Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
The Question: How Good Are the Musicians?
RECEIVED Thu., July 17, 2008
Dearest Mr. Black,
Two or three cheers for the Live Music Task Force and their attempts to level the playing field for local musicians [“Can the Bands Play On?” News, July 18]; fact is, every city in this country has the same problem … too many musicians, not enough clubs to play in. It’s just that proclaiming this town as the Live Music Capital brings in an abnormally higher level of chronic unemployables who think they rock, dude.
What nobody seems to be addressing is the fact that many of these folks aren’t very good, are they? Who wants to go down to Red River and get their ears assaulted by band after band of “musicians” who know about 10 chords, write insipid lyrics, and can’t even transpose their own songs from one key to another? If the level of talent were higher, the established clubs wouldn’t have to bring in so many touring acts. They could pick and choose from the existing pool of “artists” already here.
Popular acts in town like Bob Schneider, for instance, don’t hire chimps to back them up. He has solid, well-versed players who can help him get his music across. Those musicians have spent many, many hours practicing on their own and can play well.
If a person has chops and talent, he or she will attract an audience of some size, but even that doesn’t guarantee a career in music. That’s always been the case. It’s like watching all those fools on American Idol who deceive themselves into thinking they can sing; and what’s the ratio there? About one in one hundred actually make it past the judges. So … if we have 8,000 people clamoring for steady work, probably about 800 or less are worth listening to.
Two or three cheers for the Live Music Task Force and their attempts to level the playing field for local musicians [“Can the Bands Play On?” News, July 18]; fact is, every city in this country has the same problem … too many musicians, not enough clubs to play in. It’s just that proclaiming this town as the Live Music Capital brings in an abnormally higher level of chronic unemployables who think they rock, dude.
What nobody seems to be addressing is the fact that many of these folks aren’t very good, are they? Who wants to go down to Red River and get their ears assaulted by band after band of “musicians” who know about 10 chords, write insipid lyrics, and can’t even transpose their own songs from one key to another? If the level of talent were higher, the established clubs wouldn’t have to bring in so many touring acts. They could pick and choose from the existing pool of “artists” already here.
Popular acts in town like Bob Schneider, for instance, don’t hire chimps to back them up. He has solid, well-versed players who can help him get his music across. Those musicians have spent many, many hours practicing on their own and can play well.
If a person has chops and talent, he or she will attract an audience of some size, but even that doesn’t guarantee a career in music. That’s always been the case. It’s like watching all those fools on American Idol who deceive themselves into thinking they can sing; and what’s the ratio there? About one in one hundred actually make it past the judges. So … if we have 8,000 people clamoring for steady work, probably about 800 or less are worth listening to.
Thanks,
Tom Bowman
Tom Bowman
