Published December 8, 2010
If you happened to attend the first incarnation of Noise Ordinance back in February, then you have a pretty good idea why it won the title of “Best Local Music Festival†in our Best of the Suncoast Readers’ Poll last month. The hyper-local, yet intriguingly unfamiliar gathering helped to introduce the various sub-scenes of our largely splintered music community to one another, revealing for the first time a complete picture of what the “Suncoast music scene†actually looks like. Bands saw their fellow area musicians displaying high morale and excited about the uniquely artistic environment they were creating. And everyone finally seemed to figure out where they fit within the larger local scene, respecting and supporting the contributions from each part of the whole.
Since that first go around, Noise Ordinance co-founders Claire Franklin, Katherine Derr and Ed Midler createdSarasotaMusicScene.com along with promoter Chris Falk. Falk has since moved to Michigan, but that won’t stop the remaining trio from bringing back Sarasota’s original music showcase in the form of Noise Ordinance 2, now officially presented bySarasotaMusicScene.com. With the submission selection process fully underway months ahead of last year’s call out, SMS plans to follow up a successful first year event with a mind blowing sequel. (more…)
Category: Columns
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The Local Original: Getting paid for musical art is not a Suncoast tradition
Published November 17, 2010 Original music artists to the Suncoast: “Show me the money!” A few weeks back I received a letter from a local musician who’s been playing original music around the Suncoast for over 30 years. Since age 15 he has watched the local scene ebb and flow, and countless bands and venues come and go. He wrote to me from this perspective in an effort to shed light on a huge problem that the Suncoast has seemingly always suffered from: musicians’ inability to find decent compensation for their original music. I find there are three root causes for this local phenomenon, some more easily solved than others depending on which you think are easier to change — bad habits or local laws. The artist, who chose to remain anonymous, touched on one big culprit in his letter: “The local club owners have figured out that a 21-year-old artist who is living with Mom and Dad is happy just to have the ‘opportunity’ to play their music. So, the club owner gives them as little money (many times none) as he can get away with … Until that kid gets a few years older and starts to need money. At that point, the choices are to get a straight job, play for next to nothing, leave town, or play covers.†(more…) -
The Local Original: An overview of the Suncoast music scene reveals progress and change
Published October 13, 2010 In trying to improve the Suncoast music scene it’s important to examine where it came from, how it developed, and where it stands today. Therefore, I felt it was necessary to use this week’s column as a State of the Scene Address of sorts. When looking back at what’s taken place over the past year, I figured the best point of comparison would be to examine where the scene was back in February. That’s when 38 bands from the 941 area code joined together in collaborative musical harmony to produce theNoise Ordinance CD compilation, culminating in the momentous CD release celebration that united Suncoast musicians like never before. But a lot has changed in eight months. Some of the standout bands in the area — Villanova Junction, Youth, The Silent Film Exhibitionists Club — have disbanded. Other popular artists like Sam Robertson and Reggie Williams bid farewell and headed off to college, or in Devin Robinson’s case, Nashville. Thankfully, there’s a silver lining in many of those developments. SFEC’s former keyboardist Aimee Guerin found a home in the lineup for Cassolette, who just cut a deal with Miami’s Cloud Berry Records to release a 7†vinyl. Former SFEC guitarist Adam Marret took over bass duties for Fancy Rat, although the band is now scouting replacements for their recently departed drummer and French horn player, only months after the release of their first album. Villanova’s ex-frontman Ryan O’Neill stepped in as bassist for Sons of Hippies, who after releasing their second album A-morph in August, embarked on a six-week tour that ends with a homecoming show at Pastimes this Thursday. As for the Devin Robinson Band, word on the street is Jack White’s Nashville-based label, Third Man Records, has shown interest in signing them. Nice job, boys! (more…) -
The Local Original: CL debuts its new weekly column covering all aspects of the Suncoast original music scene
Published September 29, 2010 Since we announced the launch of our “new and improved†Soundboard section in August, it’s been very encouraging to see groups all over the Suncoast rising up to do their part in support of the local original music scene. While there’s been significant movement in the camaraderie department, I haven’t seen an influx of great press photos and bios from artists, and loaded booking schedules from venues, pouring into my inbox every week like I expected. This brought me to the realization that while bands and venues would like to promote themselves and their establishments to the fullest potential, they haven’t necessarily been exposed to the best ways of making that happen. So, in the spirit of musical community, I’ve decided to start this weekly column to provide readers with an insider’s view of what’s happening in the scene and how they can contribute to its improvement, and to give local artists and venue owners some tips on how to get the word out. I won’t be telling people what to do, but rather explaining what I and other local musicians are doing to further their careers, and also giving incite into the interactions and conversations I have with those involved in the local scene. (more…) -
Creative Loafing unites the Suncoast music scene: New and improved Soundboard section and event submission guidelines
Published August 11, 2010 Greetings Suncoast Venues and Music Artists, This is Tim Sukits of Creative Loafing writing to let you all know about some exciting changes happening here at Creative Loafing Sarasota in regards to the Suncoast live music scene and our entertainment listings section of the paper, known as the “Soundboard.†Today marks my one year and nine month anniversary on the editorial crew here at the Loaf, and I have become very familiar with the operational ins and outs and seasonal ups and downs of the local music scene during my time as Staff Writer/Events Editor. I have now taken on the position of Arts & Entertainment Editor, which means my highest priority is to make Creative Loafing a catalyst for the advancement, cohesion, convenience and creativity of the Suncoast arts culture. As a music artist myself (timsalem.com, myspace.com/timsalem) I am passionately dedicated to and personally invested in this area developing a vibrant live music scene. In order to foster this growth, I have decided to make some changes to our current method of music coverage and our Soundboard section in the print paper as well as online. We will now be working with WhereWillWeGoTonight.com in an effort to more efficiently compile our live music listings. We are asking venues and artists to send their live music schedules toinfo@gotonight.info as well as tim.sukits@creativeloafing.com. “GoTonight†will input your shows into their online database, which will be sent to me automatically at noon every Wednesday the week before the paper comes out. This means we need to have your events at least eight days before they occur. The Soundboard covers Thursdays through Wednesdays, so if your event takes place the week spanning Thurs., Aug. 19 to Wed., Aug. 25, we would need to have the info by noon on Wed., Aug. 11. You can send monthly calendars or weekly schedules, as long as they’re in the system when it’s sent to me. (more…) -
The Starving Artist: What’s in a name?
Published Nov. 5, 2009
Hello, fellow Sarasotans. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my new blog, which I have oh-so-fittingly dubbed “The Starving Artist.†My goal for these posts is to give you an insider’s view into the trials and tribulations of a musician trying to start a music career on the Suncoast. I plan to provide you with some valuable tips on how best to market your music and get shows booked, and also what it’s like to play at our local establishments from an artist’s perspective. I’ll let you know who draws the best crowds and how receptive they are to the music, what venues have the best sound, what it’s like dealing with the booking agents and what you can expect to earn for a night’s work. I hope I can entertain and enlighten you on what it really means to be a starving artist on the Suncoast.
First thing’s first. Any musician that wants to break into any music scene has to start by getting their name out there. And before you can do that you have to have a name. I will be writing this blog from a solo artist’s viewpoint, but most of the information should translate to full bands as well. A stage name or band name can be the most important decision a musician will ever make. Once you put all the legwork into marketing your name — website, MySpace page, press kit, promotional materials and, most importantly, public name recognition — you’re pretty much stuck with it. Unless you’re Jack White and you can come out with a new band every few months, you will probably be tied to that name for the entirety of your musical career.
For all those musicians who are hesitant to adopt a stage name, it may comfort you to know that the majority of the famous artists you have come to know and love are not actually going by the name their momma gave ’em. Believe it or not, Bono is not his real name. It’s actually Paul David Hewson. But that doesn’t quite have the same rock star connotation to it. Your name is just as much a part of your image as your tattoos and black leather pants are. And one thing you will discover in the music industry is that image is very important. The name that someone reads on a flier or a sign when they walk past the front of a bar can be the difference between having that person in your audience or not. And once you choose a stage name you better love people calling you by it, because for all the folks who don’t know you personally, it’s your real name.This is something that became painfully obvious when I originally decided to go by Timmy John. I played a few shows under that name and I had people coming up afterward calling me “Timmy.” I had never gone by Timmy and it just didn’t feel right. And nothing will make you change your name faster than hearing audience members shouting “Timmaaaayyyy†in the key of South Park while you’re trying to play a song. Needless to say, Timmy John didn’t last long. As my good friend Rich said, “You’re just not a Timmy. You’re a Tim.†And I couldn’t agree more. Your name has to be who you are.
After a bit of indecision I settled on Tim Salem. Salem Street in Lafayette, Ind., is the street I was born and raised on, so that word is just as personal to me as my real last name. You have to ask yourself what images your name will evoke when people hear it. I asked one friend who said Tim Salem made him think of cigarettes and another who said it brought witches to mind. Now, both cigarettes and witches are pretty rock-star-oriented things, so I’m cool with that. It’s much better than the images that come to mind when hearing a mispronounced version of Sukits. Trust me: It’s been a lifelong lesson.
Once you’ve firmly decided on a stage name and all your friends have given it their approval, the next step is to put together a press kit. In my next addition to “The Starving Artist†I’ll explain what it takes to put together a good press kit and show you some resources you can use to make it a gig-booking machine. I’ll also talk about some different aspects of the Suncoast music scene and what venues you may want to target depending on what type of show your looking to land. I hope you’ll join me for the next leg of the tour so we can all take this musical journey together.