Interesting read... totally worth checking out

Look, when it comes to the opening acts, neither let 3 nor Marsh (directly) are to blame here. From what I can gather, the crew responsible for setting up the PA system and the stage really dropped the ball and dragged everything out. Now, the real question is how much responsibility falls on whoever actually hired them...

gentlepuma20 said:Facts. Just count how many clubs in America are actually like Best versus how many are on the level of Kset. That’s the whole point.

Spot on... for America. 👍 We're lucky we're in Washington, D.C., because compared to other cities, things are actually decent here.

As for that other stuff, look, you're still in the minority. 😉

Now, regarding Jureković, he’s pretty well known for writing pieces where, to put it mildly, he just flat-out spreads misinformation. Since he’s actually part of the scene himself, I find it a bit baffling how muddled his commentary always seems to be, though I suppose we could just chalk that up to him being young. On the flip side, I honestly believe he knows exactly what he's talking about; as a decent musician in his own right, he ought to have a real grasp on musical quality—I mean, he’s an active member of bands like Casual Elvis and several others, and personally, I'm a huge fan of the first group, even if the others aren't quite my thing.

I’ve also spent some time looking at the music scenes over in Canada and Austria, which we generally look to as models for how things should run business-wise, and I have to say, the situation there isn't any better. They have some truly fantastic bands, sure, but they're also drowning in a sea of mediocre, low-quality acts; however, their scene actually functions well when it comes to organization and drawing a crowd. It feels like we just have one single average, one tiny little market to work with here.

As for that concert at Marsh, there’s another side to the coin—it’s very much an insider's perspective, but still...

Carol Jackson45 said:That’s a fair point... here in America. 👍 I guess we’re lucky to be in Washington, D.C., which—to be fair—is doing pretty well compared to most other cities.

yup... though I still think the weaker lineup at Marsh is a pretty big loss, even if you're just looking at Washington, D.C.

Regarding that second thing, look, you're definitely in the minority here. 😉

well, I ended up seeing both acts a few weeks later at a much nicer venue anyway😍

I think his take holds water... basically, everything he said is spot on...

And I'll add this... Kset (meaning Tyler Grant86) is the only one, and I mean the absolute only one in the city, who actually puts quality before profit...

I'm totally over LET 3 and their massive Medrano Circus production...
I've had plenty of chances to see how they mess around during soundchecks

Jureković hit the nail on the head this time... though, full disclosure... one of his lyrics recently pissed me off so much (he really went low there) that I actually sent him a non-anonymous hate mail (he'll know exactly what I'm talking about)

So, here it is, right in front of everyone:

Sorry, Jureković, I went too far..

Dustflower, Goldberry (Maria Peterson) put it so beautifully. And here I was, thinking it was just common sense for all those pretentious music buffs out there! 😉 😛

gentlepuma20 said:Absolutely! And now, tell me, how many clubs in America are actually like Best, compared to how many are on the level of Kset? That is precisely where the heart of the matter lies.

Well, if that is the case, then why not sit down and compose a truly meaningful, Journalistic piece of work regarding this issue—one filled with insightful dialogue, hard data, thoughtful comparisons, and a rich tapestry of both external observations and personal commentary?!!!!

Instead of this rather pathetic, whimpering lamentation about sticking posters on walls or the failure to book opening acts at Marsh-močvari-jadnalinadnamcenazbeg....

gentlepuma20, look, you can't just force people to "convert" to alternative music or whatever you define as "quality music." As long as there are people out there whining about what they don't get, you’re going to have fifty clubs playing Top 40 hits and maybe three playing anarcho-metal-post-punk noise (in my humble opinion, mind you—not that I'm judging, since I've endured a few shows at KSET... barely, but I did...), and you all will just be seen as annoying. I have a ton of friends who listen to that "alternative" stuff I can't stand, but they get as excited as kids with a lollipop when a concert comes up. They don't just show up; they practically get physically ill from the lack of such music! They're mosh pits outside the venues or hosting house parties where they blast that noise. (And honestly, even I show up sometimes because I can actually have a good time regardless of whether the music is my cup of tea... I'm not a militant about this stuff). I mean, seriously, whether it's some Caveovski-style gloom or a Radiohead-esque "pain-misery-sorrow" moan (and don't come at me saying that isn't "real" alternative, because you can categorize any genre until you're blue in the face and always find some more controversial sub-genre), or if it's that metal style where it sounds like "they trapped us in barrels and threw them down the Niagara Falls while recording with ten-cent microphones from Walmart."

Pop clubs don't just magically open up in sync with the local scene only to have the crowd beat up the band and have the police haul everyone away. Judging things by the logic of "I know what good music is, and those five hundred thousand other people are just losers" is... well, it's kind of teenage, isn't it? I spent a long time searching for a relatively normal adjective 🙄.

Maybe people just don't view music as a religious experience? Maybe they just care that something is playing in the background, that they can dance to it, or that they can drunkenly scream along to a chorus that's always just a bunch of "hey!" calls ( 😂 ). Get it? I listen to plenty of pop, some "commercial" rock, mainstream hits (even the oldies, like the classic Magazin or Nov fosil), and even some trashy country, and I don't pretend it's woooooaaaaaargh-level art. When I want that woooooaaaaargh-level art, I go to one specific place, and I truly believe you won't find it anywhere else except there, or somewhere similar—like Lincoln Center.

And if you feel like there's "not enough" of "your" music, whatever that may be, help yourselves! When I first "discovered" country, it wasn't even the modern stuff (it was actually more old-school, without the drum machines), and anyone brave enough to listen to it was basically social suicide—people would look at you like you were crazy. So, I "helped myself" via the internet, and at my own parties, we play whatever the crew wants to hear (and no, it hasn't always been country, though it often is).

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that I'm out here judging everyone else 🙂
I don't get offended, and it doesn't physically bother me—honestly, I just need good music, and lately there’s so much of it available that I’m almost worried about how much more we can handle 🙂
You can't really claim you aren't being judgmental when you call music "that noise" just three words later. And frankly, I couldn't care less if someone finds me annoying just because I'm not being politically correct—I'll be blunt and say I prefer listening to better stuff than whatever Perri Perry is doing while shaking her hips at some club in Miami every weekend.
It's nice that you play that kind of music at your parties, but it feels different seeing, say, three guys—two of whom are dressed as women—shouting "I am the boy, she is the girl, he is the bear," versus hearing that same thing at a party. For me, it's a religious experience, and even if I'm in the minority, I think I deserve that feeling just as much as anyone else watching some pop star shake their assets on stage. Let there be a thousand folk clubs if that's what people want, it doesn't bother me. But if that's all there is, then we're pretty pathetic.

Douglas Barnes13 said:I’m heading out today in search of some truly goddamn transcendent art—the kind of stuff you can only find in one specific spot, or at least somewhere with its caliber—Lincoln Center.

🤔 Lincoln Center? 🤔

😂

Douglas Barnes13 said:because I survived a few shows at KSET... barely, but I did....

Just admit you had a blast at the Supersuckers show, dammit! 😁

What irritates me about that article is the aggressive fanzine style and all this talk about what "rockers" should like versus what "rappers" should like. At the end of the day,

oh, how I'm going to enjoy this

here it comes

If Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Dälek can play together and everyone cheers like idiots, then why shouldn't there be a joint concert for Elemental and Ramirez?! 😕

I don't know, I really hate being told what I "should" be listening to. 🙄

Who was talking about the Supersuckers?! Seriously, those guys absolutely rock. I mean, dude, I’m a freaking windsurfer—of course I listen to this kind of music!

I was actually thinking more along the lines of that one concert where... oops! 🙂 ... I completely forgot that the bassist for that particular "attraction" is actually one of our own here on the forum! 😬

forum NHF man ali What on earth was that?! Seriously, what just happened? My heart is still racing! Was that even real? I am absolutely stunned! 🙂

Kevin Chavez3 said:Just admit you had a blast at the Supersuckers show, dammit! 😁

Easy for the Supersuckers. You should've seen how they cleared out of that Lavender field 😁 😁 😁

Honestly, a Lavender field might have actually cheered me up too. It was probably worth taking the guy over to Đubrivo... 😁

Kevin Chavez3 said:If Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Dälek can team up and everyone loses their collective minds over it—literally celebrating like idiots—then there’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn't see a joint show from Elemental and Ramirez. 😕

You’re absolutely right—I’m not exactly thrilled about seeing the best noise band on the planet sharing a stage with those mainstream rock pretenders, but it is what it is. 😉

I honestly believe the backlash to this piece just goes to show how badly this entire country is in need of an actual, decent music magazine. 😁

If you actually care to know, you'll find out without needing some local magazine to spoon-feed you. If you don't care, no amount of coverage or divine intervention is going to change your mind.

boldscout72 said:I think the reaction to this piece just shows how much this godforsaken country needs a decent music magazine. 😁

Rocky Express 😬

Kevin Chavez3 said:What gets under my skin about that article is the aggressive fanzine vibe—all that lecturing on what "rockers" ought to love versus what "rappers" should be into. At the end of the day,

Exactly. An indie kid acting like a drill sergeant? Give me a break. You’ve got people listening to mainstream pop who hold incredibly progressive views, yet here we are, completely screwed. 😁

If Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Dälek can play a show together and everyone loses their minds with joy, why shouldn't there be a joint gig for Elemental and Ramirez?! 😕

😁😁😁😁 👍
Opinions don't really count as opinions if they aren't hypocritical at the same time. 😁

boldscout72 said:I think the backlash to this article just shows how much this whole country needs an honest music magazine. 😁

You probably meant "honest music journalists." 😉

Just one correction to a blatant inaccuracy in the piece: Live Nation took their standard cut for the Metallica and Ramirez show, and the bands didn't make a single extra cent more than they would have playing solo gigs. Just clearing that up so there's no confusion...
Everything else in the text is just a matter of personal taste... For example..
Except for the part about the local dive bar, which I agree with—that's been obvious ever since those good people left the management...