The dishes at Mason's sound creative and scrumptious (I'm always searching for new food adjectives but for some reason most of them give me the heeby jeebies, including scrumptious. maybe i should shorten it to "scrump" but that sounds like some hip hop sex thing). I'm glad that acres of cleavage are de riguer cuz I've got a good half acre all to myself. My only complaint about Kate Washington's review? She used ginormous! Just like Lisa Heyamoto!
I heard a couple of complaints about the clubber this week so I checked it out and C.K. it's pretty clear you have been phoning it in the last couple of weeks. I know you are a busy guy and I bet you've been occupied with school or something. As far as trying to coerce people (especially musicians) into going to shows, people go see shows because they want to, not out of obligation. The band has to be good (according to whatever your taste is) and then they will get good word of mouth, and then people will start going to their shows. And I do refuse to leave downtown to see shows, for the most part. Is there a suburban venue that's not a total shithole?
"Last weekend, I saw a great many Midtown musicians out on the town, among them Dave Middleton and Julie Meyers, Kevin and Allyson Seconds, James Finch Jr., Amber Padgett and Sam Coe, Jay Shaner and Katrina Skalland."
ReplyDeleteI hate it when he name drops like that. Why would anyone care which local musicians go to the same (I'm guessing folk?) show as he does.
I also refuse to go to venues outside of downtown. Why would I choose to drive when I can walk? - that's my excuse.
I know, is he trying to encourage me to drive drunk? How irresponsible of him.
ReplyDeletep.s.-glad to see you're hard at work over there
I'm sorry CK has a problem with one band not watching the other band on a given bill. As somebody who misses about half of the bands i end up playing with, I have some defenses:
ReplyDelete*I really DON'T LIKE many of the bands we play with. When I get to help set up the show, I generally watch the bands-- 'cause I like them. When a promoter books the bands, I often think they suck.
*Most bands are too fucking loud. I know, all of my bands are too fucking loud, too, so i don't blame you either if you leave.
*We've got problems. Yup, the van broke down, the bass amp is missing, our number one fan is getting thrown out by security... it's always something. I often don't get to watch a band I'd love to see because I'm fucking busy.
Not everybody that misses the opening band's set is a 'I'm doing coke in the back room/I'm so sensitive I can't lose my mood/I'm too important to be bothered' douchebag.
Don't think I didn't see that guilt post that you took down!
ReplyDeletemiller
Heh. I have, apparently, made a ginormous gaffe. But thank you for the compliments.
ReplyDeleteScrumptious gives me the heebie jeebies, too.
goddamn, smiller. how often do you check this thing? and why don't you email me more often. don't think i don't notice when you comment but haven't answered my email.
ReplyDeletei have to put in my 2 cents here. the word douchebag is usualy only used by douchebags. and since i used it just now, i must be one too. but jeeze, i want to copy his whole article and change every occurance of "musician" to "journalist" and send it back to him. bleh. i realy dont care for his writting at all. his music isnt all that bad, but its hard to like it when you don't care much for the dude.
ReplyDeletep.s. is having an oil drum and a saw blade as part of a drum set something a douchebag would do??
jef!
Heyo,
ReplyDeleteIn defense of Christian, he ain't a douchebag and I think he means well, you know, trying to drum up local support. But, c'mon Christian, I've seen you at just a few shows -- should I assume that you've only been to four shows in the Sactown area just because I haven't seen you at the hundreds that I've been to? And how do you know who or who is not a musician at a show? My guess is that an audience (Sacto) is made up of 90% musicians and 10% enthusiasts. Unless you are at Marilyn's which would be 99% douchbags and 1% Jackie Greene.
Greene Room!
heckamax
oh heckamax (whoever you really are)!
ReplyDeleteYou need to send that above comment to the SN&R to be posted in their reader's comment section for the non-blog-exclusive world to read.
Funny.
i like how the article mentions that there are tons of musicians in lots of varying scenes, then name drops 9 people in virtually the same scene.
ReplyDeletemost real music fans (not casual ones) usually already know what they want to see/hear (unless they're kids), know where to find what they want to see/hear, have lots of other outlets to find out about music they don't know about, usually are part of a group of people who's opinion's they trust when looking for new things to see/hear, and they tend to not want to see the same local or even touring band over and over again no matter how much they like them.
when you're a touring band, seeing 3 other usually-shitty bands every night for 6 weeks straight is really fuckin' boring and really cuts into the little time you have for yourself that isn't being spent driving in a van chainsmoking to cover up the fart smell. sometimes people in bands feel like having a beer and watching other people play, and that's nice, but that's not a freakin' obligation and everyone should stop treating it like it is.
and since the article is mostly about local music, who wants to see the same local band a million times? i've always labored under the notion there is no reason to play any town more than 2 times a year... maybe 3 times if people are actually begging to see you or you're opening for someone much bigger with a larger/different fan-base. other than that, you're just boring the same 20-60 people over and over again. are you really giving them something they didn't already see the other three hundred times over the years?
support isn't an obligation, its something you give to something you like. musicians need to stop begging for support and trying to guilt-trip people into it. if people aren't giving it to you, it's 'cause they're not interested in your fucking band. sorry. i support places i want to see shows at because i want them to stick around, not because i feel some obligation to support local music, i don't owe any local music scene shit. most musicians and bands are terrible or boring or irrelevant and are clogging up the scene anyway, the sooner they disappear the better. the reason average music fans aren't adventurous about checking out new music is because 99% of the time, new music is disappointing, so they stick with what they know or ask someone they trust.
Hecksackers:
ReplyDeleteI have 2 more Clubbers to file and then it's all over. I thought it might be more worthwhile to try to drum up support for the scene than blather on about band X yet again.
Essentially, I don't give a shit if you see shows or not. What I can't stand is listening to bands bitch about Sacramento having a lackluster scene and then doing nothing about it at all. If you're not complaining, then I'm not talking about you.
I can tell you one thing: It's been great seeing shows the last 2 weeks and NOT having to write about them. I've forgotten how fun it can be to just dig the music without having to think about how I can make it into 550 words.
As for Jef: Sorry you don't like me, man. I like you just fine.
CK
Hey CK,
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't (didn't) envy your job. I hope us negative ninnies didn't drive you from that post.
To give you some props, since I unfairly only wrote in to criticize your opinion now and then, I do admire your gall to express your opinion and criticize musicians. Speaking for myself and myself only (oh, and David Bowie), we are a needy bunch who can get really pissy when we disagree with an opinion, especially if it is negative about our music. However, just in case you think I might be backsliding on some of my opinions, I will restate that I am right and you are wrong unless you are agreeing with me. C'mon! A "C" for the Four Eyes?! That album has The Oldest Dude in The World on it!!
Also, I always liked that you supported suburban music. I recall the story about seeing punk bands play in a parking lot in Elk Grove and how the cops came and they were cool with it. I love to hear that kind of shit. I also love to know that there are some Elk Grove punkos making it happen in the parking lot. Talk about Charles would say, "It was AMAZING".
Finally, many years ago (I think, like two) you called out a couple of country rock bands on their "authenticity" and "dressing the part" action. This was during a time where if I heard another band at Old Ironsides use the word "barstool" in a song I was gonna kick some ass. I argued with a co-worker all morning in your favor. I hate alt-country because I love Wilco, Son Volt, Uncle Tupelo, Palace and Gram Parsons so much. Please, write a song not a cliche and leave the bullshit hay-bales at home.
Well, there ya go, CK. Just think, now you can sit back and use the next poor sucker who writes about local music as a punching bag.
Take Care,
Heckamax
Pretty stange, just about everyone you might critique on this site is reading this site.
ReplyDeleteIs that at all intimidating?
I think Christian does okay, though I often disagree with him, having different tastes in music.
I get why he'd want to try and goad folks into supporting the scene more, even if it is a hopeless effort. As someone else said already, if the music is good folks will go see it. For the most part I prefer a column like his stick to reviewing the music he hears/sees, much as I prefer a food column actually describe the food being served.
As for his naming musicians he saw out and about, I thought it was alright. I mean, he had bitched about musicians NOT supporting the scene so he pointed out the good examples of some musicians that DO support the scene. And lets face it, like Kevin or not the guy is ALWAYS out there seeing bands play and showing his support. As for me, I suck. I never go out anymore. But I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. We all gotta live our life, and though I still love music I just don't enjoy the clubs as much as I did when I was younger.
Xian,
ReplyDeleteJeff only really knows you thru your writing, so I assume he meant to say he doesn't care for your writting. Unless you wronged him in some way I am not aware of.
I feel your frustration with the lack of support of awesome things in this town. So many good bands go unwatched and generally unsupported. Sacramento pretty much broke Danny Offer's heart single handedly.
But, you know like I know, you wouldn't want anyone in the audience out of guilt. I know I could get, 50% of my co-workers and family memebers to come out to see the next rock and roll headache I inflict upon this sleepy river town. Lord knows I could use the money too. But I wouldn't want that feeling in the audiance of "I don't get this, I don't want to be here, this sucks". If I want people to come out to a show I am tricky and plan the show in just a way to bring out people. However, most of the time I just try to enjoy and appresheate the really awesome music scene we have despite to 90% of sacto residents not caring, not many good music venues, and uninspiring music scene rivalries. I mean really if you compare the amount of support bands get here and how really rad some of the bands are, it's staggering.
The best way to move people is enthusiasm and actions. at least thats what I try to do.
charles
ps. Hey Al, "New Day Rising, New Day Rising..."
"Sacramento pretty much broke Danny Offer's heart single handedly."
ReplyDeleteOMG, that boy has been broken for years.
Danny Offer rules. Talented and a real nice guy. Just had to add that.
ReplyDeleteI love what heckamax wrote. He stole my brain and poured my thoughts on the matter out. Thank you. As for the article and some of the comments it generated, well, when some freaking Nancy starts getting all hysterical about The Scene and who is "supporting" it, I think of Rules like Straight Edge and self-righteous name-dropping jerks who produce music/art/results/shows/zines not out of inspiration but perchance to be validated by others. These are the people who show up to the gig, plug in and scan the crowd and get mad at the people who didn't show up and punish the people who did by being a fucking baby.
ReplyDeleteThe playing should be its' own reward, not a bunch of ink in a weekly, not a crowd of people who respond because they feel they're supposed to. It is GREAT to play to a lot of people, but feeling like you're owed something because somebody (your mother? girlfriend?) told you that you're songs are WUNNERFUL seems like a recipe for unhappiness.
Which is fine.
There are plenty of people who no longer play because Sacramento didn't "support" them. To them I say, "good bye, good riddance and don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya."
If The Scene is a bunch of people giving each other handjobs and agreeing with each other all the time, well, the Scene can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.
Love
"Ed"
PS: Last time I saw Danny Offer, he was at a really cool job in an office with a great view of Wino (chavez) Park and seemed not at all in a funk.
.