Online readers comment on Racket, “What’s the Problem, Houston?” by John Nova Lomax, March 13
Ah, 2008: As long as I can remember, folks have been fantasizing about some notion of a mythical, utopian past of the music scene. Trust me, one day people will reminisce on the glory of the Houston music scene circa 2008. In all honesty, there is nothing to complain about. I have lived in cities with little or no music scene, and we have much to be happy about here. You can go to see live, original music seven days a week in Houston. Bottom line: Things are always in flux, so one must adapt. Just Google the word “impermanence.”
Comment by Omar
Take it from the mayor: “Austin is dying slowly.” Huh? Can you imagine our mayor doing what Austin’s Mayor Will Wynn did? From the Austin Chronicle, for those of you in town for South by Southwest who didn’t get the memo: 2008 is the Year of Austin Music. Seriously. Mayor Will Wynn made an official proclamation to City Council declaring such on January 31.
Comment by gary brandenberger
Lomax lover: Way to be proactive, there, Lomax. I see you really care about what is going on in the scene. Now, although they may have been way off the mark as far as what the problem is with the local scene, at least they, unlike you, made some sort of an effort to try and do something about it.
It’s great that you can write an article to make fun of a group of people, and all the while, you can’t seem to answer the question stated in the title of your own story. You sound like the jackasses on the conservative Republican radio programs denying that there is a problem with the economy.
The Houston music scene is lame and has been steadily declining over the last several years. Maybe some of it has to do with the clubs that bands have had the “privilege” of playing. Maybe it’s because the bands are boring and unoriginal. Maybe it’s because the Internet made the networking that bands used to do across the country too easy and they can’t figure out how to trade shows and build a scene by bringing in new talent from other cities. Maybe it’s because club owners no longer want to invest; they just want to sit back and make money without having to do any actual work.
People don’t want to pay to see the same bands play in the same place with the same opening bands month after month after month after month. It’s cheaper to sit at home and drink beer and watch videos of bands play on YouTube.
By the way, did I mention you are an asshole?
Comment by your name
Hahaha: Now that’s entertainment. Can I pay you $10 to bash Lomax again? Anyway, I have to say that as someone who was actually at the event, for its entirety it was a fairly productive “kickoff.” I mean, anybody who thinks we are gonna fix the mass transit issues, talent issues and publicity issues in two and a half hours is dreaming. And while there may have been a few overweight middle-agers, I think a more appropriate “mean age” would have been around 30. Honestly, I enjoyed myself with beer, food and people who actually know about music. It was fun discussing ideas with other industry people out on the back patio in between the two “sessions.”
As far as the “Austin is slowly dying” comment — to many people, it is. Now Austin is a fun town during SXSW, and I’ve enjoyed a number of shows there at other times of the year, but the 6th Street scene isn’t really about live original music anymore. Then again, maybe it never really was, as everyone has been complaining about “the good old days” as far back as I can remember…
As for Houston, I think we have talent, and I think we have diversity. I also think we have too many large venues. I love Houston music, but if there is no semi-famous band in town, you have six stages in the downtown area that need 350 or more people in front of them. When you add in all of the venues outside of the 002 area code, and then all of the bars that do live music on the weekends, and the coffeehouses that want singer/songwriters, and so on, and so on, and so on…you run out of talent pretty quick.
Back to my point: I hope they do one of those events again, and I hope next time you keep an open mind.
Comment by Kevin
Citizen Pain
Online readers comment on Nightfly, “Are You Hot Enough for Citizen Lounge?” by Shea Serrano, February 21:
Upscale: I have to say that the place lives up to its reputation. It is an upscale lounge.
Comment by Mike Grey
LOL: These guys crack me up. The only reason they left Midtown is because they couldn’t get anyone to come to Hue. What a bunch of losers. “We only let the pretty people in” — what a bunch of crap. The Elephant Man could walk in if he wanted to. Louis Cavazos — what a tool. “Yeah, I am the doorman and you can’t come into my little club, so go home now.” This is such a publicity stunt, since The Drake is kicking their ass in the bar scene. A real businessman would not just have 15 years experience, he would have 15 bars. Get a life, guys. Your little bar will be closed in one year, just like Hue.
Comment by Mike
Citizen with cheese: This place is terrible. The door guy is a putz. The fact of the matter is, Houston is not L.A. or Miami. You have so many poseurs in this city who think they’re some rock star. Cheese, cheese, cheese is what this place is.
Comment by James
Un-upscale: Who cares how much valet parking or drinks cost? This bar is in a crappy shopping center. If you think this is upscale, you obviously don’t know what the word means.
Comment by Amy Rains
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2008.