Pay it back, and pay it forward…

Pay it back, and pay it forward.

These have been words to live by since the start of 2014, when I re-entered the local music scene after a short break. For the previous 10 years, I had experienced live shows in a vacuum, playing shows with no opening acts and no real awareness of how healthy the local music scene was, save for a few acquaintances. You can get away with that when you have a 40-song mix of covers and originals; all-original material is a different story. Multiple-band shows were a new thing for me.

With a new band ready to take flight, and an obsession with playing as many shows as possible, I quickly learned that the live atmosphere had changed drastically since 2004. The balance of supply and demand had shifted, for better and for worse. The scene had grown, but as a result, an undercurrent of competition had sprouted. Bars and venues were paying less than ever, and slots were filling up fast.

I soon learned some important lessons from my new friends in the local Fond du Lac scene. The most obvious lesson is that networking is crucial. There’s no one right way to make shows happen, so you need to get out there and learn how different bands and venues operate. You have to ask questions and really put yourself out there. You’ll only get out what you put in.

One interesting aspect that too few musicians seem to understand is the concept of community, and mutually beneficial practices. We’ve all heard the saying “a rising tide lifts all ships”, but the unfortunate reality is that not all musicians understand how to plan like a business. They just want to express their art, which is understandable.

Community is about more than playing shows with other local bands in your city. In fact, I’d say that can become part of the problem. Sharing the stage with any repeat lineups can be extremely rewarding, and helps to forge great friendships. But what band wants to play the same shows in the same towns, with the same bands, over and over? Not many. What bands are perfectly content with a small group of loyal fans, but no expansion of that fan base? Maybe a few. Hanging out in cliques might have been your thing in high school, but in the music scene, you’re just putting up walls.

Challenge yourself to think bigger. Bands you’ve never met or heard, from other towns, want the same thing as you; they just want to play. Here’s one thing you probably have that they don’t: A way in with your local venues. Reach out to these bands, and invite them into your local scene. Start friendships with bands you’ve never heard of, with the hope that they will give you the same courtesy in their hometowns. Start a partnership with out-of-town bands, where you expand and reach new areas by supporting each other. As cheesy as it sounds, it really comes down to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I know I am not perfect in this regard, and there are some awesome people that are on my “pay-it-back” list. But I try like hell to keep to this practice.

Yes, you’ll quickly find the opportunists and the egomaniacs who just don’t get it. There’s plenty of bands that I’ve added to lineups who are too lazy, greedy, egotistical, or small-minded to ever offer my band a slot in one of their shows. And to be fair, some of these musicians simply haven’t learned how to set up shows for themselves. But you will also learn that there are others out there who understand that success in the local music scene can only happen when we help promote each other, instead of going at it alone.

The promoter that helped set up a show with your band? Thank them again. That band that added you to their show? Offer to do the same for them. The band from 2 cities away that you KNOW would love to play in your town or in a venue you have connections with? Reach out to them and make it happen. Even if a small percentage of those that you help wind up helping you in return, it will have been worth it.

Pay it back, and pay it forward. It’s a great formula for truly growing the scene AND the success of your band.

Special thanks to Jim Gleason, Jen Marie, Shane Keddell, Jason Meyer, Clint and Beth from Reptile, John Hoekstra, Paula Wopp, Zach Pukel, Marq Pointer Jr., Cactus Club, Joe Butterfield, Tony and Susan Mand, Mike Pape, Ian Reese, Steve Moser, Bob Skudlarczyk, Shaun Schwanke, Jason Mansavage, Crunchy Frog, Cold Shot, Jen from Ultrea, Mike Fluery, Zoy Begos, Frank’s in Milwaukee, Kochanski’s in Milwaukee, The Shack, and all the bands and sound crews I’ve jammed with for 12 years.