Time for topic swerve and red state/blue state music.
Hello Everyone
Thanks for the suggestions. Lots of fertile material. (Which, speaking of cowboys and ranching means something entirely different than in the creative and musical world.) ;-)
But now my interest is going to some of the answers and interpretations of my request.
Such as The Kentucky Headhunters. Where I came from, Montana Ranchland, that would be Southern Rock, or Redneck.
I am encouraged that in this day of the homogenization and gentrification of our country and the world in general that there are still enough cultural differences like these to make us diverse and interesting.
And that also leads to musical genres. Last week one of the bands I worked with called themselves "genre bending". Indeed most music of interest, or interest to their fans, should be hard to classify. It is only to outsiders that "all ------- sounds alike." I could have gone to Pandora and started a MMM station to see what else the computer thinks I should do. But it is much more compelling to me to come here for real world input from from people in the same position as myself to get that bias on what I am looking for.
One of the bars I worked at in the 90's, the manager/bartender loves that a lot of bands wanted to be "edgy".
So no matter the music that was playing that night, his description of them when people called in to inquire always ended with, "an edge".
"They are neo-folk, with an edge." "They are post pop punk, with an edge." "They are country roots, with an edge."
It amused me to no end.
Next is money. This has real world application to us. In my mind the production that is supplied should be directly tied to the money flowing into the event, and the size of the crowd. I also am conflicted on some of this, as I think there still exists a production/entertainment bubble. I know my money is much better spent going to see someone is is only lesser known because of marketing, music industry politics, location, and is in a smaller more intimate venue, than a gigantic overblown expensive extravaganza. (Bell curve here, there are still some I would shell out for.) (This is mostly fodder for other discussions.) But, the impression that MMM is in the same money area as Lyle Lovette, and Willy Nelson is mind blowing to me. I am guessing that Willy would command about 20X as much as MMM got paid at this gig. This is a HUGE disconnect if you are providing the production or promoting the show. (I did ask for "in about the same price range.")
And lastly, red state/blue state. MMM is VERY right wing. He is also externally and internally conflicted. A wonderful study in this kind of thing. And it was one of the biggest reasons, and not without dissent on the board, that he was chosen. This event is in Moab, Utah. So, a very red state. But an outdoors area which usually has lots of people who want to protect the natural beauty (not only because they love it, but lively hood depends on it, read liberal), also a rural area, so lots of ranchers (read, right wing), and lots of natural resources, (big business, lots of political donations.) Being a folk festival it is almost by definition, and definitely by direction of the owner a liberal affair. But she wanted to open up to a wider demographic, and also try and bridge political gaps in the community through music. The first very successful, the second only slightly less so.
Cowboy poetry events always politically conflict me. (Murph plays a lot of these.) Having grown up on a ranch, but also from a point of view of protecting mother nature, because that was where our livelyhood lay. I understand the dyed in the wool ranchers, with one good felt hat, who want the government out of their business. Not so much the neo-cowboys with the jacked up trucks, and faux western wear. Kind of like the neo-hippies jumping on the Burning Man bandwagon. But the cowboy events also intrigue me because it points out to me that we aren't that far apart, just different points of view, sometimes portrayed through the exact same songs as at folk events.
Discuss further. Regards, Jack
