Where have all the (music fans) gone?
I have never been so disappointed in the Mpls music scene. Last night The Sun and Apollo Sunshine played at The Quest’s Ascot Room to a paying crowd of 2 people.
Across the street at the 3 Degrees club, more than 150 people were jammed into the door. Son Volt and Wolf Parade had great shows at First Ave/Entry. And I’m sure Vince Gill did well over at the State Theater.
And this isn’t some crappy band. Rolling Stone billed The Sun as, “Not to be missed,” Spin gave them a positive review, and as an amateur critic, I’ll swear on a bible that this group is going places. There are more than enough music fans in the metro and beyond to fill venues for these good bands playing great shows, so where were they? Talking to the tour manager last night, he didn’t want to blame The Quest for poor promotion (i.e. shoot self in foot), but I’m apt to say there’s a reason Myth in Maplewood is taking off so well.
Yes, there are a LOT of great bands that come through this town, but last night I was super disappointed. The tour manager said the groups filled a club in Chicago on Wednesday night and were expected to have a sellout tonight in Iowa City, but Mpls turns out two people and it’s not evening snowing yet? As for me, I don’t want to drive to the burbs, park at Toys R Us and see a Clear Channel act (Nickelback - barf). I want to see a frickin’ rock show at a credible venue downtown.
Oh, and I want there to be more than two people show up, so the band doesn’t have to bust our their variation on “Freebird” for the bartender, waitstaff, me and my friend.
I know I personally just don’t like going to concerts. I don’t like crowds, I don’t like high volumes, and I don’t drink.
I’m not saying that more people are becoming like me. But, I also prefer seeing movies in my home theater to going and sitting in uncomfortable seats, paying $4 for a hotdog, having to “hold it” or miss the big plot twist instead of pausing and am finding more and more people agreeing with me on that one, so it’s possible.
Now that’s just… sad.
What’s sad? The 2 people turnout or my not going to concerts?
hate to be a jerk, but maybe because the bands aren’t that popular yet? it’s either sell-out huge acts or sell-out indie 89.3 acts that get any audience it seems like…
oops, by sell out i mean sell out crowd, not like liz phair sell out…
I hit a lot of shows in the Metro area, and you don’t have to be huge to draw a crowd here. Quest didn’t do any promotion, and neither did the record label apparently. No write ups in the local dailies or Citypages, either. In fact, why didn’t they try to get the band on The Current?
I was referring to the two-person turnout being sad. I’m not so much into the concert-going myself.