tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301925128261462352.post7684250394467966904..comments2023-10-18T01:34:40.093-07:00Comments on bigwesternflavor: Welcome to Austin, Now Get OutWestern Homeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00882482458981562935noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301925128261462352.post-24308424000488274082009-12-20T13:20:25.023-08:002009-12-20T13:20:25.023-08:00Hey, if you can get a residency at Momo's, mor...Hey, if you can get a residency at Momo's, more power to you. But there are a ton of clubs here that simply aren't worth playing at all. What's more, how are you going to get money to make a record? Unless you have someone just willing to give it to you, you've got to travel to get paid. There are a lot of ways to maintain visibility that work better than playing to empty houses every weekend. I ran out of steam before I got to it on this one, but playing record store shows and house parties and "alternative venues" doesn't count against my local cap here. Probably worth another entry to qualify that. I'll get back to you when I do the research.Western Homeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00882482458981562935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301925128261462352.post-56746875312894107392009-12-19T17:42:56.412-08:002009-12-19T17:42:56.412-08:00"...nobody is going to show up at your concer..."...nobody is going to show up at your concert dates out of the blue and give you their full attention. (The only person in this entire city who does that is me, and there is only one Western Homes.)"<br /><br />Given that you've lived in Austin a grand total of three months, it's hard to believe this city's little music scene had managed to exist without hardcore music fans like yourself before your arrival.<br /><br />Snarkiness aside, I agree that bands should play out of town as much as possible. But playing 4-5 times a month in Austin is a good thing, not bad. You want people to know who you are... people who go see the headliner and show up early enough to catch your band. And having your name on lots of show posters and Do512 listings is its own kind of marketing.<br /><br />Bankrupt and the Borrowers is fantastic example of early success by playing a ton in town. They went from sloppy bar-rock band to a tight and confident band that could (and did) play any venue and was invited to play Fun Fun Fun Fest as a result. They worked hard and built an audience by playing 3-5 times a month. Then there's the uber-successful Band of Heathens, who started as a weekly residency at Momo's four years ago. Now they're touring Europe and North America.<br /><br />The only way you can get away with only playing every few months in town as an Austin band is if you have a popular album behind you. Bands like The Black Angels and The Octopus Project can play here once seasonally because they have successful albums. But when they started out, they had to play a lot more.<br /><br />If you never play in your own city, no one will know you exist. The goal isn't "How many friends and co-workers can we get at our shows?" It's "How many strangers can we convert into fans?" The latter concern is helped by playing more, not less, in Austin.<br /><br />Because there are so many options on any given night, your odds of having your friends and co-workers making it to a show are hurt by playing only once every two months. What if that uber-hip indie band from Brooklyn is playing down the street on the one night your band decided to play in months? Sorry, but your band loses.<br /><br />Austin isn't like other cities where there's nothing else to do, so you know your friends will always come out and support you if you play once every two months. You HAVE TO play as much as possible here. You can't build momentum or grow your name as a new band if you only play six times a year in a city with hundreds of bands.Ajay M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05036970186209632092noreply@blogger.com