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Arts & Entertainment
 

Laziness will kill local music scene

Rhodes Rage

Dusti Rhodes

While writing a story on a local musician, I interviewed others from Houston about how this individuals' leaving reflected the Houston music scene. The following is hands-down the best explanation I have ever heard for the poor state of our local scene from a person who has been around long enough to offer a justified opinion -- Jay Brooks from one of Houston's oldest bands, Middlefinger. 

"Houston is rough. There is little support for original live music. Our town is dominated by DJs and cover bands, and I mean no offense to these people, because if you want to make a living on music here, that's what you have to do. They are trying to survive in a narrow-minded market. If the music doesn't sound familiar, patrons will drive to a place where it does. I don't think of Houston's attitude as the typical cosmopolitan ennui, but rather a cultural laziness bred from too much MTV and safe corporate radio. In addition, there's only a few clubs in Houston that take care of live bands. Frequently groups are underpaid and generally treated poorly, which is an extension of the general public sentiment," Brooks said. 

The general public means you -- you have the power to make live music worthwhile. For one night, go see that local band that you read about somewhere, or the one a friend told you about instead of going to see some guy put records on a turntable or some girl sing bad renditions of 80s tunes. Sure, you may not be able to sing along the first time, but if you like it you will probably have many chances to see them again, or you could buy their album if they have one. 

Those in the independent music scenes should check out local bands as much as possible, because who knows when your favorite will be "the next big thing." If you doubt that is possible, then you definitely have not seen enough Houston bands lately. 

Venues and booking collectives could help out too by scheduling different local acts to open up for national tours that come through the city. It seems that the various Houston scenes have turned into exclusive clubs and only two or three bands are booked because of who they know, not because crowds actually would care to see them. 

If you have ever visited Dallas' Deep Ellum, then you would experience a scene that is a local musician's paradise. Instead of exclusively booking acts that they think will be good, the venues and collectives book a variety of up and coming acts and let the fans decide whether or not they like what they hear.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but at least he experienced something different.
 

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