Let's make a few things clear... do I want people to like our music? Yes. Do I want local radio stations to play our music? It would be nice. Do I want local clubs to book the band? Of course. But, none of those things MUST exist for me to do what I do. None of those things must exist to validate the music we write. The dirty truth is once the song is written and out into the world, out of my soul, or out of my heart or mind it's job is done. The rest... the rest is for show. It's all "pomp and circumstance". A rare "pomp and circumstance" that I happen to like.
So this happened today (take a listen):
http://media.965thebuzz.com/a/75770929/local-bands.htm?q=alice+sweet+alice
My response? WHO CARES. Lazlo is doing a job. He's expressing an opinion. But the local music scene takes offense to it. They should laugh it off and keep working. You want the station to like your music and play your songs? That's misguided.
Here's a story that may, at first, seem unrelated. I have a friend that works in a local record store. This store is VERY friendly to local musicians. They stock their records and sell them and basically keep nothing when they sell them. They also play a lot of local music over the store stereo system. On a regular basis, people would come up to the counter and ask who the band was that was playing because they liked it. My friend would be respond, "Oh, that's a local aritst called__________." In his own words, about 90% of the people who asked about the band became disinterested when they found out it was local. Why? because the fact that it was from around here, was a turn off for whatever reason. Instead of exciting someone that they could actually get to know and interact with an artist they like enough to inquire about because they heard the music, they turned away.
This is not Lazlo or 96.5 the Buzz's fault. People just aren't interested. I don't know why, because maybe Kansas City in general just isn't exciting enough for them. Playing songs on a radio station just isn't going to change that. Because it didn't change it at a record store. Local = boring, Yeah, I know, it's not fair. It just is.
Work harder to find your niche. My band The Depth and the Whisper have noticed that the farther away we play from our home in KC, the better the fan reaction. We've some pretty decent success and for the most part are treated better and more fairly thus far in New York than we do here. I don't know why. We play the same music. We are the same people. Just a different environment.
a little ditty not about Jack and Diane
I never wanted to be in a local band. That label seemed limiting to me. I am very happy, and very lucky to play with the people I do. We get to go and meet people. See sights. Make music. Make moments. Make memories. And really, that's what it's all about. Living. Being bold. And loving every minute of it.
I applaud Lazlo for being honest and saying what he really thinks. It's his job. It let's you know what you are up against. No single radio station can really help you. And truthfully, if the person in charge of the local music on that station doesn't like it, she won't play it. And she shouldn't. She's allowed to like her job, isn't she? She isn't there for you or me or anyone else. Let her take the bands she likes under her wing and get them nowhere. It's up to you to go somewhere. It's up to you to do the work. Not them.
Work harder. Write better songs. Get out of town and make your own luck. If you roll in the mud, you're just another pig.
Be better. Be higher. Be bolder. Move on.
Music is life,
Albert
