
>>a fun idea to start 
>>keeping track of how many people are coming out for
>>our ARIA shows, and 
>>let's see if we can start beating our score each
>>time!
>>So, the next ARIA-related show that I know about is
>>Lord Only, Man on 
>>Fire, and Paine's Promise at the Library on 10/17.
>>I'm going to be in NC 
>>at the Carolina Ren Fest with the Lost Boys that
>>weekend, but for 
>>everybody still in town, let's see if we can get
>>***25*** people to come 
>>out to this show! Obviously, nobody wants to limit
>>anything (we'll hope 
>>for 200!), but in real numbers, actual fact, let's
>>get 25 people in that 
>>room to see these bands.
>>To the groups performing: can each of you come up
>>with 8 individuals, 8 
>>specific people that you can talk into coming out
>>that night? Wives, 
>>husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, and family
>>members count! Just to 
>>keep yourselves organized, make an actual physical
>>list of the names of 
>>people who say they'll show up, and just keep asking
>>folks to come until 
>>you fill it.
>>If each of the bands do that, that'll mean we just
>>need one other person 
>>from the ARIA list to show up and we've made our
>>numbers; one person! 
>>Who's it going to be? Who volunteers to go down?
>>Write to me and let me 
>>know who you are!
>>In addition, I can't be there, so I need someone to
>>take a tally of the 
>>room for me. I really want to know how many people
>>we draw so that we 
>>can make a new goal for our first ARIA night at CJ's
>>Landing the 
>>following week. Is anybody willing to do that for
>>me? Please let me 
>>know! Lets shoot for 25 on 10/17, and we'll go from
>>there!
>>
>>/////
>>
>>As far as the Thursday nights at CJ's thing goes,
>>here is the list of 
>>bands that have expressed interest in participating
>>so far:
>>
>>1. Karma Lingo
>>2. Paines Promise
>>3. Solution Science Systems
>>4. Lord Only
>>5. Z-Axis
>>6. Noise.com
>>7. Man on Fire
>>
>>Anybody else? My plan is to set up a strict
>>rotation,* and we simply go 
>>in order, 2 bands a month, from now until the end of
>>time. After you 
>>play, your band gets put back in line, and we go
>>again! Easy!
>>
>>* Some of you have requested to be matched with
>>certain other bands, so 
>>we may do a slight adjustment to the list from time
>>to time to make sure 
>>we get a good pairing or accommodate a specific
>>request (and we'll try 
>>to set that kind of thing up way in advance! The
>>same thing goes for any 
>>out of towners that express interest or that any of
>>you would like to 
>>invite in). *
>>
>>The success of these shows will be completely down
>>to us drawing a 
>>consistant audience time and time again, so towards
>>that end, I'd like 
>>to try right off the bat instituting the following
>>attendence policy for 
>>the groups involved.
>>It's unrealistic and impractical to expect every
>>member of every band to 
>>show up every single time (I certainly hope it
>>happens, but we all know 
>>how it goes...), so what I propose is that we
>>require each group to make 
>>sure that you have at least <one person> there every
>>single time; just 
>>one! It doesn't have to be the same person, but make
>>sure that your band 
>>is represented every single time by someone that
>>performs on stage with 
>>you. By all means, bring the whole group if you can,
>>but all I'm asking 
>>for is one person at each and every show (and if
>>you're a trio versus a 
>>six-piece, I'm just going to have to ask you deal,
>>this time; life's not 
>>always fair...).
>>And if you don't make it? No biggie, we'll just bump
>>you to the bottom 
>>of list (and for the sake of justice in the
>>universe, we'll put you back 
>>in <after> the groups who's show you missed!). Cut,
>>dried, and simple, 
>>and hopefully fair to everyone: the bands that show
>>up the most get to 
>>play the most, and if you never show up, you never
>>play, end of story.
>>The one exception we'll make is if your group has a
>>gig that night 
>>somewhere else. Obviously, the whole point of this
>>deal is to drum up 
>>more work for ourselves, so if you can be out there
>>spreading the faith, 
>>that's even better than filling a seat! Just let me
>>know ahead of time, 
>>and go get 'em!!!
>>So there we go! Things look good, guys. Curtis
>>sounds really excited 
>>about this, so let's make it happen!!!!
>>
>>This email has been way too long, but hopefully not
>>too boring. Let me 
>>know what you think, and I'll see you all soon!
>>
>>Take care till then,
>>
>>Matthew
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>=====
>**********************
>"The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet 
>sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit 
>are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be 
>trusted." --William Shakespeare 
>**********************
>
>Bill Kargel
>
>wkargel@xxxxxxxxx
>
>Visit my homepage at http://www.geocities.com/wkargel
>
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