Read it. Tell me I’m a jerkstore.

This is a topic I���ve been discussing with friends, bands and those outside the realms of Austin for quite some time, and while I���ve avoided a proposal to the masses, I just don���t want to sit behind my computer anymore, letting the problem persist. Austin, I���m sorry to say it, but our music scene is struggling.

Now, I realize this brief expose may come across as a condemnation of sorts, but I don���t want it to be a criticism, so much as a call to arms. I���ve been a part of the Austin music scene, in some manner or another, since the mid-90s (I realize this might be a few years too late); my hope is that in writing this, someone, somewhere will see the potential in Austin, thus bringing our music scene back to where we���ve claimed it to be.

Again, this is not a proposal of hate; it���s merely a dream of a man who sees the town he loves in the death throes of everything he grew to expect.

First, we must discuss the ���Live Music Capital of the World��� moniker.�� I���m sorry to say, but Austin no longer deserves such a title.�� Sure, my buddy gets to play Dave Matthews covers at Dizzy Rooster, but that���s not the spirit of the name.�� Yes, I���ve seen tons of incredible acts grace the various stages in Austin, but few of those acts actually found their sound in our fair city.�� We���ve lived on this title for far too long, and in doing so, we���ve grown lazy and entitled, expecting the best acts in the world to come to our town���and they do.�� But, in doing so, we���ve neglected our own brethren; we���ve chosen to endorse travelling acts, rather than support our own.�� A music community cannot exist without the support of those involved.

Now, many will say that there are several acts that have been able to rise to stardom from our town.�� Spoon? Well, Britt doesn���t live here anymore, and as the main songwriter, that makes that null-and-void.�� Okkervill River? Will spends the majority of his time in NYC, so again, we can���t stake claim to that.�� There are a few others that have garnered national attention, but even those acts have struggled to move beyond the confines of our city.�� Where have we gone wrong my friends? We���ve chosen to neglect our own, instead choosing to embrace those who come to our city. If we don���t have our own foundation, we���re going to see things fall apart.

Where have we gone wrong?

For one, bands in Austin, give or take a handful of hardworking folks, struggle to carve out an existence for themselves.�� Many, and I know many, work at restaurants or coffee shops, hoping to save up enough money just to record a singular song. Austinites, for the most part, don���t buy merch, from touring acts, and especially not local acts.�� Therefore, many acts cannot afford to exist on the cusp of popularity in Austin, treading water until eventually they have to turn to other options.�� As a fan of your local musician, you���ve got to buy t-shirts or LPs, or perhaps just give them $3 from your wallet.�� It might not go a long way, but it���s a start.�� And yes, I know we���re in a recession, but I just saw you buy Dewar���s on the rocks, so you can save that last drink you probably don���t need, and offer it to the band.

Another act we���ve neglected, the good times Austin can offer.�� I was fortunate to grow up during the hey-day of Liberty Lunch or Voodoo Lounge, but the most special times for me revolved around the ridiculous events that went down at house parties.�� I remember seeing Skate or Die at the Duck Pond by my house.�� You���ve never heard of them, nor their hit single ���Hormigas en el Parque,��� but members of that band went on to be part of the Sword and Octopus Project.�� Or house parties where Recover played, and all the local cognoscenti showed up to support them.�� We were alive, and so was the city.�� It made our local shows a gathering of friends, which brings up another sad point.

Why don���t you all go see local bands? Whether or not they���re opening for the next big thing, or they���re throwing an album release at Beerland, why aren���t you there? My biggest Austin complaint is that music lovers don���t seem to love music.�� You���ll go catch the biggest thing according to Pitchfork, and I���m there too, but when the opener begins, there are four people there.�� That opener, more often than not, is an Austin band getting their big break, and we forgot about them; we only want to see the headliner.�� Unfortunately, that doesn���t do the band, nor the promoter, justice.�� The promoter sees the band doesn���t have a draw, so they don���t book them again.�� Headliners see the same thing, thus they don���t want to play with that act again.�� Thus the Austin scene stagnates.�� The same 10 bands open, and no one new gets a break.�� I get that Uchiko has a great happy hour, but skip it, see your new favorite local band.

If you���re asking why any of this really matters, then perhaps I���m not entirely clear on the subject at hand.�� Austin brings in great bands, true, but we���re not lifting up our own bands to the same level of greatness.�� You look at cities like Brooklyn or San Francisco, and they���re band are doing extremely well. They���ve got great hype, they can tour behind that, and they can make a living. The sad truth for Austin bands is that they cannot.�� True, a few bands have branched out and toured on their own dollar, only to come back broke or barely above breaking even.�� Some bands, and this is true fact, have had to move away from Austin in order to eek out a living as musicians.�� This shouldn���t be the case. Our bands should be our priority.�� In order for the exodus to cease, we���ve got to correct a few things.

1) Buy stuff. Seems simple, right? But, bands make their livings off merch.�� They record with that extra two dollars you spend on pizza.�� It might seem silly, but next time your drunk friend begs for a beer, give it to the band instead. They���ll appreciate it a great deal more than your friend who���s going to drunk dial you at 5 in the morning.

2) Go support local acts.�� Seems simple, but even if you���ve never heard of the bands, go support your local venues and local bands.�� I suggest places like Holy Mountain, Cheer-Up Charlies, Scoot Inn, Mohawk, Beerland, Hotel Vegas or the Owl.�� All those place definitely want to make Austin what it should be.

3) Don���t get mad, fix it.�� You hate what I have to say? I���m okay with that.�� Go start a blog or something to become involved. Throw a house party; we���ll spread the word. Austin grew its music scene on the DIY spirit, and we���ve got to get back to that.�� Meet the bands and throw a show.�� Most bands will play for beer, as long you promise to get people to hear their music. There���s nothing wrong with that.

4) Read up on the locals.�� You want news on the local scene, no better place than your devoted slew of local Austin blogs: AustinTownHall, OVRLD, PopPressInternational, Ultra8201, Austin Bloggy Limits, SideOneTrackOne, RepublicofAustin.�� We all are friends, and our goal is to make your lives easier by helping share our insider trading info, hoping you���ll show up. ��We care about music, and we care about Austin. That’s our bottom line, and we hope it’s yours too.

In conclusion, this is probably not the post I intended it to be.�� But, I wanted to make it filled with less hate than how I occasionally admit to feeling.�� I���m not mad at Austin, or those who love music here, I just want better.�� I want better for our friends, our bands, our venues and those that want to see a great show. ��I want the best for you, and I want the best for me; I know we can do better.