(Quasi-)Weekly Mailbag vol. 3: Activate the Activist

WARNING! This is a post-in-progress -- I figured it would be better to put up what I had and add over time.

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This week, I'd like to use a cool e-mail I got from Ron Zabrocki in February as a jumping off point for a larger conversation. Check out Ron's response to my old column on Torrington's growing music scene:

Date: Feb 6, 2006 6:47 AM
Subject: Torrington's Musical Renaissance is greater than you think!!

Hello,
I am responding to Dan Barry's article about the misic scene in Torrington.

I am producer living here for the last 3 years. I am originally from NY and moved hear because of the dying music scene after 9-11. My wife and I had a feeling about Torrington. Never even heard of it before....but the morning we pulled into town..had a feeling this wqas the place...The music scene is passing through my home studio on a nightly basis. there's Shattersphere, a Metal group who I am producing who just caught the attention of a label owned by Sevendust. There's AJ jansen. She's a Country singer who won the a best Modern Country Recording along with myself for the CT chapter of the CMA. There's Jeremy Hopkins. He's an incredible singer sonwriter I am producing. He's opened for Tyler Hilton and is plannimng a tour of his own now as we finish the project. This is just a handful. All play locally and otherwise. The downtown of Torrington is hopefully going to be renovated with the new YOUNG Mayor we have. Chiane's feels like a NY hotspot. Otter's was always cool. The Warner Thater. I could go on about artist's like White Mike, a rapper who is amazing and who's Dad is a Berkely Music Professor. Tylet Thompson, Tony Colucci..the list goes on. I would be happy to talk to you and even get together in my home studio with some of these artist's and myself. there are soo many. It is growing. there is a revolution going on. My wife is a photographer. She has been helping all of these guys with photo shoots for free.

Come on down and let's keep Torrington in print!! There's a big noise about to happen in the music scene and this could be the next Seattle. Thanks for giving it some light...I just want the light to get brighter!!!!!

Peace
Ron Zabrocki

And my response:

Date: Feb 14, 2006 1:47 PM

Hey Ron!

Thanks so much for writing. Diane down at Chiane's has said some really good things about you, so I'm glad to be in touch!

I've lived in the Torrington area since I went to kindergarten. I've seen the town start off so-so, really fall off economically, and then in the past year or so really start to become something culturally. We've still got a ways to go -- like you, I'm crossing my fingers that our new mayor can keep the momentum going -- but when you consider places nearby like Waterbury that have just been stagnating for years, I think any positive momentum is a huge development.

My big hope is that Torrington has a chance to evolve into something along the lines of New Haven -- i.e. a place with a vibrant arts scene that isn't enslaved by cover bands, club music, and shady promoters. There's nothing wrong with party bands in moderation, but right now in Torrington, original artists have the spotlight -- and I want it to stay that way. That's why I'm pushing the downtown venues so hard in my column.

For it to keep happening, the artists have to continue to support one another, creatively and economically. That's why I think it's so important to buy your coffee from Chiane's, your beer from Otter's or Memories, your records from Metropolis... All of these venues support good, original rock, and we need to support them.

Drop me a line -- maybe we can meet up at Chiane's sometime and shoot the shit :)

Thanks again for writing!
-Dan

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Ok. So what's the point of all this?

I probably do not have to describe to you why arts-based professionals struggle on a day-to-day basis to stay financially afloat. We joke about "starving artists" for a reason. The business of live, local, original music is NOT LUCRATIVE, neither for artists nor for venues. Practicing and songwriting are incredibly time-consuming; musical equipment costs assloads of money; and the downtime and $$$ touring acts spend on travel/gas is enormous. Most local musicians I know have a day job as well -- they're basically living double lives. Venue owners, for their part, work their asses off slinging beverages. They mostly rely on beverage sales and cover charges to offset the high cost of hiring a band for the night. It's a rare original band around these parts that can draw head counts large enough and consistent enough for a venue to want to form a long-term relationship with them. Put differently: what venue is going to spend the time and money to "develop" an artist when they can book a well-known party/cover band that is guaranteed to draw hundreds?

Now. You may not envision yourself as an activist -- or maybe you do. Either way, you are a factor -- in fact, you are THE MAJOR factor -- in the dynamic I just described above. And if enough of us start to take that power into our own hands, the CT music scene will transform in an incredible way. What follows is a rough guide on how to make financial choices that will promote and enliven Connecticut's live, original, local music scene.

A HUGE part of being an effective activist (or organizer, or community-builder, or responsible music fan -- whatever you want to call it) is making sure that your money, energy, and resources go to people and groups who support like-minded causes. Every day we make choices about which businesses to support. If we select businesses who support local music, we give the local music community the money it takes to put food on its tables. We also give them the strength and motivation to keep doing what they're doing (i.e. writing songs, booking local acts, or inviting unknowns through the door for open mics). Yes, I know that second part sounds warm and fuzzy. But if someone believes that no one out there gives a fuck about what they're doing, it becomes really difficult to keep sinking time/energy/money into the arts (instead of grinding out a day job that pays). And I think most of us agree that the arts enrich our lives.

The great thing about having a local music community is that Average Joe fans can help out just as much as self-described activists or musicians. All it takes is thoughtful decision-making and a little commitment. Plus, whether you're a musician or not, you can feel good knowing you're a modern-day patron of the arts. You don't have to be a Rockefeller or Medici to make a difference.

But let's not be naive, either. It DOES cost more money to patronize music-friendly businesses. It DOES take more of your time and energy. And it WILL add up. But remember: that's the point. You may have to shell out a couple extra bucks for a record at Metropolis that you can get on sale down at FYE or Best Buy. You may have to drive an extra ten minutes into Simsbury to go to The Maple Tree Cafe for a brew instead of hitting Double Down in Avon. That's a choice you have to make each time -- and sometimes it's tough.

Still, there ain't nothin' stopping you from being a smart shopper at the same time. :) Some cases are a clear win-win proposition. For $3.45 at Chiane's, I get a bigass coffee and a fresh bagel with so much cream cheese it squeezes out the sides. AND my money goes into the cash register of a venue that books kickass musicians week in and week out. The same meal at Dunkin' Donuts costs about the same, and tastes like... every other Dunkin' Donuts bagel 'n coffee combo ever. The money goes to a chain, and if I'm lucky, the server didn't piss in my coffee. Hey, I still go to Dunkin' from time to time, but you better believe I take my money to Chiane's whenever I can.

Enough of my blathering. What follows is a (partial! incomplete! in-progress!) list of establishments that primarily support live, local, original music. If you enjoy that kind of music, then patronize these places as often as you can to show your support for their mission and their musicians!

SIMSBURY
The Maple Tree Cafe (bar/restaurant)
Peaberry's (coffeeshop)

COLLINSVILLE
Crown & Hammer (bar/restaurant)

TORRINGTON
Otter's (bar/restaurant)
Metropolis (record store)
Chiane's (coffeeshop/restaurant)

HARTFORD
Mad Dawg's (bar)
Peter's (bar/restaurant)
Piggy's (bar/restaurant)
Black-Eyed Sally's (bar/restaurant)
La Paloma Sabanera (coffeeshop/restaurant)

DANBURY
Cousin Larry's (bar)

MANCHESTER
The Hungry Tiger (bar/restaurant)
The Main Pub (bar/restaurant)

SOUTHINGTON
Jitter's (coffeeshop)

MORE TO COME!