I've been hanging out in a smaller town for the last few months and this question has come up. Maybe it's just here, but I always used to be able to count on at least once a week local bands gathering together and putting on a make-shift show someone in town. Be it at a vets hall, a high school gym, or at some dude's remote house, there was always a flyer to be found being passed out on the boardwalk giving hand-written directions so someplace where you could listen to young, new bands playing their music.
Where is that?
In SF, there still seems to be a love between all local artists. Regardless of genre, they have each other's back in a lot of ways. Play on each other's tracks, and promote "SF Music" just as much as they promote themselves. Everyone benefits, and the shows bring in all kinds of people with different musical tastes so they can find new fans. I love that.
I want more of that.
So my call is to the bands learning how to write great songs and how to put on a great show. A call to get together with the other artists and do shows not just about your music, but about your city's or town's music. Spread your potential fans net wide by playing with all different types. Make it a show about the community, and get the word out there any way you can. There have been so many massive city-based waves of music, and it all starts with the musician community working together to be heard.
Get together, put on a show, and lets hear what you can do. I'll be at the beach looking for that flyer.
