So you say you love live music?

A frightening trend has arisen lately. Earlier this year, Tom Grainey's eliminated all live music from both their upstairs and downstairs room, save for one band on weekends and the occasional once-or-twice-a-month out-of-towner show otherwise. They've slowly reintroduced regular local acts back into their formula, but it's still been strange not to have this decades-old venue as a staple live music hotspot. Table Rock Brewpub had to cancel their entire live music schedule, because of an ASCAP / BMI rep giving the venue their typical mafia-style "join or die" bill for having live music. Their solution has been to still have occasional "original-only" shows, for which I heartily scream "hurrah!!" A bar in North Idaho is currently being SUED by Taylor Swift, Sony, Warner, et al for not having an ASCAP / BMI license. Shorty's in Garden City is rumoured to be under the same scrutiny. Bad Irish is closing its doors soon, perhaps to move, or perhaps the result of lackluster attendance to a commendable live music schedule which they put best efforts forth to build. Many other venues have replaced one or more nights a week formerly scheduled with live music, opting instead for trivia or karaoke.

There's also been a bit of a lashing-out on the part of the music community, frustrated with what seems to be an often absent or occasionally even malicious local media response to some world-caliber, amazing music being created in this area, even more amazing due to the lack of resources many other major-label musicians in other music meccas may have at their disposal.

I know there are probably a lot of factors in play for these occurrences -- a huge recession; nearly an entire generation of now-club-age young adults that think a ringtone is the standard length of a pop song or that have never stopped texting long enough to look up at a live band on stage; a dedicated but perhaps over-zealous police presence strangling downtown late-night activity, coupled with awkward (or non-existent public) transportation options. I do feel that another main factor possibly overlooked by the hoi polloi is that venues feel "cover bands" are their only option to draw a steady crowd, since local original acts rarely have the proper tools to really build a following. Especially for smaller venues, the licensing required for cover music can be prohibitively expensive.

The only way for a local artist to get better local exposure:

 

• Put the best possible show together that they can muster.
• Get largely ignored (at best) by most (not always all of) the major local media sources.
• Impoverish themselves to the point of starvation or self-destruction trying to focus on art rather than maintaining a "normal" income from some job that really doesn't contribute anything to society.
• Realize that little if any chance exists to use Boise as a home base for a music career.
• Move away to a music industry hub and hit the bizzarro-lottery of getting signed to a major label that will indenture them into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and a loss of the rights to their own music, but will help them get column inches, radio play and TV time (on the same stations that largely ignored them when they still lived here).

 

So my suggestion to those local media outlets is to cut out the middle man: expedite the process of having a "local kid done good" pat-on-your-own-back support moment, and help the local population see what great artists we have right here in the valley. I'm talking original, grass-roots, home-grown music here, folks.

There's that other part about venues needing to license music from the big publishing organizations for a song that the typical music "patron" here THINKS they want to hear, rather than something written, chiseled from the local quarries and polished with the blood, sweat and tears of the artist that stands before them on a local stage. I have people ask me about those big publishers every once in a while, and I often lay awake at night wondering if I should belong to those as well. But I keep coming back to the same conclusion.

It would be nearly impossible for me to make a single dime from being a member of one of these Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI or SESAC from this licensing process unless I got picked up by a major label. And I doubt that, save for maybe three or four artists, the ones that I generally cover have seen a dime from those PROs either. Those dimes have to do with pop chart formulas, SoundScan data, jukebox info, and concert playlists from the 300 top-grossing tours and/or events/festivals, rather than actual plays by bands on stages in smaller venues. And those artists that HAVE gotten that hole-shot into chart recognition continue to reap the rewards due to the perpetuation of their popularity -- they make more money, they can afford more PR and TV/web/radio advertising, they have more store space leverage, which helps them sell even more. Tracks deemed "hit songs" (95,000 plays per quarter... which would be IMPOSSIBLE without corporate radio play, which is still heavily controlled by the largest record labels, media conglomorates and advertisers) also get a bonus from the PROs in addition to the already-disproportionate royalties they're receiving.

OK... Enough PRO-bashing. Here's what it means to me and you in Boise, Idaho, or whatever music community you are a part of. For live music to continue to exist, we have to find a way to nurture and encourage original local music. This means going to shows and actively tuning in to the songs those artists are writing and performing, despite the Pavlovian knee-jerk desire to request something you've heard six times on the radio already that day. It means calling your favorite radio station and requesting local artists. It means supporting local musicians by purchasing their recordings, or if you're a business owner, offering to pay an industry-competitive fee to use their music in your venue, like for your hold music or advertising. If you're a venue owner, it means booking and helping promote local original acts that fit your needs. I promise you, there are LOTS of them in this amazing local music community that can do this as well or better than the "big boys" from the big music industry hubs.

Here's one of my many conundrums: I love performing other people's songs too, sometimes as much or MORE than I like the original writer's version or even performing my own songs. And I readily admit that I make a significant chunk of my income playing many of those songs in venues that hire mostly cover bands. But I also understand the frustration I might feel if I knew some other performer was making a bunch of money playing one of MY songs, and I wasn't making a dime from it. The times that I have recorded someone else's song on one of my albums for sale, I've paid the mechanical reproduction licensing fees directly to that artist's management. 

Trust me, Lynyrd Skynyrd (or whoever now owns the rights to their music... sigh...) is making plenty of royalties. They don't need any more from a mom'n'pop restaurant in your hometown paying for an $8000 annual license just so you can hear Freebird again.

If you've read this far, you're probably wondering where I'm stumbling with all this. It's simple: we can blame the musicians, the venues, the media, or the machine all we want, but not until we're sure we're not part of the problem as an individual. Next time you're in a venue that has "taken the risk" of hiring a talented and skilled musician for your entertainment, ask for one of that artist's own songs. Listen to it. Buy the album it's on if you like it. Or download the freakin' ringtone of it, if that's how you roll. Just because you're not hearing it on the radio twice an hour all day long doesn't mean it can't be your new favorite song. We simply MUST support our LOCAL artists that have CHOSEN to stay here and make this community better. Or else they will die off, or leave.

If YOU, as an individual, support that artist, they have a better chance of improving and promoting their show, their recordings, their art. The better that gets, the more it impacts the community in a positive way, and the more likely local venues will hire them to present that art. That builds a following, that gets local media attention. The local media must put at least the same effort forth to assist that artist as they might into any of dozens of other ridiculous, meaningless and often negative stories we see given attention during a week. In other words, they need to put that same effort forth that the initial supportive individual did. You see where this goes -- the circle is by no means complete, but it starts with ONE individual's support of a local artist.

If a Boise musician plays music in a forest... and no one makes the effort to listen to them... can they still exist?

Comments

[Mike Rogers]

Beautifully said and written, amigo.

[Speedy Gray]

The one thin I absolutely agree with is the madia issue. Why are we so bereft of local media coverage? I was chosen as a semi-finalist in a major song writers contest 2 weeks ago. I notified both the Weekly and the Statesman and in spite of sending them all the links both asked ME to do their research and then neither of them followed up. Ridiculous.

[Wade Jorgensen]

Well said Dan! It is a tough issue, I'll agree. As a former venue owner in Boise I know about the high fees that the PROs charge. They are ridiculous, especially since I hosted mostly original local musicians at my establishment. There were damned few covers that got played! The PROs are nothing but an extortion racket with very little of the money going to the original artists.

Even after my business closed, I still spent what time and money I could going around town listening to the local talent for several years. Live music has always been important to me! Now I work in a venue in another town were we host original musicians twice a week: the more original the better! They are not always immediately local musicians but the vast majority are from the local region.

As far as media coverage: well, what can I say. If you think it's bad in Boise, try to get coverage here! Mr. D refuses to look beyond his city limits but at least BW lets people know about the many festivals we have up here. There are two local weekly papers here but their coverage of the music scene is spotty at best.

There are a hard corps of music lovers and musicians up here in the north. We do what we can to keep it happening. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle but we battle on regardless!

And say, isn't it about time we saw you up here again?

[Wade Jorgensen]

This has got me going. I could post it on my blog but I haven't updated it in over a year and nobody would see it. So here goes.

Boise isn't the only town with this problem. McCall is feeling the effects too. Common Ground just closed after nine years of bringing music up here. Granted, Brian was more likely to pull nationally touring bands but he was very tasteful about it and it helped keep the variety alive. No cover bands! And almost always with a local musician(s) for openers for them all.

Of the other venues in town, Forester's has been the biggest disappointment. They have moved away from live music and they just wanna do disco and DJ's now. They say they can't make live music pay. Well, say I, it's usually because of your cover charges. The Yacht Club is the same. And it's too damned bad too as both venues are made for having bands.

At The Abbey before, and at Crusty's now, live music is looked upon as more of a cost of doing business. It is realized that the more people come in for the music, the more pizza, beer, burgers, drinks, whatever will get sold. Music Matters! There is a balance there but once a venue is known and established for music, the more people will expect it and patronize those establishments. Especially when there is no cover.

Of the other venues in McCall, I have to give props to Salmon River Brewery. They have been bringing in some great music as well and are doing a damn fine job with it. Wraptor and Northwest Passage dabble a bit but haven't really taken it seriously yet.

I know a LOT of fine musicians up here. Some are ready for prime time and some need a bit more polish. I know even more musicians from down Boise way and I'm always, always glad to see them! We have our annual big music festivals (Roseberry, Idaho-Down, etc.) but most of the music happens with the smaller community events. And we do have lots of those! Seems like at least once a month with 5-10 bands participating.

McCall is a music town. But it's suffering from the same maladies that Dan points out. I think we have a higher per capita rate of music and musicians but the same problems still exist. To borrow a phrase from a (cover) song: "I've looked at life from both sides now..."

Well, enough rambling. Thank you Dan for letting me vent a little bit. I feel your pain and have some frustrations of my own!

MUSIC MATTERS! Support your favorite local original musician!

[jared hallock]

i agree with much of what is said here, but would like to discuss a few things a bit more.

first off let me agree with you about the great talent that idaho has. i will also agree with everything you said about the stuggles of being a musician.

let me remind you that the local clubs are also suppose to be paying a fee to the PRO's to play c.d.'s of registered artists as well. anytime music is used as a vehicle to help sell a product, somebody is legally responsible to pay....even background music in a mall. so i wonder if part of the problem is that there needs to be some sort of educational outreach from the PRO's because it is very unclear to business owners the details of this added cost of business. it is like going into the coffee business and not being clear the about the cost of cups-the vehicle which is used to sell their product. because a business owner does not think that it is fair to pay the PRO's for this product, or that the price is too high is really more an issue of not knowing the busniess cost before jumping in. that being said, it is very unclear how this whole part of the world works and i completely understand the frustration. education in this area of the entertainment industry is something that idaho lacks. also let me point out that with a little research into the PRO's that there is in fact ways for you, Dan Costello, to get paid without being signed by a major label, having radio airplay, or movie spots. I used to feel the same way as you until i took it upon myself to search for some answers. i am still not completely sastisfied (but am i ever), however i am starting to reach certain levels of clarity and am developing a much stronger busniess sense that is helping my craft greatly.

Kudos to the idea of supporting local talent and orginal music! kudos to none original music as well, and to any artist at any stage in their career that is taking their craft seriously. i am as tired as you of hearing brown eyed girl played badly, but i venture to say that if somebody took a truely artistic approach to that song, you would appreciate it. also as a songwriter such as yourself, i am sure you realize the value of playing "others" music to learn the craft. ...and it is very valuable to play those live to actually figure out where the magic lies for the audience. that being said, i am a little tired of the over abundance of cover bands. keep in mind that the people who play in cover bands are the largest supporters of live original music, and to alienate them may be a bit of a mistake. use football as an example (even though i hate football). i am sure you have noticed the huge interest in fantasy football. the people who participate in fantasy football are the biggest football fans out there...and they support for life. i am suggesting that as a similar example to cover bands. cover bands allow people to have a taste of your world. they bring people to you and teach them how to listen. again, i realize this isn't always the case, but sometimes we gotta' take the good with the bad. i know you agree with these thoughts, i just wanted to air them in a different light.

anyway those are all just simple thoughts, and i think the real problem for local gigs lies with the artists. our professional attitude is very very sub par. artists are their own worst enemy. many of us will b.s. though a 4 hour gig for an extra $100 instead of just playing a smokin' two hour gig. if i were a bar owner i would not want to hire some band who is just going to play 3 extended guitar solos, musically repeating the same thoughts, just to buy time. we have to realize that our audience is smarter, and we have to have higher standards for ourselves. we also need to put an end to the play for "pizza and beer" as a form of payment. how can we expect anybody to value our craft if we don't? we need to show up early to gigs and have sound checks done on time. we need to play our full shift. we need to rehearse. essentially we are contractors, and who in their right mind wouldn't fire a contractor who is always late, and leaves early and often times drunk.

musicians need to support each other. this is not a competition...and we should be thankful for that. we should all be recording on each others c.d.'s which allows for crossover of fan bases. as we all know, music is contagious...and so is the excitement for music. so if the venues for local music aren't what they need to be, we need to hold our own functions. musicians also need to contribute to the local "non-music" industry. our songs should be in every movie made in idaho...and every commercial and play. there are many more strong vehicles for our music than c.d.'s, bars or labels. also as musicians we need to realize that we are essentailly a small business. so yes we should be paying for advertising (there are many cost effective routes), we should be going to conventions, and don't try and convince me that we can't get our music in local jukeboxes. it is common for business owners to work 12 hours a day until they have figured out their magic formula. in fact most busniess fail with the first five years....do we really expect it to be any different in our world. we gotta beat the streets.

long story short i feel the problem is with us. you are right Dan, its starts with one individuals support, and i choose "individual" to mean me as an artist. if we hold ourselves to a higher value and increase our professionalism as well as our chops, people will have no choice but to hire us, or buy our c.d.'s...or whatever. it is a dog eat dog industry and just because a person wants to be involved does not give them the right to. lets earn our craft (as many of us are), lets enjoy and learn from the frustration....and then lets cash our checks and accept our grammy's. and speaking of grammy's we should have our own local award celebration.

rock on and on

jared

[Dave Manion]

A quick note on the venues. If you are in a venue that is supporting an original local artist, request a song by them, buy a cd etc., but remember to support that VENUE as well. The venue has to pay the band, and if the venue does well, the band does well. The venue rarely cares what the artist sounds like, they care what the receipts look like at the end of the night. So by supporting the venue, you are supporting the music too!

Nice musings Dan!

[Becca]

Beautifully said Dan. Being a local musician and being married to a local musician...we support this 100% and are willing to start doing our part today!