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The wise have always created their own spaces for events here in Seattle when necessary or preferred.
Furthermore, there has never been real money or fandom in the Seattle scene for local music + rent is high in Seattle. And to blame your payout experience solely on venues is
Furthermore, there has never been real money or fandom in the Seattle scene for local music + rent is high in Seattle. And to blame your payout experience solely on venues is
A) an inaccurate portrayal of what’s really at play here
and in turn,
B) To not help the state nightlife as a whole rn because you have beef with a small few is not helpful for all the other venues and/or artists in the state trying to survive
This is the system we live in:
and in turn,
B) To not help the state nightlife as a whole rn because you have beef with a small few is not helpful for all the other venues and/or artists in the state trying to survive
This is the system we live in:
Venues take a 70/30 60/40 split to cover their overhead costs that are so high. If you want 100% — create your own space and go about your way.
I’ve never been mad at the player, it’s always been the game (the system) where I’ve tried to point any qualms.
This is nationwide.
I’ve never been mad at the player, it’s always been the game (the system) where I’ve tried to point any qualms.
This is nationwide.
As a full time booker who tries to help up & coming artists book successful shows here in Seattle and beyond, this is my experience with venues everywhere.
As an artist/creator, I don’t always understand the entitlement that some artists have that they deserve to get paid more..
As an artist/creator, I don’t always understand the entitlement that some artists have that they deserve to get paid more..
.. when ya really ain’t doing numbers like that. If you book in Seattle and pay attention, there’s no one doing numbers that we don’t know about. Likewise, we know about the 100 draw, 4 artist bills at 200+ cap rooms.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
And follow the money.
Yeah, I would have love to get paid more for the 200+ shows I’ve played in the last few years.
However, as Ice Cube once said, “you knew the job was dangerous when you took it (being a musician), if you scared...”
All jokes aside,
Yeah, I would have love to get paid more for the 200+ shows I’ve played in the last few years.
However, as Ice Cube once said, “you knew the job was dangerous when you took it (being a musician), if you scared...”
All jokes aside,
I recognized long ago that solely surviving off being an artist in this expensive ass city was financially impossible. So I took on other roles in the scene to support myself.
There’s no finite # to what pulls you into being a full time artist but I’ve always speculated that in,
There’s no finite # to what pulls you into being a full time artist but I’ve always speculated that in,
this economy system that we have existed in since we hopped out the womb, you would need to be pulling 300 to 400 consistently to survive as a full time artist, here and nationwide alike.
Or throw ten+ events a year on your own at your own space that draw 1,000 people each.
Or throw ten+ events a year on your own at your own space that draw 1,000 people each.
But as a musician first and foremost in my heart, and a worker to the dollar second: I just want to jam as much as possible because music is it for me.
And I want to jam at all the venues because that provides a different experience for the ppl supporting us each time.
And I want to jam at all the venues because that provides a different experience for the ppl supporting us each time.
“Focus on the people who do support you, not the ones who don’t.”
^A double meaning here because as a musician I want to shake things up for the fans but also as a musician, I could give a damn if you don’t like our music or we don’t get A, B, or C opportunity and/or recognition
^A double meaning here because as a musician I want to shake things up for the fans but also as a musician, I could give a damn if you don’t like our music or we don’t get A, B, or C opportunity and/or recognition
“You knew the job was dangerous when you took it”
I didn’t start doing music expecting a participation trophy for everything I do. Or anything I do really. When you do undeniably, head-turning dope shit, consistently — ppl will notice. Every time.
I didn’t start doing music expecting a participation trophy for everything I do. Or anything I do really. When you do undeniably, head-turning dope shit, consistently — ppl will notice. Every time.
And if people haven’t noticed me or the music I work on yet — I’ve just always assumed I haven’t done enough undeniably, head-turning dope shit and that I should shut up and keep working at my craft.
I can’t live in an inflated world where I go around thinking I’m dope and
I can’t live in an inflated world where I go around thinking I’m dope and
... not smell my own roses that I’ve planted and watered thus far, metaphorically speaking. Most of y’all ain’t tended to the garden like that like that yet -and- to the ones who are on an advanced daily watering routine, I await your bloom 
Forget the metaphors though. Let’s get down to brass tacks:
It’s about to become increasingly more difficult for artists/events who draw less than 150 to 200 ppl to throw a show in Seattle and really anywhere if the Gov doesn’t fund/assist artist programs and establishments.
It’s about to become increasingly more difficult for artists/events who draw less than 150 to 200 ppl to throw a show in Seattle and really anywhere if the Gov doesn’t fund/assist artist programs and establishments.
There already needed to be more venues here in Seattle. More all ages spaces accessible to local artists for sure. And to think of that getting dwindled to a much smaller # of venues only means one thing: cut off the fat aka the underperforming, under development artists go first
And roughly about 98% of us are still developing artists trying to find their way. So in turn the scene becomes super concentrated and there are significantly less proving grounds for artists who have put in the work and are ready to bloom: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9342389/coronavirus-touring-concert-business-billboard-cover-story-2020
I’ll continue to throw my own events when needed but that shit is EXHAUSTING! it’s planning, it’s promotion, it’s day of execution, it’s endless relentless promotion just to pull a couple hundred people on a good night.
And I don’t always wanna do that.
And I don’t always wanna do that.
Sometimes it’s nice to play a show just to play a show for the love of music and not have to be involved in the planning and marketing of it at all. If you plan your own shows, then you know this feel I’m sure.
And I applaud and commend anyone with the will to create their
And I applaud and commend anyone with the will to create their
... own venue space. I applaud the idea of an “artist filling the need, creating the space” type mindset. I imagine a lot of the same venue people that some artists are salty at started with the same noble idea in mind. And then came the reality of overhead costs as a business.
And I can’t help but think of when we played a few shows in Germany — we were TAKEN CARE of. You wanna know why? Because the government greatly values their art establishments and the artists that frequent their country. It’s no secret. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/berlin-senate-bailout-process-1820982
And I can’t help but think of how these WA state venues finally banding together to create a WA Nightlife Association could be the first step to art and artists being placed at a much higher value in our state. And hopefully that can happen as a country too. But right now,
I’m focused on where our people are at in reality.
So if you want to be mad, I encourage you to proactively direct that frustration towards the system and not at the singular entity into which they have to exist in said system.
And for me,
So if you want to be mad, I encourage you to proactively direct that frustration towards the system and not at the singular entity into which they have to exist in said system.
And for me,
The only proactive, constructive critiques I can offer at this time is to my government reps to place a much higher value on art AND artists here in our state. So I will be calling daily because without art establishments,
we’ll all just be left wit, “ @____ going live on IG” to experience developing local talent.
We all have turned to art more than ever in these times between music, film, etc. It’s clear how valuable music and art is to our lives. That’s why ima do my part and let our reps know!
We all have turned to art more than ever in these times between music, film, etc. It’s clear how valuable music and art is to our lives. That’s why ima do my part and let our reps know!
