[NewMusic] Booking / 'Usual Suspects'

[Matt Davignon]

Ah, that touches on what I couldn't quite put into words the other day
when you asked what we'd like to see more of in this scene. Rent and I
have both been trying to increase the breadth of our programming at
the Luggage Store series. Stylistically I feel we've had some success.
When I started, electronic oriented music was mostly pushed to the
once-a-month "Detritus.net" night.

But the thing I'd most like to improve is that to me it feels like our
venue represents this list more than local experimental music as a
whole. I've tried to invite people from different communities. I spent
a good year sending unrequited invitation emails to the Jewelled
Antler folks. We've tried to recruit guest curators from the ATA
scene, Recombinant Media Labs, Noise Pancakes, Aaron Ximm from 964
Natoma, etc. So far we've had one great show curated by David Lim,
another curated by Alex Yeung, and Suki has been doing a monthly
audio/video series that we hope might return. Frankly I'd be very
thrilled to get someone in who knows their way around the whole
BrutalSFX crowd.

I have to admit I've realized that I've fallen into my own set of
'usual suspects' in booking. It's a strange thing to happen when it's
the very thing you're trying to avoid. We want to continue booking
things we don't already know about. Unknown musicians have
occasionally brought great shows, and sometimes brought awful ones.

Argh... thinking out loud again.

Matt

On 8/19/07, Sarah - 21 Grand <21grand at 21grand.org> was like:
>
> Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we don't.  Most of our shows are curated by
> other people besides me. I doubt our programming would have the same breadth
> and influx of new performers, audiences, connections made, etc. if it was
> entirely up to me - that's something I feel is a risk with programming
> curated by one or a handful of people - what I call the "usual suspects"
> phenomenon - that begets clubhousey insularity. If you're a member of the
> clubhouse or fan of the usual suspects, then it's awesome. If not, it can be
> pretty cloying. I've been on both sides of this.
>
> So, if someone wants to do an occasional series with a more "concert-like"
> atmosphere - 21 Grand would be up for it. If you want to bring in someone
> from out of town that wants a guarantee, we can negotiate this.
>
> sl
>
>
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