I saw a post a few days ago by somebody called muse something who was going off about Austin venue gatekeepers. I think they did a shit job making their point, but from first-hand experience, I can tell you the point they were trying to make is spot on.
Based on most of the comments I read, it looks like the mouth breathers in this community took what the muse person was trying to say as a personal attack on musicians and venues. Hell, some of them almost seemed to think the post was about them! That's understandable, given how poorly the post was written. But if you look at the rant closely (I tried to find it again, but it looks like it's been taken down), you'll see that the post was targeting the venue "gatekeepers" and the gamester system, not the venues or the musicians being booked by them.
I know several booking agents for Central Texas venues, and I can tell you straight from the source how the game is played. If you reach out to a local coffee shop that hosts artists just to be part of the music scene, or some other minor venue that regularly books musical acts, and try to book a date, you might be dealing with the owner or some employee who the owner has designated as the music booking agent. That person might be a barista, cook, dishwasher, or some other hands-on personnel, and they're usually not paid anything extra to handle the bookings. Since music isn't really the draw at one of these quasi-venues and the gigs usually pay nothing or next to nothing, you'll find a broadly diverse line-up of artists performing there. On any given night, there's no telling what genre or style of music you'll hear. Some might be folks who are just graduating from open mics, some are seasoned songwriters who want to try out new material, some are super talented artists who just like the feel of a listening room, and everything in between. Most of the time at these kinds of venues, there is no gatekeeper because the person booking the artists doesn't have a dog in the hunt.
Almost inevitably, though, the dishwasher who's been handling the booking either quits, or gripes about not being compensated for the extra work, or is just tired of putting up with prima donna musicians, and the owner/manager has to do something different. What often happens is the owner contacts one of the artists who have been playing on a semi-regular basis, and asks them if they'd be interested in handling the booking (I know this to be the case because this is how my friends who book for venues got the gig). Now, you have to understand that from the artist/booking agent's point of view, this is like a fox being asked to guard the henhouse. The new booking agent has been given a guaranteed residency at the venue, and, not only that, they can book their friends, who will then return the favor by showing up at the booking agent's shows and the shows of the other friends who are part of the booking agent's clique. The booking agent becomes the indispensable gatekeeper of the venue who only books their cronies, and by doing so, they ensure that the revenue to the venue from food and drink sales increases because of the guaranteed attendance at all the shows. It becomes an incestuous love fest. And the gatekeeper/booking agent guards the lineup of artist participants closely, which is why you don't receive replies from so many of those emails you send out to venues.
There are a few artists in Austin who have opened shop as booking agents and work with multiple venues. The game for them is essentially the same. That's why you see the same names playing on a rotational basis at the more prominent venues and the artist/booking agent/gatekeeper is regularly featured.
Now, none of this situation is the fault of an artist, or the booking agent/gatekeeper, or the venues. The blame, if there is any, falls squarely on a system that rewards cronyism and nepotism, and discourages diversity and opportunity. Which means that instead of facilitating and supporting a multitude of opportunities for folks to gain experience and hone their craft in front of an audience (even if it's just their two friends and a next-door neighbor) right alongside more seasoned, and maybe more talented, artists, it creates a situation where WHO YOU KNOW is much more important than WHAT YOU KNOW.
Thank the goddess there are still some venues in town where personal connections aren't the secret password to the speakeasy. But those are few and are dwindling by the day.
There are more than enough venues left in Austin to showcase all kinds of styles, genres, and sounds. The asinine comments I read on the post directed at muse were ridiculous. They attacked the musical style and sound of the writer, when anyone who is a lover of music knows there is a place for everyone. Hell, has anyone ever heard someone criticize Neil Young's vocals? I damn sure have, and he's undeniably one of the most prolific and successful songwriters and performers of the last 50 years. And no one with a set of ears would claim Jesse Welles is a crooner, but he can pack ACL. So, to the idiots who said the writer's voice wasn't that good or the musical stylings or record production was sub-par, I suggest y'all pull your heads out of your collective asses and redirect your attention to where the issue lies: at the SYSTEM, and not other artists.
I'm signing off now and likely won't be back to engage in the petty name-calling and tactless criticism. I'll leave y'all with this, though. Go to half-priced books and pick up a used copy of a critical inquiry textbook, or check out a YouTube video on reading comprehension for those of y'all with 4th-grade literacy, and LEARN HOW TO THINK so that the next time you read a poorly written post from a seemingly frustrated comrade, you can see past your personal bias and insecurities and understand what's actually being said.
Much love to all.
