August 15, 2007
What's It Worth To You?
You’ve got to hand it to the University of Chicago for releasing the findings of a study that calls out the City of Chicago for not nurturing its hometown music scene, right on the heels of the most lucrative 3 days on the city’s annual music calendar.
The study examined the economic impact of the music industry on the 50 most populous metro areas of America, pulling together data like number of jobs related to the business and annual revenue attributed to music in each city, and Chicago ranked no worse than fourth in any measurable category (ticket sales, seating capacity, record sales, etc.). The study also found that 53,000 people in Chicago work in some capacity in the music industry, which generated $818 million citywide in 2004. Both numbers place us in a solid third after the coastal hot spots of New York and Los Angeles, which (just about anyone, from industry insider to casual MTV viewer, will tell you) seems about right.
Much of what the study bases its chiding of Chicago on is fairly subjective - that outsiders don’t associate Chicago with a vibrant music scene like they would Nashville or Austin. The two-year-old Chicago Music Commission is working to change that perspective, both internally and beyond the city limits, but there are certain immoveable obstacles to nurturing a niche industry in a huge city. Even in New York, the thriving independent scene that the rest of the country associates with that city isn’t on the Upper West Side of Manhattan or on Staten Island - it’s in a couple of very self-contained areas of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Events like the CMJ New Music Marathon, one of the two most important music conferences in the U.S., barely registers on most New Yorkers’ radars. Smaller cities like Portland or Austin are able to envelope their music industries in community-wide support and hang their hats on the local scenes because, to those communities, having a vibrant music scene is integral to the image of the city as a whole. Austin can turn every public venue into a performance space during South By Southwest each year because the city relies on its association with live music and its reputation as an accommodating host to that ultra-important event.
For right or wrong, it seems as though Chicago has far more lucrative industries to court - telecomm, manufacturing, airlines - and far more bureaucracy to deal with as the country’s third largest metropolitan area to spend much time or effort on catering to the underground music business. Bummer, because we think we’ve got one of the most nurturing and consistently productive scenes in the world.
What do you think? How can the City of Chicago best support its music community?
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I would love to see Chicago do something like SXSW; however, unlike Austin, Chicago's clubs and venues aren't all in the same general area (and it's not like Austin is that much smaller than Chicago, area-wise). Maybe we can have a meeting and decide where our local music hub is going to be. That would be a good start.
The main thing the city can do for the music scene is make it easier to get a liquor licence.
I think that Uptown would be a wonderful place for the local music hub- three huge entertainment venues on one block (Lawrence/Broadway) with enough empty storefronts to add to the four or so smaller clubs that are already there. Plus an L stop in the middle of it all to get to the airports and the rest of town.
The climate for change there is perfect.
For a festival like SXSW, we could theoretically lump Wrigleyville into that area and use the bars and clubs that are there. And really, include Belmont/ Sheffield and we've got quite an area for entertainment possibilites.
come on, the answer's obvious:
MORE LOLLAPALOOZA COVERAGE ON CHICAGOIST.
duh.
I don't believe the point of the report is for Chicago to put on a festival like SXSW. We already have a ton of great festivals. What we don't have is a City Music Commissioner tied into the Cultural Affairs/Tourism department whose focus is to promote the City as an amazing music destination (it's about tourism $$$). Someone who pushes for Chicago music stories in publications across the globe, someone who works WITH local club owners rather than against them. Chicago's blues history is incredible - why aren't there musicians at the airports? Instead of the likely condos, why aren't we actively searching for someone who would invest to turn the Finkl & Sons area into music studios/soundstages, etc.?
GO. TO. SHOWS.
Support your local venues.
lol guest 4 :)
Sorry, SXSW won't work here, so don't even give the idea any further thought. Chicago is a great music city, we all know it and many outsiders know it too. I'd agree that on the business side of things there are far greater industries to lead than music.
To ask the city to make Chicago the #1 music city in the U.S. is silly. Private run venues or groups are the only ones that can do that, but what would being #1 do for you or me? Being 3rd or whatever on the list is just fine, just keep the great bands keep coming through.
Actually, Bill V is spot on. NYC is tops in many genres--but because of their size, it is stupid to compare Chicago with them.
LA, on the other hand, is complete shit for music. Music clubs are either non-existent or generally suck and are unfriendly to artists.
A SxSw fest is a stupid idea. Pitchfork does a great job--and it would be good if the Intonation folks can pull something off next year--but these fests hardly contribute to a local scene.
The only way that happens is to have a variety of places for local talent to play, appreciative fans, relatively affordable housing, and plenty of temp jobs.
Chicago does pretty well on these metrics--which is why we should applaud Daley's offer of all that TIF money to the Chicago Board of Trade to stay in the city--there are countless musician cum temp workers that will benefit.
Above all, everyone should go to at least one live music show per month with a local artist on the bill.
you have no idea how wonderful Chicago is about supporting music until you live in a city that does not.
Indianapolis frequently has national touring acts cancel because they cannot garner enough attention and preshow ticket sales for them to justify playing here. It's getting better, but it's still not good.
The music scene supports far more locally than it does anything else which I can respect to a degree. However, I recently went to a show where the opening act packed in the crowd but they quickly filed out leaving the national-touring headliner to play to a near empty house. It's a weird city.
Appreciate what you do have, folks.
Chicago is the birthplace of dance music. It would be nice to see a Chicago version of the hugely popular Detroit Electronic Music Festival or the San Francisco Love Parade.. A nice lakefront dance party would be great. Less guitars, more bass please....
To have a festival show along the lines of Pitchfork, but instead of having it in a central location, spreading it around the venues of the city. Imagine a weekend where you could go see Sonic Youth at Metro and then go over to Schubas and see Slint and then make your way to The Empty Bottle to see Mastodon. You could have local Chicago bands opening for all of these big acts as well as a 3 day "laminate" pass where you could walk into all of these venues for a fixed price. Showcase the best of Chicago.
As mich has stated, the best way to support local music is to go to shows. Calsfest last Saturday would have been an ideal way to see a lot of bands in one place. Or you could go to the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown this Friday to see eleven Chicago bands for FREE at a festival called Do You Still Love Rock and Roll?
It's going to be a blast!!
PS. It's not a shameless plug if you're not actually in any of the bands, right??
Why would we want a music commissar telling us what shows to put on or go to?
I think Chicago is a great city for its music being "nurtured." Sure, if you're talking mainstream music, it's behind New York and LA (and Nashville for country)...but that's the way it should be since the major label music industry is based out of those cities. The study seems to be based directly (or at least indirectly) to money - how much money is generated, music trade conference, etc.
If you're talking about music and musicians whose primary purpose is *not* to just to make a buck, Chicago's underground scene is as rich and as reputable as any city in the *world*. With world-respected labels like Drag City, Thrill Jockey, Touch and Go, Kranky, Locust, and more, with wonderful small clubs like the Empty Bottle, Abbey Pub, Double Door, and Schubas to larger venues like the Vic and the Metro, I'd argue that Chicago's independent music is as strong, if not stronger, than New York and Los Angeles. If you want large rock-based festivals, we have Lollapalooza and on a smaller scale, Pitchfork. Music in Chicago is as healthy, probably healthier than just about every and any city.
This is just my opinion, but it seemed like the study was saying we know Chicago is a great music city, we just dont take advantage of that fact and publicize this enough. So while we are well known for our sports, hot dogs and pizza, why not pump up our association to music just a little bit more? I agree ... we do not need a SXSW festival. We have great larger summer fests in Lolla and Pitchfork that do the job; our venues are waaaay too spread out to even try a SXSW kind of fest. And on the subject of great venues, don't forget the Hideout! Their pre-SXSW show, Hoot Night, the Block Party ... ALL great showcases of local artists/labels! Guest #4: too funny!
The problem is the way the rest of the nation views Chicago. All these kids go to Columbia College, work unpaid internships, and get the very (VERY) few music industry jobs there are in Chicago. They're all in tiny companies, doing their own thing, but staying the same size and never actually growing in size.
I tried for over a year to get a music industry job in Chicago and finally had to give up. I moved to New York and got one in just two days. There are plenty of talented people who want to work in the Chicago music scene and help it to grow, but the opportunities simply don't exist. I work with a great agency, have fantastic clients, and I love my job, but every single day all I can think about is how much I hate New York. It's sad that I had to leave the city I love, my home, where I hoped to live and have a family, etc. because the music industry is so overlooked there.