sethfein (Seth Fein) said on Mar. 20, 2009 at 8:01 am:

Todd —

Nice amendment. Your passive and sarcastic attempt to further denigrate me and part of my livelihood doesn't shock me in any way, though. Two points, if I may.

1. No one person (or two, or nine, or 13 people) has control of what gets booked or who comes to town. It's not a job that you apply for; it's a job that you just do because it's something that you care about. Even you Todd, could easily call up Murph, or Ward, or Fodi, or any of the "open rooms" in Champaign to book your own show. Wanna bring Nada Surf in? Email Jackie Nalpant. Email on their site. Anyone can do it. It's about having the courage to do so, and the willingness to take a loss. For someone who has NEVER booked a show in their life, or evidently has no understanding of the economics behind ticket prices, overhead costs and the like, you sure seem to know a lot about "booking agents".... which brings me to my next point:

2. Do you even know what a booking agent does, Todd? Evidently not — as you keep referring to them as people who bring music to town, or somehow control all the music that plays live here.

Again, Todd — inform yourself before you open your strange mouth. "Sigh" is right, man. I love constructive critiscism — I hear it all the time from members of bands, fellow "agents" in town, my wife, and the like.

But it's hard to be criticized by the painfully ignorant. Perhaps you should talk with some "promoters" or "talent buyers" before you start ranting about how one "booking agent" controls all the music that plays in this town.

Grow up. Or better yet, put your money where you mouth is literally and book a show. Then, maybe you'll sound remotely intelligent.

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Mike Armintrout (unregistered user) said on Mar. 20, 2009 at 10:59 am:

As folks have said here, we're lucky to have Todd as a solid supporter of local live music shows in town.

Maybe I've missed it over the years, but what's his involvement in the "scene" aside from going to shows and talking about them? In my opinion, properly being able to talk about music requires the ability to at least halfway be able to make music yourself and have a partial understanding of what makes shows possible. I, and the other promoters listed here, work WAY TOO HARD at bringing good shows to town for anyone with no knowledge of the business to say word one about how we do our jobs.

Going to a lot of shows doesn't make anyone an expert on anything.

Also, do some research. Familiarize yourself with the terms of our business. There's a big difference between a BOOKING AGENT and a TALENT BUYER.

SETH - Sean of the Red Herring Collective, is actually Sean Gordon. Just gotta correct my homie. :)

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Ohnoyoudient (unregistered user) said on Mar. 20, 2009 at 7:48 pm:

Au contraire, mon frere. As a supporter of local music who wants to see music thriving in town, Todd has every right to say this kind of stuff, and more. But he's nice and kind and doesn't like focusing on the not-positive. It is a rare day when he says words that ruffle feathers. It's not his style. But since names have been named and names have been called, this is where the gloves come off and others jump in.

Anyone willing to do a family tree of those involved in the burgeoning and incestuous music booking/writing/buying/promoting business that has boomed in this town over the past 5-7 years? It's way overdue.

From it, it would be clear that many if not all of the people who jump to Seth Fein's defense in these threads either a) works with him at the Canopy where he brings in bands (eg: Armintrout), b) is or was involved in an independent booking business with him (eg: Ingrim), or c) works with him on his smilepolitely site or Pygmalion. Might as well get yourselves some matching jackets and tats, guys. You're already letting those who don't sometimes agree with you or your ways know that they are cruisin for a bruisin. But letting everyone know the business (read: $$) affiliations between you would change the tone here, wouldn't it? At the very least, it might tarnish the sheen you put on your 'doin this stuff for the community' rhetoric. And that would spoil the fun for someone, it seems.

Let's be clear: Todd Hunter is a supporter of music. He goes to all kinds of shows. He talks to all sorts of bands and musicians. He has maintained show lists and written on local music. He goes out of his way to express his appreciation to bands. He invites everyone onto his show on WEFT to perform. He is interested. He supports local music. He dances. He doesn't get paid for doing his supporting.

He doesn't need to know the ins and outs of your business crap to feel the right to speak on the state of local music. To assume he does is idiotic. To think that one needs to know about business and the minutia dividing music middle management positions to "be able to talk about local music" is, actually, frighteningly beyond idiotic. It's wonky and corporate. And only those play music and put on shows have the right to talk on this topic? Nice inclusive take on local music there, Canopy guy!

Seth Fein is a supporter of himself and those bands/venues he represents. He is a booker, a talent buyer, an arts & entertainment website owner, and a band manager. He has a long history of bringing in bands and ripping off local musicians that open for them in order to pay these tourers well. By doing so, he is able to send the bands he represents (Headlights, anyone?) to play in these touring bands' town and get treated well in return. It makes sense for business, but it does not support local bands. It does not support the local
music community.

I don't know what the Fein Mafia is trying to pass on as reality, but going to shows is one main way of supporting local music. Does Seth go to shows outside of those he books? I don't know. I go to shows and I don't see him. (Granted, most aren't at the Canopy.) But we should ask Todd. He goes to tons of shows for bands he knows and doesn't know all over town. Does Seth support local music by going to shows? I know going to shows that Seth doesn't book doesn't make money or contacts for Seth, but is this really what is needed for him to call something "supportive of local music"?

On top of this, Seth makes bands that play his Pygmalion festival agree to not perform in town before and after his festival for a period of time far, far longer than required by other music festivals, making local music his and his alone for more than a month. Is this supportive of local music? He is a business person. He is very supportive of himself.

I could go on. But I won't.

Have your doubts about these claims? Ask local bands in town that have been around for a couple years.

Plus, as demonstrated in this bullying exchange, he is also a major asshole. Todd is a nice guy. Lay off him. He didn't name names in his response. He didn't slander anyone. Seth brought himself and his name into this, and then his boyz chimed in with their typical "yeah"s. Todd's comment was way vague and gentle in comparison to what he and others could have (and do) say in response to how Seth makes our local music scene his private business.

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Todd Hunter (unregistered user) said on Mar. 20, 2009 at 7:49 pm:

1. I wasn't even talking about Seth.

2. I appreciate what Amanda and Elle are doing.

3. I'm done here.

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sethfein (Seth Fein) said on Mar. 21, 2009 at 1:09 am:

Oh. This guy. Hi, again.

It's easy to hide behind the internet and make wildly erroneous claims such as these. But you're not even in the ballpark, buddy — not even in the league, as they say. But, if you'd like to talk about the many ways in which I (and many others) actually do support the local music scene, and also support the (one) band that I am an agent for (not a manager — but it's doubtful you know the difference) that also lives here locally (Headlights), I'd be glad to do that, too.

Feel free to email me or better yet, drop by my office at The Canopy. Glad to clear up any misconceptions you might have about what I do, how I do it, how I am paid, how the bands are paid, and anything else you'd like to know about. I'll even show you how to cook Matzo Ball Soup.

But since you are a wuss, and will never ever let anyone know your real name (I've heard this argument from you before — anonymously — on openingbands.com and Smile Politely), I am not expecting much. Keep on believing whatever you want to believe, but until you get it straight from me or someone who knows the truth of how things actually work, there isn't much point to your ranting about how all this goes down. Feel free to keep speculating — or get real and inform yourself.

And Todd — that's an easy way to make yourself look good, by backpedaling and such, but I don't really care if you were talking about me or anyone else. That you would marginalize all the people who book shows in this town by even off-handedly claiming that just two people (who are business partners?) book them, you have denigrated the very community in which you purport to support so dearly. After a further count, I can list over twenty people by name that actively book shows in this town. So, apologize to them when you get a chance.

Again — get your facts straight. The both of you.

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Mike Ingram (Mike Ingram) said on Mar. 21, 2009 at 4:10 am:

Ohnoyoudient...quite an interesting name. It always seems so odd to me that there are people who are so incredibly vocal about things on the internet (say places like here, OB.com, or SP), and profess such disdain for a person or persons, yet are so quick to hide behind a clever bit of anonymity and some sort of excuse about "scene retribution" or whatever sounds good. I guess if that's your game, that's fine by me, but I'm very rarely moved by those anonymous folks to any action more than posting a quick net response. And so here is my quick net response:

To begin, I've never quite figured out how it is that people always seem to think they know so much about situations that have nothing to do with them. My name (incorrectly spelled) having been brought up in conjunction with Seth this time around with regard to a short-lived, not-very-professional "business" relationship he and I had several years back is somewhat puzzling. So let me say it publicly once more: Seth and I didn't have any sort of "business relationship" past being two guys who thought we could put on some cool shows and work together under the same moniker. It didn't last too long because a lot was happening in both of our lives and we saw lots of things differently, which is pretty common. We didn't plot to take over the world and while we were a unit, as it was, we left each other to his own devices. These days we're nothing more than friends and I'd wager that Seth himself (if not several people who know the both of us) would assert that we argue more than most is probably healthy.

Regarding Todd, I think he's a great person and he is a strong presence in the local scene. He does his very best to see lots of local bands and he is always very engaging and interested. He gets in on a lot of guest list spots (when available), but he does a lot to support bands in other ways. To clear one thing up, Todd doesn't book WEFT Sessions, and he never has. I took over the booking of the bands for the show back in 2004 or 2005 from Holly, with Todd in there as the host. I'm not trying to wash my own balls with Mountain Fresh Dial or anything, but it seemed pertinent to point out another glaring error. I'm assuming you don't know me or much about me at all, but I don't get any sort of compensation for the work I do at WEFT or most of the booking work I do in general, apart from satiating my desire to help out bands that I think deserve it. No one's perfect, to be certain, and I'd never claim to be, but I'm out there trying, and the same can be said for a lot of bands, booking agents, talent buyers, writers, engineers, musicians, sound guys, and other folks. We're all out there every day, and whether we're fucking up or doing things right, at least we all tend to put out names up next to our successes or failures.

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Jane (unregistered user) said on Mar. 21, 2009 at 10:50 am:

Interesting...

Without in any way wanting to stir the pot, I have one question:

- did Amanda Shively record this interview with Todd (ie on tape or similar), or was it transcribed from written notes/memory of the conversation? Or, was the interview carried out by email?

I ask because I have seen Buzz journalists do interviews both with and without recording devices. In my experience, if you want to include direct quotes, those should really come from tape or type.

The interview publishes a lot of direct quotes from Todd, yet he says "there are a number of things here I would never have said". Was the interview recorded? Or were these quotes reconstructed from handwritten interview notes and memory?

As a musician-journalist-interviewee-interviewer-booking agent/promoter/blahblahblah, I am intrigued.

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Nate Jones (unregistered user) said on Mar. 22, 2009 at 10:56 am:

Can't we all just get along? Like, talk about how good the local music scene is these days and how we can get the word out to others about it so they come and visit us?

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Elle Destree (Elle Destree) said on Mar. 22, 2009 at 4:24 pm:

Jane-

The quotes were verbatim. Todd acknowledged that; he just was a little shocked when he read it in print. Both Amanda and I talked to Todd in person and he said he just wanted to clarify what he said himself.

EDIT: We did, in fact, mistype a couple words that changed the meaning slightly of the quotes. Those have been corrected. We regret the error.

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sick of it all (unregistered user) said on Mar. 23, 2009 at 9:28 am:

do you want to know the real reason the champaign scene sucks? its the simple fact
people like todd say what they feel and then they puss out .....
have the balls to have an opinion.

he is absolutely right. who are the 2 main promoters ?
seth fein and mike ingram aka pygmalion aka niccodemus , plus they write
for all the websites and papers. great biz plan problem is they forgot to have
taste in music.
im sorry , it sucks to say it but lets be honest these guys have a self serving agenda to hang with as many indie rock stars as they can.
which is fine but seriously when dan deacon is one of the most anticipated shows
you have to realize that something is wrong. is the average person in cu going to come out for squirrel voices and say boy i need to check out these local bands ?
are the factory workers and car dealers going to come out to see guys dressed in runners shorts from the 80's and say alright lets rock? no but they'll come out in droves for radio bands,
next quit looking to the over privledged 18-22yr old tv babies coming out of that university for your art. there is no inspiration in daddies credit card and 3 free meal plans a day.
finally give up. people who come to cu want to dance and get drunk.
they dont care about bands or anything other than what i mentioned.
we live in the jaded triangle. every big band comes thru the chicago - st louis - indy
area every week , every month and every year. there is no shortage of entertainment ops around these parts.
its time to take the music to where the people need it and let champaign become
the sex crazed dance party its dying to be.
its ok to let it go.

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amanda (unregistered user) said on Mar. 23, 2009 at 4:09 pm:

Finding fault with what Todd said in the article is one thing, I got no problem with you saying "hey man, that's not right, there are a whole lot more people than that setting up shows in town." Why exactly is it necessary to come running out of the gate spewing vitriol and plain old hatefulness? Constructive criticism is good stuff. being a general asshole and bully is not.

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Mike armintrout (unregistered user) said on Mar. 23, 2009 at 4:09 pm:

217 278 7400
This is my office number if any of you anonymous folks want to talk and have the balls to identify yourselves.

I find it funny that the only people identifying themselves are those of us that are actually involved with bringing shows to town.

Mike Armintrout
Talent Buyer / Marketing Director
The Canopy Club
Jay Goldberg Events
217 278 7400

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sethfein (Seth Fein) said on Mar. 23, 2009 at 11:44 pm:

Amanda et al —

Perhaps you haven't been around long enough, but a lot of this goes way back further than we care to remember. Todd has been spewing this sort of smack-talk about the "scene" to people for years and it just saddens me that he has never had the ability to simply talk to me or any other promoter about some of the things that confuses him about what we do for a living.

Because of his misconceptions, faceless wussy-people like "Ohnowyoudeint" and "sickofitall" get to keep believing that there is some sort of Illuminati-type stranglehold on the promoting scene, when really, C-U has the most "open rooms" of almost any scene I know of.

Seriously — ANYONE can book their own shows at almost any venue in this town. So, the whole notion that ANYONE would be pissed about the way things "work" here is simply borne from a lack of effort. Don't like the way things work at shows? Do something about it. That's one of the reasons I started doing it, and anyone can do it too. I am not special. And I have never pretended to be. I just like doing it.

And that's the thing: in the end, I really just don't understand the philosophy of words without action. It's not who I am, and not how I live my life. I make mistakes all the time in this business, and in my personal life as well; we all do — we're human after all. But I was taught by my folks to always have the courage, as Ingram stated, to put my name next to my failures and work on it better the next day.

I am quite proud of Pygmalion Music Festival; quite proud of the bands that I represent as an agent (not a manager) at Nicodemus Agency; quite proud of the diverse array of entertainment that we bring into and develop at The Canopy each month; quite proud of the magazine that I helped found at Smile Politely; quite proud to work with Krannert Center and Krannert Art Museum; quite proud to work alongside great colleagues and promoters like Ward Gollings, Mike Ingram, Paul Wirth, Mike Ross, Jeff Machota, Mike Armintrout, Larry at WWHP, etc etc — these are the people that literally risk their necks and family's money to bring in awesome talent to the community. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose — but we don't do it with just ourselves in mind. Of course we have to take our livelihoods into consideration. But it's not solely about earning a living; we do it because we believe in this community and want to contribute somehow. We want to be an asset, and not a deficit.

That Todd can't see beyond his seemingly very short-sighted perception of how booking a show works is very disheartening. For someone who the217.com has propped up as being an "authority" on the local music scene, it seems like he's got a little work to do before he speaks out again regarding the needs of the "scene." That's all I am really stating, in the end.

And I am still not sure why Amanda even referred to a "collapse" in shows? Last I checked, there are dozens and dozens of them each month at dozens of venues all around town. How is that a collapse? Does it look different than it used to? Yes. But so does a lot of things. It's 2009. Fuckin' A. Work with it. That's the challenge.

Personally, I am up for it.

I'd love to see more promoters, new promoters engaging the community. In fact, every time I can't do a show for a band, I pass along a list of other promoters in this town to the bands or agents. But you know, Todd probably didn't know that, because Todd never speaks to me about anything. He just talks shit about me to people we both know. And it gets back to me. It's a bummer. But whatever.

So, try not to confuse my frustration with what you perceived as vitriol and hatred. It was decidedly NOT either of those horrible things. This was me simply calling Todd out (again) for continually and perpetually keeping himself uninformed about the way things ACTUALLY are. Hopefully, things will change from here on out.

Word.

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anon (unregistered user) said on Mar. 24, 2009 at 2:31 am:

wow. guys, way to be mean! that's the way for people in music to support a local music supporter. And it's funny how mike answered (without missing a chance to swipe at Todd about how, ok, he goes to shows, but its on guest lists) after seth answered that post. its like clockwork. mean, cliquey clockwork.

seth, you are a piece of work. what a condensending guy you are. I never knew it. and you and your facts! anyone's idea of what's going on with local music has to be approved by you to be voiced, right? priceless.

and mike armintrout, because we are not one of the three named friends of yours on here, we're not involved in bringing shows to this town?

you have no idea what we're involved in.

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Mike Ingram (Mike Ingram) said on Mar. 24, 2009 at 3:51 am:

Not really sure what you mean by that first paragraph as far as following Seth's post--I was responding to my name being mentioned by someone. That particular post wasn't a swipe at Todd, who I talk to frequently, it was simply stating a fact. Todd has gotten himself into a position of being on a lot of guest lists. It's just how it is. He has put in his time with lots of bands, and they know that he'll probably buy new releases and such.

Clockwork does work in a lot of ways, though. Threads like this come around every few months like clockwork. Like clockwork, a few bitter people hide behind the internet to say things that they'd never say to people in person because they're too busy kissing ass. That's the funniest part about this whole thing to me (followed closely by how much people think I'm doing in this town right now when I'm really doing less than usual)--the people who do all of this anonymous posting are pretty easy to peg. They're the kind of people who are always looking for someone else to blame for their problems. Someone else is always trying to keep them down! So quick to take an internet piss on something but better keep your name off of it because really you're trying to get a show for your band or something. It's all very lame. Stand by your words, man. You certainly don't need the help of anyone mentioned in all of these comments to book a show or get people to listen to your band, and you've already got such disdain for the "clique" you think you've got pegged, but you won't risk tossing your name into the conversation? Of course we have no idea what you're involved in; you're hiding. It's great to see people like "sickofitall" talking about people "pussing out" when really, he/she doesn't need to look any further than his/her own post to see a shining example. He or she is also horribly misinformed about a lot of things. Shocking.

The bottom line is that it's crap that stuff like this is the only time you seem so many people come out of the woodwork. Here or at SP or OB or wherever, it's always dead unless some stupid internet fight is on. No one bothers to comment when there's a show writeup or review or whatever. People bitch constantly about the scene being dead but they don't do anything about it. Bands complain about people not showing up to their shows, but they don't bother to do any promo. It would be funnier if I didn't give a shit.

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Amanda (unregistered user) said on Mar. 24, 2009 at 10:36 am:

Seth,

Again, I'm not disagreeing that what Todd said was incorrect, the fact of the matter is, that you think that his misinformation causes "faceless wussy-people like "Ohnowyoudeint" and "sickofitall" to keep believing that there is some sort of Illuminati-type stranglehold on the promoting scene" but I think that every time someone says something you don't agree with, whether it be here, opening bands, or wherever; you jump down their throat, and perpetuate that misinformation. Your history with todd aside, If I were a new member of this "scene" and I read the shit you said to folks on a regular basis (and not just you, the genaral snarkiness from all kinds of folks after any article like this), I wouldn't want to have anything to do with working with any of you.

In my opinion it scares people away from the scene. So what if you think Todd has been wrong before; there are about a hundred ways that you can tell him that without making yourself sound like you think you're king shit of scene mountain.

I've been living here for over a decade now, and If there ever was a collapse, or a change or whatever you want to call it, it was when people started trying to put the smackdown on each other on the internet for saying a sentence wrong. By all means try and stop misinformation when you think it needs to be stopped, but do it in a constructive way.

Just realized that people may confusing me with the author of the article, and that would be incorrect; for this and my earlier post. my name is Amanda Bloomfield

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sethfein (Seth Fein) said on Mar. 24, 2009 at 11:17 am:

Amanda —

I believe I did do it in a constructive way. I listed empirical evidence that basically negated Todd's uninformed and very disheartening comments about the state of live music and promoters (or "booking agents") in Champaign-Urbana.

I merely pointed out a couple things:

1. There is, in fact, NO king shit of scene mountain (nice Mr. Show reference, btw). In fact, I've made it a point to recognize that anyone can book shows if they want to. I believe I've been encouraging of that fact.

2. Todd Hunter is misinformed and has been spouting off about this to people for years, despite never even speaking to anyone that actually books shows about his concerns.

That my tone was fairly harsh was merely a byproduct of Todd's own attempt to "put the smackdown" on the way we do our jobs. So, I think it's relatively justified, no?

But thank you for being up front about who you are. That goes a long way, in my book. Not that you need or care for my approval, but you've got it.

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elliot ness (unregistered user) said on Mar. 25, 2009 at 3:02 pm:

ha aha hahha
is the stop by my office supposed to be some type of threat ?
what would one of these meetings acomplish ?
hearing seth pat hmself on the back or seeing his yes men suck his balls?

fein mafia ? rrrrright. ive met this guy and everybody but the mike arm. dude
i guarantee you the last thing these guys want is some face to face conversation because i guarantee someone would knock their blocks off if they talked like this face to face and his so called rep which is far from positive anyways would be shot.

if all you bands want real shows i think its time to boycott all of mr feins projects and connections and go diy. the only good he acomplishes is for himself.
heres how it works , someone complains , the seth and co spend 30 hours defending their same old excuses and pretending they do something worthwhile
ala obama web tricks.
heres a funny little game.
type something negative into any cu music website and see how long it takes seth to defend himself. poor guy must be one big hemoroid if he cant take any criticism.
my guess is hes crying his little indie lovin eyes out after every negative post.
awww i almost feel bad for him. almost

so seth heres a kleenex. be proud all you want of your acomplishments but its time to be realistic.no one needs you. canopy club is no longer a stepping stone for anyone and a gig there means about as much as a gig at the neil st pub and it is all of your fault (for proof see every post you make talking about how much you do)
you dont care about anything but money so quit pretending you're this musical messiah. no one buys it , everyone talks bad about you even your cronies and you
selfish actions have left this town totally without unity.

enjoy your money seth , you're days as bmoc are numbered and theres not a thing you can do about it. everyone is on to you. id say see you at a show but you never go to any shows other than your own.

we dont want or need the "fein mafia".i cant even type that with a straight face.
i think its time for the punks to be punks and the metal guys return to being hardcore
and take this scene back. all it would take is a couple of bands going to all of his shows and educating the people by handing out fliers detailing his actions or encouraging people to not buy alcohol from the venues he puts on shows at until they stop working with him.
new blood or no beer.
with the economic problems we're facing and the costs involved with running a bar we could have someone new in there by next semester.

so whos up for a good old fashioned boycott and some non violent protesting to recapture the artistic integrity of champaign ? i think its time to take this guy down.

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jordan (unregistered user) said on Mar. 29, 2009 at 2:08 pm:

what the fuck is the fein mafia? that is total bullshit.

and dan deacon is a huge draw, to whoever said it was a stupid show to bring. CU is a SMALL TOWN. we're not gonna see the shins or the killers or bon fucking jovi coming through town very often, especially when we're not very far from much bigger markets. getting deacon, mountain goats, and the hold steady all in the next 2 months is fantastic.



p.s. can you guys book a show for my band?

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John Hoeffleur (unregistered user) said on Apr. 2, 2009 at 2:16 am:

Wow. I'm not weighing in on either side, because frankly I'm a) kind of fucked up and emotionally vulnerable b) pretty sure each "side" of this debate is a the usual mix of truth and bullshit. As one would expect, reality lies somewhere in between.

I understand why folks would want to remain anonymous, retribution is very real in a town CU's size. Not knowing a person's identity doesn't make any difference to the point they're making, and I know you cats are savvy enough to pwn their arguments, so let's put the focus on the meat of the matter, not internet shenanigans. I think Seth's argument - in a nutshell, that he's doing what others are free to do but instead choose not to, is hard to quarrel with. Those who can, do. Those who can't, critique. And if you have a problem with Seth or canopy or anyone, you don't have to do bidness with them. Any control over CU music is control CU music consents to, for better or worse, depending on your viewpoint. Don't like it? Jump up! This scene belongs to you, if you want it to.

As uncomfortable as it may be, casting light on these tensions in CU music is positive. Lettiing shit simmer under the surface is not going do anybody any favors. We've got to get this shit out in the open if we want to get past it, and here's to that (glub glub glub goes my bottle)!

That's fair, right? I think all you guys are cool just because yr willing to get into it with each other, and that kind of concern equals passion, and that's the first thing any scene needs.

Thanks for letting me have my 2 cents for the umpteenth time. I've been drinking, in case yr wondering why I'm a little sweeter than usual. love you like a reptile one and all.

Sincerely,
El Hefe

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dan (unregistered user) said on Apr. 3, 2009 at 6:06 pm:

God forbid someone expressed an opinion…

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Ryan (former WPGU/Exile On Main/blog writer/etc.) (unregistered user) said on Apr. 4, 2009 at 10:33 pm:

I booked and promoted shows in CU for JigGsaw in the early part of this decade, and had a blast doing it. I also booked shows for a couple of Chicago bands in CU by the name of Phistine Verona and Giant Step. No one ever once got in my way, and I dealt with several of the people with whom Seth mentioned early on in this thread. In fact, I did study music business as one of the minors for my first degree, but one definitely does not need a classroom or a textbook to do this business.

It takes PASSION, tons of time, money, and the desire to work with other people (some of whom you may not always see eye to eye with). It gave me the distinct honor to work with musicians and to help them make money so that they could eat and record music. It also gave me the honor to work with people who really care about bringing music to town (also people on Seth's list) and who did not hesitate to return my phone calls and work with me after I put in the effort and gave them the information they needed (promotional packs, etc). The fact is that John Hoeffleur has it right; if you don't like someone, don't work with them.

I also agree that anonymity doesn't mean much to the root of some of these discussions; they're either valid or not. Sorry, anonymous boardsters, but many have tried to running a primarily live music venue in CU and few have succeeded. The Canopy and the people who book there, deserve some props, whether you like them or not. No one else is doing it on that scale that doesn't have a university budget behind them. Mad props to all the smaller venues who keep the scene rockin' and give opportunities, too. They will work with you. I know it. I've done it! I was in no way affiliated with an agency with anyone who had any special clout and I booked everywhere but the Assembly Hall, Foellinger, and the coffeehouses. Heck, I even booked Lava! I just asked.

However, if you're simply basing that dislike on hearsay or assumptions, I'd say you're making a HUGE mistake. Regardless, though, if you have that desire and that passion to do something different in town then, by all means, be the change you wish to see. Contact bands, book shows, promote the gigs, set the prices, and be there to support those acts and others who are working in those same efforts. It's really "that simple." You'll get help if you're seeking it, from my personal experience.

Todd and I have had some great discussions over the years about the scene and music, in general. Seth has been publicly supportive of my writing and promoting efforts in his own columns, and to me, personally, time and time again. I've got mad respect for them both. It's been a pleasure to cultivate those and many other friendships through a shared love of the music that has brought so many of us together in the great community of Champaign-Urbana. There are many people who would not be where they are today without those friendships and to recognize that is to recognize the hard work of the people who cared to put those shows together in the first place.

I also think that "downgrading" a scene that has developed some amazing talent in recent years is silly. Get out and support the new bands! I know I will when I move back to town this summer. Those transcendent concert moments that we've enjoyed with those bands that we "came of age" with have come of age, too; some have moved away, some are touring nationally, some are retired. But there was a bit of graffiti on the Mike and Molly's men's bathroom wall that said "Fandom Is A Way Of Life," and, to me, to be a fan of this scene means to make it a part of what you do socially. Thus, it can maintain its vibrancy not only for you, but for all the people who can share in the fruits of that passion, both as fans and as bands.

One of my favorite quotes is, "Things do not happen. Things are made to happen." I'll close with that.

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sethfein (Seth Fein) said on Apr. 6, 2009 at 10:56 pm:

Anonynous Dan —

Nice carryover from SP.com. Tiny little difference though, Chief.

Todd was clearly expressing what he felt to be FACT about the state of live music in C-U. Old dude at the Mt. Goats website was expressing an OPINION about the show he saw.

So, it won't wash homie.

Word.

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Jeff Brandt (Jeff Brandt) said on Apr. 9, 2009 at 6:32 pm:

INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS GUISE!!!!

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Uncle Lady (unregistered user) said on Apr. 13, 2009 at 4:58 pm:

Boy am I glad I left CU when I did!

The Pygmalion doth protest too much, methinks.

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