I hope to make this a short rant... i see lots of people arguing on Facebook about the outcome or the process of the Bay Area IBC contest. I have no opinion on that. I like the winner a lot, and I like the other contestants too. What DOES annoy me about all of this, and something that Ive seen nobody point out is that a battle of the bands for grown ups evidently is the biggest deal in the Bay Area as far as the Blues Societies are concerned. I have travelled all over the world playing Blues, and hundreds of gigs i have done have been made possible through the contribution and networking of Blues societies across the globe. San Luis Obispo Blues Society puts on several great shows featuring international touring acts every year. Bucks County Blues Society does it. Oslo, Norway has TWO Blues Societies that do it. These are random examples. Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, James Harman, a modern day TRUE GREAT plays at the Smoking Pig for less than 20 paying customers. Where were the Blues Societies? They had no problem filling up the same club for the IBC competition. It seems to me that the Blues Societies are largely made up of local musicians, and their friends, and are made to serve these same people. I feel like the purpose of a Blues Society should be to generate genuine interest in the genre, HELP the touring artists who are out the DOING IT (and struggling) gain an audience, and educate the new members and devotees to the great legacy of this near-extinct art form. Im sorry, but pinning a bunch of (talented) local acts up against each other in a popularity contest, and having THAT be the main event every year, does nothing to achieve this. You might say well, Kid, why dont you JOIN a Blues Society then, get involved and try and make these changes?? Well, I believe that a Blues Society is something that should be created by the fans, to benefit the genre and the relevant exponents of the genre (especially when the genre is in as dire straits as Blues is), and yes, also create a community and scene for the fans themselves. Please dont get me wrong, I am HAPPY for everyone in the Bay Area who are proud and glad to call themselves part of our Blues Family and scene. Its a great thing, its a bunch of really cool people and nobody is in it for any inherently wrong reasons as far as i can see. I just think, if youre gonna call yourself a Blues Society, your goal should be set on helping and promoting BLUES, not helping and promoting just paying members of your society. Its supposed to be about furthering that music, not about being a part of a clique, paying to get your band promoted, or rooting for your local team in a contest.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 02:49:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015