Now is the time for the local music scene

Since I was a freshman at LSU, Baton Rouge’s music scene has been vital, yet underappreciated. Throughout those early years when I lived here, I met tons of local musicians who put out CDs, did some touring and kept the wheels turning.

During that time though, the biggest local music stories were about what was lacking or the death of the scene. Local musicians would then retort by burning copies of said publication at a concert or commenting on the article online.

However, late last year, local DJ and assistant talent buyer at Mud and Water Clay Achee gave his two cents on the scene in a blog post titled “An Open Letter to Baton Rouge.”

“This is the time to be making music in Baton Rouge,” Achee writes. “We have never had the depth or breadth of musical talent as we do right now. If ever Baton Rouge had the chance to become an Austin, Seattle, or Athens, it is now.”

Achee says it was something he had been feeling for years. For him, it would be a waste of talent and time if some of Baton Rouge’s local bands didn’t get attention due to lack of marketing.

“I wouldn’t have said anything if the talent pool wasn’t so good here—if we didn’t have so many great bands,” he says. “It would be a shame if we didn’t capitalize on it due to not knowing, or a little extra work and promotion.”

Though Achee is surrounded by music at WHYR and Mud and Water, he isn’t alone in his efforts of trying to spotlight local sounds. Jessica Orgeron is a former Baton Rouge resident who runs the local music blog Jive Flamingo. She echoed Achee’s statements about extra promotion being needed.

“Unfortunately, a lot of our music community’s best secrets are still ‘well-kept,’ and that’s why I’m glad Clay put this letter out there,” Orgeron says. “[Baton Rouge musicians] are doing amazing things, so they need make sure people know about them. Be dogged in promoting your shows. Post fliers. Use word of mouth … whatever means you can think of.”

Orgeron is a regular at local shows, even though she now calls New Orleans home. If you go to a concert, you’ll probably see her as well as 225 music writer Justin McGowan.

McGowan says local music is growing in a way he’s never seen. He tells me the hardest part now for local bands is continuing to keep the upward momentum.

“That lack of a defined scene has been helping fuel the fire for several years now, and that kind of reckless creativity is contagious,” McGowan says. “People say, ‘Why not me?’ That attitude is the most important ingredient of a diverse and thriving scene in any artistic medium. Now, it’s a simple matter of sustaining energy and continuing to throw logs on the fire.”

Personally, as an audiophile and local writer, I want to hear local music. I actively look for music everyday, and I don’t care who is making it. The pool of local talent is bottomless, as Achee, McGowan and Orgeron mention consistently.

There’s Moon Honey that was recently featured in The New York Times for its debut album, Minos the Saint that just wrapped up a residency at the House of Blues, and England in 1819, an electro-pop duo in the midst of a 51-date tour across the country. And that’s just a few local bands and musicians doing great stuff right now.

What musicians need to realize is that Baton Rouge is a business and college city first. While LSU houses a large 20-something population, those potential listeners and concertgoers turn over every four months. It might be easier to book a packed show during the spring, too, because LSU football still dominates the landscape during the fall.

At the same time, it’s hard to deny the growth in the arts community. Within this arts community is an audience full of non-college students and long-term residents that could and should be exposed to your music. While cynics might say, “I can’t wait to get out of Baton Rouge,” there are everyday examples of creative types coming or staying in the Capital City in an effort to bring something new.

A decade ago, I couldn’t have imagined Tess Brunet moving to Baton Rouge to open a record shop. If you had told me that Surreal Salon would be an annual event here five years ago, I would’ve scoffed. The same goes for the BR Walls Project. These are just three examples from the burgeoning arts scene that could represent opportunities for partnership and networking, not only in getting your music out there but also spreading the word about their art.

The best advice I can give any musician is that it’s easy to make excuses and succumb to an “oh well” attitude. It’s much harder to do what is needed to get your music out there.

I know this first-hand. I play drums. I write music. I work a 9-to-5. There is no such thing as free time for me.

It is so easy to say, “I’m going to be lazy and play this eighth game of NBA 2K14” rather than invite a few friends to a Facebook event or post a song link on Twitter. I get it.

But you can’t be mad if people don’t show up to that show because of it. You can’t get competitive with the locals who are packing shows. You have to do those little things—the fliers, the posts, the networking. Badger local reporters, including me, about your material. Tell everyone about your show or song, and then tell those people 10 more times.

If now is the time for music in Baton Rouge, that means people are listening and waiting to hear some good stuff. Don’t waste that opportunity. Make the most of it.