Support Local Music
Now that WMC is over we can finally talk about some real issues. Today I have only one I want to discuss: Showing Love & Paying For It.Sometimes I like to refer to my hometown here as the "City of Entitlement." Yes, we Miamians think we are entitled to everything - running red lights, being blatantly rude on purpose, not using our blinkers, expecting the most expedient service at all times, cutting off folks during rush hour at S. Bayshore and SW 17th Ave., not giving anyone the time of day unless they can offer you something in return for your attention, and the list goes on. One item of interest I want to focus on today since this is a music and nightlife site is the concept of paying for musical events, especially local ones.
It seems that most people who go out on a regular basis expect to get into every event for free. As someone who has been a local DJ, musician, and promoter I have heard and experienced almost every possible reason for this incessant freeloading. "I know the band/DJ", "I am on THE LIST", "I slept with the promoter", "The bartender is my brother", "I write for blah blah blog" , "and my ultimate favorite "I always come here." Some of these are credible reasons to be comped at an event (see 1st and 2nd). The rest... fuck off.
I don't think you realize just how much work goes into producing and/or performing at an event. I'll spare you most of the details but while you are still taking your Friday afternoon disco nap these folks are hard at work setting up, sound checking, etc. for that evening. Oh, let us not forget the fact that bands (and the better DJs) rehearse for hours at a time, weeks in advance to properly entertain you. Yes they are working for YOU! Why not pay them and/or the people who organized the event? Why don't you go to your job, work all day and not get paid... how glorious would that be?
Some of my friends come into town and are ready to fork over cash for any cover if they want to go out, just like they are used to in their city. Maybe that explains why our music scene is taking so long to flourish. When you get paid, you can work hard at producing music for your audience without having to work at La Caretta to make ends meet . It kind of makes sense when you think about it.
While this paradigm works negatively on local music in the city, the same goes for national acts. Ask yourself why promoters won't gamble on an act that costs a pretty penny to bring down? Ready: Probably because you will refuse to pay the cover for you most likely think that you are entitled to go see said act, because you're YOU! WTF?
So my fiends, in conclusion: When you look around in the future and you find yourself asking where all the great producers of local music have gone in Miami you can probably look at cities to the north. And when you ask yourself why they still aren't around to entertain your penurious self, all you have to do is look at that cleverly marketed American Apparel T-shirt you have on and say... "now I know."
C.R.E.A.M. >Dolla, Dolla Bills Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
