Second Pitch
Two weeks ago, I began my pitch about how the pandemic has negatively impacted live music. I spoke broadly about the venues, bands, fans, and merch shops that have suffered in the pandemic, but since then, I have narrowed down my ideas based on some interaction from classmates and brainstorming more.
I know that venue wise, I would like to capture the emptiness and lack of life of a physical space. I know that on Colfax in Denver has numerous music venues that are not occupied right now, and I think the idea of empty marquees and no band lineups would convey the true emptiness and lack of energy that the venue has when it’s not filled with bodies. Anyone who has been to a concert in the winter knows the dread of waiting in line outside, worrying if you should go coat or no coat, because you know it will be so hot as soon as you get inside. And then, when you leave, there is steam pouring out of the doors as all the sweaty bodies scramble to get to their cars before the cold sets in. This actual heat energy is just an example of the energy that is felt in a venue when live music is playing. This loss of energy and community pales in comparison to the financial loss that venues have felt in the pandemic. Small, independent venues have not received the financial aid that some other small businesses have, and because of this, there has been an outcry of gofundme’s, and proposed legislation to get funding to suffering venues. I know that I need to address the specific #saveourstages legislation in some way in my storytelling. By having the campaign as a hashtag to begin with, this will make it easy for distribution on my end. People who look at this hashtag, and the venues involves will see my posts and interact with the issue that I know, and they know, is very important right now. The live music scene would be nothing without independent venues. Especially for smaller bands, it is imperative that they can still play shows to grow their fanbase and get exposure. Big stadiums are good for packing thousands into one show, but less popular bands can’t play big shows like that.
I have addressed the idea of fans suffering from not going to shows a little bit, but I would like to get some first hand accounts of how people are coping, as well as research into how live music affects the body physically. I know that as a person who likes to go to shows, I feel something special when it comes to the energy and volume of a room full of people who are all in a space for the same reason. I would like to see if there are any studies about how music affects the human body. First hand interviews with fans will be a big portion of my storytelling, I just think it is important to the science behind why music feels the way it does.
As for bands, I have a friend who is close with a Fort Collins band, Lady Denim. This band plays for the college scene in Greeley and Fort Collins, so not only their venues have shut down, but a lot of their audience is not present where they were previously. Many students, myself included, have chosen to not live on campus, so this takes away a lot of the college scene and the people who would go to local bars and gathering places to watch a show. I didn’t even know the band, yet I did want to go to shows, just because they’re fun. This niche of bands that play in bars and in college towns are suffering due to a decrease in the number of students on campus, as well as the inability to gather. My roommate from last year also has a connection to a band right on UNC’s faculty list. Her uncle, Brian Claxton, an instructor of music, is in a band with his wife a few friends called Trash Cat and he makes music solo as well. They play shows in the UNC community and I am curious to speak with Claxton about how the pandemic has affected him as a musician and a member of the UNC community.
I still have yet to delve more into the world of merchandise, however, I think this is an important part of the music community. I still would like to stick to Facebook and Instagram as my main sharing platforms because they have the most versatility for the way that I want to show my story visually with videos and pictures. I also can tag the musicians and venues that I am speaking about to get them directly involved. Now that I am deeper into the specifics, I am excited to tell the stories of musicians, venues, and fans alike.
