Editorial: Taking a crack at NOT starting on time. The Emergency in the DA, 9 September, 2005

Despite our efforts to start shows at a reasonable hour, it's evident from this article (titled "The Emergency Should Drop New Album by Winter" by Leann Ray) that at least one member of one Morgantown band would rather "wait for the crowd to show up," despite what any ad or flyer says.

Quoth the DA:

Anyone who regularly attends The Emergency's shows knows that the band usually plays well past 2 a.m. However, many people are unhappy about shows not starting at the posted time of 10 p.m. "The way I feel about it, I don't care playing past 2 a.m.," said Crothers. "It's a rock show. It's the weekend. What are you going to do?" "Rock starts at 11. You wait for the crowd. You want the first band to have a crowd. The Emergency doesn't give a damn as long as we don't have to work the next day," he said.

***

Not only do I wholehartedly disagree with this statement, but I have a couple of myths to dispel:

Myth: Sure, other towns have gigs that start (and end) on time, but shows starts late in Morgantown. That's the way it's always been.

Fact: Bar shows at the The Underground Railroad ('82-'88) started at 9:30/10 consistently. All-ages shows at the Dry House (and later the Machine Shop) began at 6/7 PM. The late-night rock and roll syndrome began at the Nyabinghi (under Greg Barrett, not Ras Johnny); it can't be denied that Greg -- as much as I've enjoyed his company -- really let that place fall apart, physically and psychically. This "late-night-in-Morgantown" syndrome is essentially a holdover from that era.

Why? Because even music lovers who work in the morning (even on weekend mornings) need music in their lives; I've never understood the correlation between seeing a live band and staying out 'til 4AM.

Myth: You need to wait for the crowd to show up.

Fact: One of the main functions of promotional materials (flyers, etc.) is to inform the folks in your town when the show is going to start. It worked the last time I played at 123: I posted 10:30 PM on the flyer for a show that had three bands on the bill (as opposed to the four bands on this evening's bill); I began at 10:30, and I was perfectly happy with the (large) amount of people who turned up to watch me play.

Why? Because when one promotes a show, there's an unpsoken contract between the promoter and the audience; if a flyer has certain information on it, the audience will trust that information and act accordingly. Plus, if your "crowd" (put in quotes because it's a term I'm not exactly comfortable with) likes you enough, they'll turn up for your gigs at any time, day or night. A band as popular as the Emergency should have no problem taking control of when people show up to see their performances.

***

Before you dismiss me as some sort of self-righteous punker-than-thou type, please know that yes, I feel that everyone is entitled to their own opinion on what time shows should start, and how a band conducts its business is no-one else's concern.

However, I'm entitled to respectfully disagree with anyone's philosophies, and I'm more than entitled to point out the fact that Brother Crothers' statements (It's a rock show. It's the weekend. What are you going to do?, rock starts at 11, you wait for the crowd, and the Emergency doesn't give a damn as long as we don't have to work the next day) are not only disrespectful to the other bands on the bill (there are three openers -- and the gig's gonna start at 11?) but to the audience as well (the flyer says 10, first band starts at 11), especially when you consider the fact that the Emergency are -- due to a lot of hard work, brilliant ensemble playing, and great songs --considered to be the "flagship" band of the Morgantown indie scene.

A lot of local musicans (myself included) are happy to be associated with the Emergency (heck, they're good pals of mine -- but sometimes a pal has got to call another pal out, that's what pals are for, right?), but, in a worst-but-probable-case scenario the random DA reader may very well walk away from the article with the assumption that every underground musician (and venue) in Morgantown has that same philosophy.

And therein lies the rub; the statements in this article have the potential to damage and undermine my (and Brian's, and Mikey's, and Nakano's, and the SJ5's, and Librarians') efforts to start our gigs on time.

And I can't help but feel slighted by the whole thing.