Chicago: The Eponymous Thread

2x. There are friend's bands that I genuinely enjoy going out to see, and there are others that I would never go to if they weren't my friends.

That Guiliani for President of 9/11 article is hilarious.

Also, the new new ILX isn't dumb. Stop fearing change, you buncha panty waists.

Like Windows Vista.

xp then turn images on! Adapt or die, people!

It's not that. He doesn't "overshare" -- it's more that he just doesn't have a private, internal life.

I guess in general I feel like most of the responsibility for draw should be on the shoulders of the headlining band or whatever group put the show together.

Just to flip sides for a minute here, because I do think that draw is important, any time you're added to a bill it's because the club's booking dude expects that you will bring money into the club, either from ticket sales or drinks. If the headlining band is not capable of selling out the show on their own, then why would a club feel comfortable booking an opener that isn't capable of pulling in their share to make up for it?

The issue I have is not with the fact that we're expected to draw, because that's a reality for any band that wants to play good clubs in Chicago, it's more about how Matt expects us to approach it.

Cf. how half of our songs are third-person narratives about other people.

any time you're added to a bill it's because the club's booking dude expects that you will bring money into the club, either from ticket sales or drinks
Dude, I know that. I just mean most of the responsibility should be on the headliner or at least the organization sponsoring the show. If the venue feels certain the headlining band will lead to a sold out show, which it did, why have any opener bands at all?

I'm just being defensive. I think once a club has asked you to play, they can't go off on you for not bringing in enough people. They can just not ask you to play again.

If he hasn't already, M really should read some books on marketing/management/PR or, otherwise, hire someone to do PR for you guys for three months. You guys need your own n3ptali for M to meet the goals he has set for the band. He's like the guy running a restaurant and handing out flyers on the street and is feeling down when the restaurant only fills up during Summer Block Party Days or when the extended family of someone who works there is in town -- and then wonders why restaurants that hire publicists and take out ads get attention. I wouldn't tell most bands this (and I'm not following this advice), but for his particular goals he needs to pay someone who has the experience of getting other bands to meet those goals (of having their own following). And I know you can't buy that, but you can buy the services of someone who knows how to reach an audience that will stay with you.

(And I keep saying, opening for buzz bands means drawing a crowd that follows publicity - fickle crowd. If M respects bands who, for the most part, bought their attention, then he has to do the same. Or, better yet, headline with local bands, play shows outside of the indie-business world, give other bands breaks before the have their own label/attention/whatever.)

If most of the band's friends are like me, they're more likely to see you headline than to see one of these "buzz band" shows. (I don't think I've been to a single one, other than the night we were both in Madison and I saw Devotchka.)

Same old story - he just needs to find an experienced and pragmatic manager instead of banging his head against the wall and blaming the band.

[i]I think once a club has asked you to play, they can't go off on you for not bringing in enough people. They can just not ask you to play again.[/i]

Yeah, I think that's true. Did I indicate otherwise?

Smartest thing yet said regarding this.

Correct. He says he bites his tongue in that band a lot because it's not really his place to make decisions, but he has the comfort of knowing that he has another band where he can call the shots.

OH YEAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAN I TOTALLY SAW IT IN YOUR GMAIL STATUS BUT FORGOT TO MENTION IT

happy!

I wonder what I can cook to bring to the show tonight? I have some leftover stir fry in the fridge.

Thanks guys!

Is this the show that he talked to you about?

hey, dickweed.

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/366369/2/istockphoto_366369_mr_global.jpg

http://alapoisoncenter.org/images/officeruggcy.gif

I keep meaning to Photoshop "GAS FACE" onto it.

Last night I tried to remember the name of the main island of Japan and wasn't sure, so I had to look it up. I was right, it's Honshu.

I'm wondering if it went "dildo" --> "dillweed" (ordinary word that sounds like a humorous insult because it resembles "dildo") --> "dickweed" (a way to restore the original vulgarity).

You've been cheating on us?!