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Entertainment and Music in NWA


bobhazor

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I was looking for an appropriate topic to post this under, but couldn't find one. So, here, a new one.

Let's discuss our lack of good music venues.

I made may way to The Icehouse of Bentonville to check out a band and was pleasantly suprised to find NWA's best live music venue( as well as a good French dip), and perhaps, best bar. You can tell the folks there put a lot of money into the place. If only they can get the word out. In addition, people will have to start supporting the local music scene.

So, now, my broader theory on why local music lacks luster.

It's simple:

1. People are used to not paying cover charges

2. Bars can't hire good bands from out of town, because they can't afford them

3. Therefore, no new music venue can develope a reputation of being a good music venue

4. They hire local band who will work for cheap or nothing

5. but because the venue has no rep and most newer bands have no following, nobody shows up

6. This doesn't help their rep as a music venue

7. They wind up just having DJ's or just being a bar

anybody else?

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I was looking for an appropriate topic to post this under, but couldn't find one. So, here, a new one.

Let's discuss our lack of good music venues.

I made may way to The Icehouse of Bentonville to check out a band and was pleasantly suprised to find NWA's best live music venue( as well as a good French dip), and perhaps, best bar. You can tell the folks there put a lot of money into the place. If only they can get the word out. In addition, people will have to start supporting the local music scene.

So, now, my broader theory on why local music lacks luster.

It's simple:

1. People are used to not paying cover charges

2. Bars can't hire good bands from out of town, because they can't afford them

3. Therefore, no new music venue can develope a reputation of being a good music venue

4. They hire local band who will work for cheap or nothing

5. but because the venue has no rep and most newer bands have no following, nobody shows up

6. This doesn't help their rep as a music venue

7. They wind up just having DJ's or just being a bar

anybody else?

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I was looking for an appropriate topic to post this under, but couldn't find one. So, here, a new one.

Let's discuss our lack of good music venues.

I made may way to The Icehouse of Bentonville to check out a band and was pleasantly suprised to find NWA's best live music venue( as well as a good French dip), and perhaps, best bar. You can tell the folks there put a lot of money into the place. If only they can get the word out. In addition, people will have to start supporting the local music scene.

So, now, my broader theory on why local music lacks luster.

It's simple:

1. People are used to not paying cover charges

2. Bars can't hire good bands from out of town, because they can't afford them

3. Therefore, no new music venue can develope a reputation of being a good music venue

4. They hire local band who will work for cheap or nothing

5. but because the venue has no rep and most newer bands have no following, nobody shows up

6. This doesn't help their rep as a music venue

7. They wind up just having DJ's or just being a bar

anybody else?

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Yeah I think you have some good points. It also seems that perhaps as Dickson St has evolved the music scene has died off instead of simply shifting to another area of the city. I think we talked about this a bit a while back ago under the Fayetteville topic. I think someone also mentioned they thought a different type of person was going to Dickson St than what used to be when the live music scene was much stronger as well.

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Well, yes, if you're going to play music, don't book a show off Dickson. You really won't make any money. What little scene there is--is on dickson, no doubt.

I remember someone saying that the crowd, now, was mostly college students who are out to drink and find partners. That's definately true. Even if a crowd shows up to where one is playing--they may be to distracted to even notice there is a band. This just goes into another level of my theory:

First, if you ever feel so inclined, go to a place like On the Rock which draws a big college crowd. Guess what? They also have bands. Now, look at how many people are listening to that poor band up there...nobody.

Ok, the band side of the theory:

1. Bands have to start somewhere.

2. There are places that will hire first timers.

3. Unfortunately these places don't have the rep as a music venue (who does outside of George's?)

4. Nobody shows up; you're getting payed very little anyway.

5. You can't build a crowd, but you're lucky enough to book george's or gypsy

6. Nobody shows up because nobody knows who you are because even if they did hear you, they forgot because they weren't paying attention

Whose fault is this? It is a mixture of fault. First, it's the venues fault for, even though they want to be a music venue, not shelling out the cash to book a few regional acts a month.

Second, it's the shotgun bars' faults for letting people get used to not paying a cover charge.

Third, it's the bands' faults for not promoting their music.

Fourth, it the local art weekly's faults for not promoting new local music

Lastly, it's the people's faults for not seeing the value of a local music scene and, therefore, supporting one.

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This has been a big complaint of mine over the years. Fayetteville rarely has a band come through that's worth seeing. Why? Bands can't tour everywhere, so a lot of places get left out. Another reason: there aren't enough venues.

I also think the venues we do have tend to have more...relaxed (read: hippie) music than what is mainstream. Several people don't mind this. And I don't have a problem with it, of course. But, jam bands get old pretty quick to me.

I used to see some good shows at JRs, but it's a gay bar now. Dickson St. Theater sometimes has some good shows, but most of the time it's a club atmosphere. I don't think I've ever seen anything I really liked at the Gypsy. George's occasionally has something good, but they seem to have a lot of jam bands.

Other places around town will hire people to play cover songs and such (like On the Rocks). But as someone else mentioned, the performers might as well not even be there

What Fayetteville needs is a good old fashioned music festival. Sort of like BB&B, but with more emphasis on music. Something like Austin's SxSW or ACL. A few years of something like that, and that will put Fayetteville on the musical map.

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This has been a big complaint of mine over the years. Fayetteville rarely has a band come through that's worth seeing. Why? Bands can't tour everywhere, so a lot of places get left out. Another reason: there aren't enough venues.

I also think the venues we do have tend to have more...relaxed (read: hippie) music than what is mainstream. Several people don't mind this. And I don't have a problem with it, of course. But, jam bands get old pretty quick to me.

I used to see some good shows at JRs, but it's a gay bar now. Dickson St. Theater sometimes has some good shows, but most of the time it's a club atmosphere. I don't think I've ever seen anything I really liked at the Gypsy. George's occasionally has something good, but they seem to have a lot of jam bands.

Other places around town will hire people to play cover songs and such (like On the Rocks). But as someone else mentioned, the performers might as well not even be there

What Fayetteville needs is a good old fashioned music festival. Sort of like BB&B, but with more emphasis on music. Something like Austin's SxSW or ACL. A few years of something like that, and that will put Fayetteville on the musical map.

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My band is playing SxSW in march 07, and it was all made available to us by the local music scene. What alot of people dont realize is that the all age venue market here is obviously dominated by the music hall on college, but that place is always packed every weekend, we've had shows there of 500+ people, and we are in the underground music scene, as in very very little radio airtime as a result of our style of music which happens to be death metal, but none the less, the all age crowd far surpasses the 21+ crowds, why? because these kids are there for the music, not for the alchohol, not for the street scene of dickson, but to have a great time with friends and enjoy some realy great bands, im sure little or none of you guys actually keep up with the metal/ hardcore scene around here but we have a TON on HUGE bands come through here, several times a month actually, I've been able to play with alot of my favorite bands by doing it right here in Fay-Town and Vendorville at the Wazoo. :D
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i think a music festival would be great. i'm not sure how one would start something like that, but it would be a good thing for the city. the music scene here is mostly underground. there is the music hall off college that caters to metal lovers. then there's the delicious basement (you can find them on myspace by the same name) that caters to the indy hipsters and such that acttracts some interesting bands. there's just no high-profile venue on dickson or the squre that attracts popular national bands (i'm talking college radio popular). jr's off the square was a venue that used to do this to a degree, but of course when the owners closed it it all came to an end. that was a terrible loss for the music scene here. george's could be a great venue if it would book more than regional bands and try to cater to more musical interests besides the hippie jam-band contingent. you all have good points and i'm glad that this issue is on people's minds.

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My band is playing SxSW in march 07, and it was all made available to us by the local music scene. What alot of people dont realize is that the all age venue market here is obviously dominated by the music hall on college, but that place is always packed every weekend, we've had shows there of 500+ people, and we are in the underground music scene, as in very very little radio airtime as a result of our style of music which happens to be death metal, but none the less, the all age crowd far surpasses the 21+ crowds, why? because these kids are there for the music, not for the alchohol, not for the street scene of dickson, but to have a great time with friends and enjoy some realy great bands, im sure little or none of you guys actually keep up with the metal/ hardcore scene around here but we have a TON on HUGE bands come through here, several times a month actually, I've been able to play with alot of my favorite bands by doing it right here in Fay-Town and Vendorville at the Wazoo. :D
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Almost every festival in Fayetteville is run by volunteers. Some may have one paid director or admin position if they have enough sponsorship to support it. I think Lights of the Ozarks is one of the only events that the Chamber is a primary supporter of in conjunction with the city. Mardis Gras, Autumnfest, BBBQ, Springfest, the film festival of past years, Komen Race for the Cure, etc, etc, etc
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Getting back to talking about a music festival. I think I saw in the paper yesterday that Mayor Dan Coody wants to have an office and staff that focuses on just working on festivals. Could eventually make trying to set up some sort of music festival possible.

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A music festival would be great, but I think it's going to be hard getting a big, class act to come to town and support it. I've been to many of the concerts that have come to town and it seems the turnout is always really low...unprofitably low. This has a way of getting around.

Take the amp for instance--they've had some bigger names come through including some top 40 acts, but the turnout was pretty low in all cases and I doubt they're in the black just yet. That's probably why they're moving. They think that will make the difference.

I don't think the people of NWA are ready to support a large music festival--not until there's more support for the local music scene and more support for those larger acts who happen to make their way through town.

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