Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Well, Flagpole did a bit better this week, and it was good to see. Let's start with the good stuff...
Todd McBride and the Monday Nite Nobodies finally got a decent ABC write-up. All the ABC picks featured locals AND a semi-local ("Venice is Sinking") got a big article. Republishing that Ray Charles interview was a good idea... it was well done to begin with and a proper memorial. Within the "Clubnotes", there were some very good comments on the placement of the festival, it's line-up, and some quite-justified complaints about who got main stage time and who didn't.
And the Will Oldham review was fantastic. Inspired and enthusiastic - it's the kind of thing that causes what Dave Schools calls FOMS (Fear Of Missing Something). I ditched that festival out of laziness and now I feel bad about it and certainly will do my best not to miss something like that if given the opportunity again. Gordon's notes (in Threats & Promises) on that band SIDS (whoever they are) kinda does the same thing. Imagine if only those kinda things were written about locals more often...
Now, onto the complaints...
The best shows this weekend (what could be called "outside AthFest" - Five-Eight, Todd McBride, and The Glands all playing separate shows), got no more than regular ABC listings.
And the actual AthFest coverage: Did anyone read that giant praise-heaping paragraph on "Uberbuzz"? Think the reviewer knows someone in the band, perhaps? Why give that much space to them when you ignore Hayride, Hope For Agoldensummer, and the AMAZING line-up at the Caledonia both nights (seriously, to not mention that in both issues about AthFest is crime), and barely touch on We Vs. The Shark? Whose 'personal taste trumps serving the readers', again? And you can't point your finger at the Banner when they went out and took a legitimate poll of folks in-the-know about great Athens music while y'all handed out trinkets to 'Modern Skirts'.
Finally, you'd think that Of Montreal weren't #2 in CMJ right now. That's kind of a big deal (as big a deal in many circles as say... Phish breaking up) - good publicity can add fuel to that fire. Or you can ignore them returning triumphant from the biggest tour of their careers. Your choice.
Flagpole, we know your job is a hard one. Lots to cover and lots of folks to answer to. But we're kinda your target audience of readers (people who actually go to shows), and these are suggestions that may improve your coverage and attract more of us... and also it's fun.
See ya' at the show,
-The Day Jobs
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