June 23rd, 2008
OH NOES, YOUR FAVORITE INDIE BAND IS STAYIN’ HOMES!
Well you could just see this one coming a mile away. Not happy just ruining summer vacation plans, making food prices skyrocket, and dominating the news cycle, gas prices are now so high that…certain mid-level indie bands are canceling tours!
This. Means. War.
Er, bad choice of words.
Lookee:
“Once I ran the numbers it was a ‘There’s no (expletive) way’ kind of moment.”
That’s Steven Garcia from the band Something Fierce breaking out the calculator and discovering what he probably knew deep down in his indie-gut. Namely, if you’re a band that has yet to develop an audience, touring is no longer a practical way to bring your band to the masses.
The article is on CNN.com, and it goes on to interview one indie rocker after the next, each decrying the ever-increasing price of fuel, some even wondering when and if they’ll ever be able to hit the road again. CNN even interviews Ken Cheppaikode of Portland, Oregon’s, Dirtnap Records, which means nothing to you, but that guy put out a 7″ of a band I used to be in, proving he knows his shit! (7″ is SOLD OUT, natch!)
Sidenote for the sake of trivia: That particular 7″ was a split with Scared of Chaka, whose singer/guitarist Dave Hernandez now plays bass for the Shins. I’m now the music editor at PW, so I guess we know who got the raw end of that deal.
**Gas, a pain in the ass. [CNN]
