Chattanooga Pulse

I am going to go ahead and apologize beforehand for jumping up on this soapbox, but I feel like it has to be done. I am tired of all the drama and segregation that this little tiny community of music lovers forces on itself.

It’s like we are some sort of twisted sadist set out to destroy ourselves. I do not understand it. I have spent the better part of the last five years trying to comprehend it, and wondering if there is anything I could do to make it better, but I am at a loss.

Whenever I feel this way, sometimes it helps to bring it to my readers, to see what they have to say about it. So: Hey, Chattanooga, let me explain to you what exactly I am talking about, and then I would love to get some perspective on it.

OK. Basically, we have several venues downtown. Those venues could be doing so much better. All of our local bands could be doing so much better. But here is the one drawback. The cool factor. The cliques and the scenesters, the hipsters, and the who’s who; all of it is tearing apart any chance of a good turnout to a local show. As a booking agent and a promoter, I can say that I do know what I am talking about.

Let me give you an example. One of my favorite bands, The Icons, have played at both JJ’s Bohemia and Midtown Music Hall. When I was text-reminding all of my friends about the event, I got a text back that said, “We would never come see a show at Midtown.” What makes this worse is that this guy is a local musician and plays in two frequently booked bands. What is this about? What is this war of the venues? Isn’t it about the music? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand that we have our favorites, and that’s fine. But why discriminate between venues if you like the band?

In this economy, both local musicians and local venues that support our local music scene depend on your loyalties and love for music to stay afloat or to make that album you so desperately want to hear. If we keep denying support to locals, we are only hurting ourselves by shooting our progress in the foot and slapping the facilitators of our scene in the face. What did Midtown ever do to you? Did it talk about your momma? I don’t think it did, sir.

This isn’t the only time I have heard this type of remark. It is a common occurrence, a ridiculous and childish response that has become increasingly noticeable at local shows. We are almost forcing local bands to have to play in town at least two small shows a month and hit two different venues to play in front of all their fans, instead of just having one big show at whichever venue they choose. But, no, that would be too easy.

Some people may not realize this, but you turning up your nose at a certain venue can really hurt the band and their future show opportunities in this market. Think about it. If you aren’t going to a show to see a band you actually like, because you only go to JJ’s Bohemia or Champy’s, then you, my friend, are absurd, and I would hate to see your attempts at mathematics because your logic is a bit off.

Oh, and I am not playing favorites here. There are some people that will not set foot in Rhythm & Brews, which cost them the opportunity to see Dinosaur Jr. Some of our cool kids would rather sit at home than go see Vertigo at The Low Down, and I guarantee there are some shows worth a look at Ziggy’s and The Riverhouse, but heaven forbid you get your white belt dirty.

I don’t make it out to every show and every venue. I don’t pretend that I have heard every band in this market, but I will tell you this: If I have heard it and I like it, I will go watch them play in an alley if they want to play in an alley. It’s called support; unconditional support.

Maybe I am the jerk for assuming that people would go out of their particular comfort zone to support something they like or believe in, but I like to pretend that people aren’t as fickle as they are, and that Chattanooga fans are some of the best. I am not trying to point fingers—I am just trying to raise awareness here. Chattanooga has become one of the most complexly difficult places to book because of all of the conditions that must be met to get 100 people in one room. I know that just recently I booked Superdrag for JJ’s Bohemia, because while they are a bigger band, most of their fan base probably wouldn’t support a Rhythm & Brews show. I also put Fair to Midland at Midtown with the Mighty Sideshow because their fans are more prone to show up there than anywhere else now that Club Fathom is no more.

Why can’t we just all get along and agree to love music, no matter where it is?