The Pearl Room: Gone...

[TexasBeth]

She is a kool kat!
Great saleswoman too!
She almost got me to roll over my 401K into Cruise tickets!!!

Well, as previously reported visit #2 is this weekend! If you're up for being drowned in water moccasins (heehee!) I'll be in town. Friday day we're up at Great Lakes but I'll have the boy and hopefully be dragging him about town at least one of the nights I'm in town. I'm not 100% sure, he may have to report in each night in which case I'll fly solo.

Either way- I'd love to hang out with my Chicago buds again.

Jasonic- I'd never want you to cash in the 401k (the cruise isn't that expensive anyway) I have nothing against credit card debt though. ; )

 

[MetalSpice]

I think what would help the local scene is if there were clubs that had a regularly scheduled "metal" night. I think LEGENDS in Addison tried this for a while, where they had metal shows every Sunday. If a club could do this successfully, people would view heading to that club as a "hangout" and not just "another show" (IE - Kind of like where you know you can go to EXIT every Sunday to hang out and hear metal.....)

I used to DJ at Mother's downtown for "All AXXXess Wednesday's". The purpose was for local bands and their fans to come in and I would play their music, so as to "get the word out". We eventually had bands play there on a weekly basis, but things just didn't prosper. I know a major factor had to do with the fact that it was on a Wed...downtown...right smack in the Gold Coast where the street is lined with clubs meant for House music and dancing. It wasn't really destined to become a Metal bar. I was told on numerous occasions to keep it "popular", meaning play Guns n Roses and shit that people knew. There was one instance where some chicks came into the club, handed me $5 and told me to play Justin Timberlake. I wish I could have seen my face.
I wasn't getting paid to be there. I did it on my own time. I drove all the way downtown every Wed and stayed late to play Metal, despite the fact that I had to be up at 5am to go to work the next morning. I did it because I wanted to spread the word of the local bands. Unfortunately, it was not meant to happen at that place.
It faded fast but it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Diabolik]

I think a factor for local bands and local shows is that most of them is just filled with freinds of the bands and a few straglers. I think most clubs have the philosophy that just toss on 5 locals and enough freinds will show up and drink and you have a show. This to me lacks any interest. People forget that shows need to be something that stand out and make people want to come out to them. I am not saying that every show needs a huge band...but have something to offer to make an average fan want to drive out and see it.

For me....I have many interest outside of metal that my time competes with. So just going to a show to hang out isnt really something I want to do unless there is someone I want to see or check out. For example...Zuul is playing The Red Line Tap in November. I am interested in seeing them after reading about them and hearing a few song samples. Now if something that interest me more happens that week or I had a long week at work...I may miss the show just to relax. I think lots of people have that mindset.

Many bands also forget to flyer and get the word out. Just posting on a few forums isnt getting the word out since most posters are not even in that city.
I have seen lots of bands make big posters and stuff. It makes the show seem more like an event or something a little extra instead of a few bands playing some bar on a sunday night.

Back in the ole punk days there was a club in the burbs who did shows almost every Sunday and a few Wed nights shows too. it was nice because they would either have locals or touring acts play. People would just show up every sunday to hang out and because it was a place to go to support the scene. People were selling thier own fanzines and helping out out of town acts and made it a real community. It is possible for this to happen in the metal community in Chicago but there is almost so many different factions it is scary....the key is to find a way to unite them all and then you will get the ball rolling. Finding that missing piece is the hardest part....I think the first is that there definetly needs to be a club that will step up and book metal shows on a regular basis and not treat it like a joke. (like at the Metro)