Welcome to Roadtrip Central! This is a continuing chronicle of my journey around the country, as I meet with Pandora listeners and musicians to learn about what you want to see happen with music in this digital age. I hope you enjoy reading about my past stops - from a three person meet-up in a Biloxi diner to a packed get-together in a huge MIT lecture hall.
I hope you'll take a minute to share your favorite bands, clubs, lodging and eateries in your city. If you don't see your state on the blog, just post to 'Other States' and I'll make a note to try and visit! I look forward to meeting and hearing from you!
Cheers...
Tim (Founder)
Pacific Northwest recap... Seattle to Portland
Brief pause in Aspen, CO (blog post to follow on last night's meetup here), giving me a chance to catch up on some meetup recaps. Two weeks ago I had a fun swing up to the green lands of the Pacific Northwest with stops in Seattle and Portland. Both favorite destinations when I was in bands... great music scenes.
Tuesday was at the Seattle public library...
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Portland Meetup Wednesday, June 20, 2007!
On Wednesday, I'm going to be in Portland to meet up with Pandora listeners to talk about Pandora and the future of online radio. If you'd like to join, please RSVP by emailing tour@pandora.com with "Portland" in the subject line. It should be a great night, and I'm looking forward to it.
Details:
When: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 - 7:00 pm
Where: Disjecta
5 SE 3rd Avenue, Portland
map, , public transportation)
Hope to see you there--excited to meet our Portland listeners!
Tim (Founder)
Portland, Day 2
Another great day in Portland. Woke up buzzing from last night's open mic.
First stop, breakfast with Ezra Ace Careaff, local music editor for the Portland Mercury and owner of indie label Slowdance (home of the Velvet Teen). I continue to be inspired by the entrepreneurs who have started these labels. 50/50 joint ventures. It's the future model for indie music.
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Update from Portland
First let me say the Kennedy School is far and away the most unique and interesting hotel I've ever stayed at. A converted Elementary school that still looks and feels like... an elementary school. Complete with art projects on the walls and chalkboards. Great fun.
Started my day with great conversation with Dave Allen, bassist for the Gang of Four, and serial entrepreneur who's most recent company, Pampelmoose is filling the new role of modern label/manager/producer in the digital age. I was joined by his business partner Ned Failing, drummer for the up and coming Dirty Martini in Portland, and former drummer for Pacific Northwest favorites, the Strangers. Also there was Ezra Holbrook, very talented local producer and musician (I listened to his latest effort Michael Jodell in the car after our meeting - really good sounding record, nice stuff Ezra - can't wait to hear the mastered version). Ezra also books bands for the Imbibe in town.
Spent most of the lunch talking about the changing relationship between record labels and artists... and things ARE changing. Portland is a microcosm of the change. It has a great grassroots indie scene, full of musicians that are chasing alternative career paths. Forgoing traditional label deals to release records as joint ventures with small labels or artist management companies. It's a very fundamental shift that shows signs of accelerating. The essential arrangement is a 50/50 split on expenses/revenues. The partners grow the business organically, never getting ahead of themselves, and there's a living to be made there for all parties.
Ezra hit the nail on the head when he pinpointed cheap home recording software as a pivotal factor in this change. And as a former Capitol and Geffen artist, he speaks from experience. Artists can now produce high quality records without needing big up-front investment to finance them - it's the need for the big advance that has long dictated label deals. These deals are rational but tough on the artist - the label puts up all the money (often over $500K for a first record/tour) and gets the lion's share of the profits. Labels lose money on most of their records, and hope for a couple big successes to carry the business - just like the venture capital business. Now, with artists often coming to the table with a completed record, the dynamics have really shifted. Lots of what you now hear on the radio was recorded in someone's basement studio on ProTools (ProTools is one of numerous software programs that turn a standard computer into a professional quality music recording system... all you need is a good mic and a good pair of ears).
After swinging by Pampelmoose to load up on their latest projects, I jetted out to Clackamas Community college for a chat with Jadon Triplet - budding journalist and punk rock guitarist.
Dropped in on Jim Brunberg the owner/operator of Mississippi Studios - a beautiful listening room that books mostly acoustic shows. The room, decorated in old wood, deep red fabric and warm glowing lamps, is entirely focused on the stage which makes it a very attractive venue for visiting players. These venues are really a dying breed, which is a terrible shame because they're such great places for musicians. Jim filled my arms with local talent - all soon to be in the Music Genome Project. He particularly recommended Raina Rose and Mira Flores. Death Cab for Cutie, Ricki Lee Jones, John Wesley Harding, Fastball, are among the better know artists that have come through.
I've known Jim for many years, back to when his band Box Set and my former band gigged together in San Francisco. Box Set was a great band that worked it's way up from coffee houses to headlining the Fillmore, then got signed to Capricorn after a showcase at South by Southwest (see the upcoming Texas leg of the trip). The record didn't pan out and they've since gone their separate ways. Really interesting to talk to someone who has truly been through the whole arc. Even though the label went under, the leftover advance allowed him to start the studio - happy ending. Jim has really found his niche up in Portland where he thinks of his role at band 'coach'. Does everything from producing, and engineering (they have a full blown digital studio upstairs) to helping bands plan their touring strategy.
Topped the night off with an evening at Goodfoot Pub's open mic. I was blown away by the talent. First band I walked in on called themselves the Prescott Trumbo's - terrific songwriting. They're just getting started, so it was raw, but let's hope this trio makes a CD some day - would love to have them in the genome. Two Vandals Lawncare ripped through a Phish-esque guitar rock set. Some fancy arranging and good melodies (rare bedfellows).
And the cover charge... wait for it... $1.
Can't wait for tomorrow.
Pandora in Portland - March 6th & 7th
I'm very excited to announce our trip next week to our friendly neighbors to the North. I'll be heading up to Portland, Oregon for a couple days of musical exploration and conversation - March 6th & 7th, 2006. The main event of the trip is a 'town hall' get together at Music Millenium (801 NW 23rd Avenue) on Tuesday evening at 6pm to talk radio and digital music. Terry Currier, the longtime owner has generously agreed to host us at this indie music mecca. I'll be joined by Rick Emerson, a much beloved local radio personality, active blogger, and longtime music industry commentator for a provocative discussion on 'radio in the digital age.' Peter Carlin, journalist for the Oregonian, and a thoughtful writer on media will moderate, incite and lead what will hopefully be a lively and informative conversation about the impact of the digital revolution on the modern music industry, with a particular focus on radio.
It should be great discussion. I hope you'll come by to join the conversation.
We have couple other events planned as well, including a meetup at Mississippi Pizza (3552 N Mississippi Avenue) on Monday evening at 6:30pm. After this I'll be heading over to Goodfoot Pub then possibly Ash Street Saloon to check out the local talent at their weekly open mics. Company is welcome. The more the merrier.
Last time I headed up I5, there were six of us packed in a van with the PA system and more music equipment that we should have been able to fit. This time I'm heading out with a laptop, boxes of T-shirts and caps, and empty bags that I hope to fill with a wonderful and eclectic collection of local recordings. I'm hoping to come away with a better understanding of the local music scene, and with armfuls of great new music for our musician analysts to sink their teeth into.
If you have any comments or suggestions please share your thoughts below. The musical conversation starts now!
Tim (Founder)
