[NewMusic] Climate Music Box 11/20

[Phillip Greenlief]

Zac, et al.,
   
  Thanks for clarifying the policy at Climate and your position there. Like you, I love music and want to present it any way I can. I also want to play as much as I can (within reason and good taste - the aforementioned past comments on mixing it up with different groups and composition and improvisation and, and, and...). I appreciate all the opportunities that are offered by various people in the community who take on the extremely difficult job of presenting live music that lives outside the realm of entertainment. It's a jungle out there. Not to wax nostalgic (which I am often guilty of), it was a lot easier back in the day when small places like coffeeshops and cafes didn't have to have cabaret licenses. But alas, as usual, I digress...
   
  Climate is in a good location and if we could do the work of approaching this venue (as I would hope we would approach any performance situation) with a mind that we really have to try to get people to come to the shows there. Make posters, send emails, send press releases, tell your friends (phone calls are so much nicer than emails, if you have the time), and in short, do the work of promoting your music if you're going to play there (or anywhere!).
   
  Lots of possibilities exist in the community for live radio support. I also suggest whenever possible that we talk up Climate shows on the air (in interviews, live shows, etc.). I'm not making an exception here, again, promote any show you have as best you can, but if you have a show coming up at Climate, try to get some air time to chat it up and let the folks out there know about it. Use it as a pitch to any radio contacts you have regarding why they should give you a slot. 
   
  If the shows are well attended, the money problem goes away (to some small extent). Climate needs to stay open as any other space does, I would hope that if we can make a go of it there, they would step in as Matt D and Rent have done at LSG and Sarah and Darren have done at 21G (and countless others) and do some fundraising for the series in their non-profit fundraising efforts. I imagine Zac has thought of this, if not proposed it to the adminstration already.
   
  Finally, I'm reminded what a tenuous foothold any of our community spaces have, having seen so many go by the wayside over the years. We need to put effort into the spaces that give us space to hang our hats, not approach them with cynism and contempt,
   
  As always, I wish us all luck...it may be the only thing in the end that actually works.
  PG
   
  

Zac Jaffee <zjaffee at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Hi all,

First off, thanks so much David and Phillip for your
support and kind words. And thanks to Duo B and Schott
and Hanes who did play some incredible music on
Tuesday.

I very much appreciate the talk about the door split
on this list, as the discussions you are having here
are similar to the discussions I had with the space
when starting the series. I had looked into most of
the new music spaces mentioned on the list regarding
their splits and related all info to my higher ups.

To clarify, the pay is 60% of the door going to the
artists with the Climate getting a $100 guarantee. So,
yes, that means that Climate takes the first $100, and
if there is less than that the artists don't get
anything (but don't have to pay anything either).
Personally, I'm not down with this, but it was this or
not having a series.

I also make sure that there is a donation bucket for
the artists, and make announcements asking the
audience to contribute.

My role in the whole thing is totally voluntary. I get
0% of the door and no money from the Climate. I am a
lover of music and was asked by the Climate if I
wanted to curate a series. Again, although I do not
agree with the Climate’s door split, I am committed to
promoting and providing an additional venue for
experimental music.

I appreciate all the brilliant minds on this list and
your well put postings. I hope I addressed some of
what I read in the many postings of my 11/21 daily
digest.

Best,
Zac Jaffee





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