 Editor says
Being an independent musician in Portland seems to be something of a tug-of-war. On the one side is the desire to break out of the poverty that bind us; on the other end of the rope are those forces that understand the value of having a prolific arts community far from the reach of the big bad market.
But I don't imagine the secret can be hidden for much longer. There's too much talent here for Portland and, more specifically, Portland musicians to remain unknown. And not only that, but creative artists are still moving here by the vanload. If that wasn't enough, record labels and distributors are growing here like corn in Iowa.
Like it or not, we all live in a hip, creative city.
So, if we can't stop the flood, I suggest we build a boat. I think we do that by recognizing the unique situation we're in. Then we get to work. We go to each other's shows. We become our own booking agents. We learn to recognize exploitative business types and refuse to work with them. Through these methods, I believe that we, as the artists, will be making the decisions regarding how this scene operates.
If, on the other hand, we choose to ignore it, the marketers will have no problem with selecting the least prepared among us to represent what Portland is about, doing nothing to help the scene, and attracting even more of the same lifeless musicians. Some think that another Seattle phenomenon couldn't happen here. (Is the age of album sales really over? It seems to me that the second most profitable form of music marketing, after mainstream, is selling music that's just under-the-radar enough so as not to be commonly found online.)
Again, I'm not talking about outside forces. I've met a small number of people in this city who are booking shows or running clubs that intentionally try to keep us divided. That division spreads suspicion and misunderstanding. All of that means money to the Machiavellian culture pirates who just love all the stupid rock and roll kids, the stupid b-boys, the stupid metal girls...whatever. But with a strong network of self-determined musicians, we would all be in line to get the greatest gain, and keep the soul of Portland alive.
But, shit. What do I know? I'm not even from here.
-Guy
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