Obscure Magazine
Promoting Maine's Original Musicians & Songwriters
Vol.1 ISSUE 08
MARCH 1994 FREE!
Page 2
MAN ON THE STREET
Douglas Papa
THIS MONTH'S QUESTION:
What do you think could be done
to improve Maine's music scene?
Julie Contreras
student
There should be more
performances, this way the musicians themselves will get better with the
experience gained by more time on stage.
Doug - Is she trying to give us a hint folks?
Mike Tobias
music store owner
Get rid of the booking agents.
Doug - Maybe booking agents are the main reason bands don't get a chance to perform more.
Charlie Eaton
working man
Where does the average
working guy with a family, take his wife and kids to a public show
cheap? Put together a concert of all local talent easily accessible,
like one in Bangor, one in Augusta, and one in Portland. Make it like a
talent show on Sundays. have the tickets so the average high school
student can afford it. Showcase Maine talent open to everybody not just
one style of music.
Doug - Sounds like a
great way for performers to gain experience. Notice the word "cheap"?
Maybe the cost of tickets can be kept down if we don't let the booking
agents get involved.
The $2 Man
Darryl S.
Many of the clubs in Maine
are set up for one primary primary purpose; the consumption of
alcohol. The presentation of the band, both visually and acoustically
is an afterthought. They wind up stuck on a plywood box with a poor or
no house sound system with a tiny dance floor, usually set up in front
of the bands stage. This means if you want to watch the performers you
can't because of the dance floor. If you're dancing to the music, often
times the volume of the speakers are three feet away from you making it
distracting from enjoying the music.
Doug - I'm sure bands
would play for less if they they didn't have to carry their own P.A.
speakers. (Ask Lyn Essex about Sugarloaf!)
Poncho
grassroots activists
There should be more street musicians playing for tips.
Doug - I think that's a good tip myself!
Manny Mora
State Purchaser/Buyer
Have the D.J.s and radio
managers promote local bands. Create a time pocket so local bands can
be introduced to people. Local bands are like local businesses and
commercial bands are like commercial businesses like Shop and Save.
Commercial bands will always get the airplay.
Doug - I'm glad we have intelligent people like Manny carefully investing our state's dollars, aren't you?
Chris
Subway Shop, night shift
We need a large recording studio to give local musicians a great deal on a package.
Doug - My bank account and I both heard that!
Mike O'Caireallian
Radio Shack
There's an unholy emphasis
on new-age. Self-consciousness designed for intellect cerebrum misfits
who like repetitiveness. There is a lack of venues and concert halls,
no clubs to speak of (unless you go to Portland). As it is clubs are
dominated by country, air-head acid rock, covers and folk, and I think
the media concentrates too much on this.
Doug - And my editors thought interviewing non-working musicians would be easy!
V. Collins
Forum A Community Arts Administrative Assistant
Communicate more with
students in elementary grades through high school. Encourage them to
attend and participate at live performances at the local as well as
regional level.
Doug - Music teachers in Maine could always use new students.