For The Record- 29. June. 2024

Well everybody's talkin' 'bout the stormy weather

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KA~

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In my head, this was originally a 1-2 punch of two great shows at two very different venues. That’s not how it worked out…

KA—

We’ve talked a lot lately about house shows and a return to a more bespoke(?) entertainment diet. House shows, small-scale art fairs, and Substack…each is designed to facilitate a more direct line between corporate and consumer.

There’s less friction and a richer experience, less noise, and more signal. Most importantly, your money follows a more direct line to the artist(s) you want to support, creating a virtuous cycle.

With house shows, I’m mindful that time sweetens all memories, and I hadn’t been to one in a while. I was curious if middle-aged me would enjoy it as much as 22-year-old me did all those years ago (spoiler alert: yes).

Kikis House of Righteous Music is, well, literally a house. It’s also close enough to me that a bike ride, while maybe not the smartest idea, wasn’t out of the question.

It wouldn’t have been the first ill-advised decision I’ve ever made.

The bargain for a show at Kiki’s is simple. An email is sent out with upcoming events, and if you want to go, you respond. If there’s room, you pay the suggested donation. That’s it. You pay, you show up, you see a show, you go home. No app, no fees, no problem.

No kegs, either; it’s BYOB, but there’s a cooler full of ice.

That’s half true. You see a show, but you can also connect with the artists, chat with other fans, and buy merch. I went 2-for3 here.

Chris Zappa, writer of Zappagram (and fellow East Sider), was at a recent show and put it nicely, telling me:

…the venue in which an artist performs plays an essential role in the live music experience, not only in terms of acoustics and sound quality but also with respect to the connection shared between an artist and their fans. Over nearly four decades and hundreds of performances, some of my favorites were held in the smallest, most intimate spaces. Without question, Kiki Schueler’s basement sits high atop the list of remarkably cozy (and welcoming) venues in which to catch a live show. Unassuming and unpretentious could comfortably describe both the home and the gracious host, making a concert [there] all the more unique and memorable an experience for all fortunate enough to attend.

A mediocre picture of a fantastic set. Photo by me.

I was at Kikis this past week to see the Young Fresh Fellows, a band that’s been on my radar for years but one that I never managed to see before. It didn't take long to realize that most of the people I was there with were in the same boat. I’m terrible at small talk, but even I could suss out that most were as excited as I was.

This isn’t a concert review per se, but here’s the quick and dirty version: The band played two 1-hour sets. Both ripped. I hope Kiki has good insurance ‘cause I’m fairly certain the roof was torn off. The band played a bit of everything, including at least one song they’d just learned(?). The guy in front of me was tall. I am anything but. Luckily, I could move. The merch table was in a back corner, and business was brisk. I picked up a record. The person before me bought 5-6 CDs as a “gift pack” for himself. The person in front of him got a shirt. And on it went.

Leaving the show, few people had empty arms. Before the show, during the break, and after, all 4 members talked with everyone, signed things, and took pictures. I’d love to post a selfie here or some quote, but the reality is I was a little too starstruck and watched from a distance. I would've gone full fanboy, and no one wants that, not even in the name of good reporting. And also: Holy shit! How did I forget Kurt Bloch of Fastbacks fame was in this group?!

It was also the 400^th show, so someone is doing something right.

I share this as further evidence of these smaller-scale shows' win-win proposition. I didn’t do a headcount, but I’m willing to bet the band had a good night, even after expenses.

The fans got a great show, some incredible direct access to the band, and the good feeling of knowing their money was invested directly in the artists they were now taking pictures with, not disappearing into a ‘facility fee’ void.

It’s win win all around.

📻📻📻

This past Saturday, my wife and I were supposed to see Pixies, Modest Mouse, and Cat Power at a stadium here in town. In my mind, we would ride our bikes to this one, too—there’s a path almost door to door. The last time I saw Pixies was in high school, and it was at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center, which, though technically still in town, feels like it’s 100 miles away. The next time I was in the building was to graduate. I’d never seen Modest Mouse or Cat Power. A triple threat billing, and I was just as excited for this one as I was for Young Fresh Fellows.

Mother Nature had some other ideas.

Summer weather in the Midwest is sketchy. Thunderstorms are common, and having an alert day is about as on-brand as saying “it might snow” in February—in other words, it's not a big deal. Predicting whether or not a system will skirt north/south of where you are is a popular sport in flyover country, so when the first alarm bells started ringing midweek, no one paid much mind.

By the morning of the show, it was pretty clear that shit was going to get real. The weather follows it’s schedule, but the storm’s timeline and showtimes looked like they would converge at exactly the worst possible time.

And that's exactly what happened.

📻📻📻

Throughout the day, the weather steamed ahead while the venue (and Ticketmaster) maintained radio silence. Again, I get it. Being angry because something was called off unnecessarily is also a popular sport here. But the clock to showtime wound down, the alerts ramped up—severe thunderstorms, nickel-sized hail, and at least a couple of tornado warnings. A flash flood warning rounded things out nicely.

Two hours ahead of time, they announced a delay in opening the gates, which, while a little late, was fine. Bummer for the people who got there early, but still have enough time for everyone else to get a drink or just hang back at home. The announcement advised us to stay tuned for updates…which didn’t come for another few hours and only came once a tornado warning was issued in the immediate vicinity.

For some context, this stadium is in the heart of a neighborhood and has strict noise curfews. There have been extensions, but any delay meant no Cat Power. It also would've meant very short shows by both Pixies and Modest Mouse- and that all assumes the weather would've cleared—which it was showing no signs of doing— and that the city would’ve given the okay, which…who knows.

Finally, at around 8 PM, a notice went out that the show had been postponed. The windows at our house looked like someone was holding a hose up to them. I’m just glad I wasn't one of the people who had to drive 4-5 hours back home.

My problem isn’t with any of that—I totally understand the gamble that holding an outdoor event represents. The same goes for the need to keep liability in mind while the maddening hordes are demanding the show go on. It happens at the airport, too—it might be sunny here, but it won’t be on the way or where you‘re going.

No, my problem is with how little info we got. Even telling people you don't know anything is telling them something, and in my experience, it’s better to over-communicate than under. It’s why we give status updates at work so frequently, even if only to say that we still don’t know anything new.

The only thing that came quickly was the reminder that no refunds would be given—there were hours between status updates and seconds between the postponement and the “no refunds” claim (that came a few days later when the show was officially scrubbed).

Safety took a back seat in the hopes of hanging on to some money—much of which would be hoovered up before reaching the bands. When it was clear the show wasn’t happening, they still balked. Looking at the balance of the tour schedule and knowing how busy this space gets, it was likely never going to get rescheduled.

So, no show, no info when it was most needed, and a lightning-fast (heh) mention of no refunds.

Lose-lose all around.

It’s worth noting that there was also a show at Kikis at the same time. And while it’s a bit of an unfair comparison (I mean, a basement is exactly where you’d want to be on a night like this), I can’t help but think that if the show was scrubbed, it would've been handled much, much better.

📻📻📻

Links to some great stories you might’ve missed this week are below the jump: