If they name their compilation cd Smells Like Wonderland, I'll buy a copy.

It's like you want to play quarterback for the Cleveland Browns so your plan is to drive up to a Browns game and throw a nerf football around in the parking lot hoping someone will notice.

The people that are actually in the Stadium at the real game won't even notice and you will probably have a good time drinking beers in the parking lot.

When you get back to Columbus you can tell everyone about how you played football near the Browns and think you saw some scouts watching you and it was time well spent.

They should get Lydia Loveless on this bill so that some more people would pay attention... #freeadvice

fine, i'll play the damn show gig. but stop asking. but I need payment up front door.

but seriously folk.

phantoads are a soldids bands. the floorwalkers r a soldi band too.

i'kll five money to this thing.

While the browns football analogy is funny, it's very inaccurate. A more accurate analogy would be that it's like high school. The cool kids are throwing a big party at one of their parents mansions and didn't invite the uncool kids, so the uncool kids decided to throw their own party at the dilapidated house next door.

People are knocking the bands for their lack of talent, but talent is obviously overrated in the entertainment industry. Ambition gets people a lot further than talent and nepotism gets people a lot further than both talent and ambition. By starting their own unofficial showcase they are bypassing the gatekeepers and dickslapping nepotism in the face.

If the people putting this showcase on remain focused and don't give up, then I bet you in 3-5 years most columbus bands will want to be a part of it. By then I would hope they are savvy enough to bring on big sponsors so nobody has to pay to play.
It's only in its second year so its very premature to judge this unofficial showcase as a bad thing.

Just look at the Slamdance film festival. Everyone thought they were stupid for starting that in spite of Sundance and now look at it. It's one of the best film festivals in the world. So I would suggest the people putting on this "we are columbus" thing to look at Slamdance for inspiration.

Also, I can't believe anyone looks to the Alive for serious journalism. That paper is a turd floating in the toilet.

Better beer and hotter chicks at the cool kids' party. Just sayin'.

MindTwin, you see nothing wrong with this group asking other people to foot the bill for them?

Fixt.

That said, if there were any bands on this "showcase" which involved friends of mine I would call them out just the same for being a part of this -- but those bands have taste, and know to stay the hell away. And those bands are paying their own way down -- and were invited to come play.

I just checked the SXSW website and Unholy Two is not listed on it.

I'll let Lutzko respond to this one.

Awhhh no....You about to get some animated gifs all up in yo' azz, gee...

Never Forget.

smells like wonderland is a great title...for something...i might steal that from you...

Mike? Have you been drinking at work again?

How much did Cosloy ask you to pay him to play his thangs?

If they got Stardrop to play this I'd give 'em a $100.

As a Browns fan, I sincerely appreciate this analogy

I'll drink the kool aid on this one. I definitely agreed that a lot of it has to do with being focused, putting forth the effort, and making it happen. There are always going to be a lot of people standing around saying you can't do it, and 95% of the time it's not going to work out, but if we all stopped playing music after one person told us we sucked, most of us wouldn't be here.

anyway how much did you donate

Whether it's $100 or $200 a pc the band members need, they should have ponied it up on their own.
The whole marketing and asking for your friends to cover you on this one feels pretty desperate.
What does it say that the majority of the bands didn't come back for year two?

http://wonderlandcolumbus.com/2011/04/w ... sxsw-2011/
But hey, Andy Dodson said it went well, so... there's that...

Again, all they had to do was leave "Columbus" the hell out of it.
The only band I'd let represent Cbus is Jampon.
Period.

To be clear, I'm not associated with this thing, but I love how everybody gets so worked up about it. This is the shit that makes Columbus feel like a small town. The Ohio X Southwest thread is most definitely the new Comfest thread.

I like how everybody is taking offense to them heading to another city, and saying they are Columbus. Like they're including you in it. In fact, I bet on the days where they're all down there not playing the showcase, they'll be busking. Acoustic guitars strumming C, D and G, while singing through the Columbus and Surrounding Areas Phone Directory, to be clear that they represent everyone in the city. I bet there will be hundreds of people walking by when they get to your name. At that point you're fucked, and people will simply assume you like terrible music.

Oh, the horror!
Good thing we have this heavily trafficed message board to clear any misconceptions on that one.

I would argue though, that they're not NOT Columbus.

Or If the dig is that they're going down to be a drop in the bucket of this massive festival where nobody will notice them because they're not an official showcase, then what does anyone care what they call it anyway? If they look like fools after they're down there and nobody saw it, then it won't hurt the cred of The Un$$holy T$WO.

As for getting donations to make it happen? Yeah, they have to pay to rent the venue. So does Diesel, and SPIN, and whomever else hosts some sort of showcase. Official or not.
As for using Kickstarter? Why not?
The Floorwalkers made some $10K - $12K off of Kickstarter to buy a new van. Do I think that it was a proper use of Kickstarter? No.
In their minds, was it a good idea in the end? I'm guessing, Yeah.
Why wouldn't it be? Free fucking van.
If they have a fan base that wants to spend their money that way, and buy them a van, or a limo, or supplement their mini-tour down South in exchange for some autographed stickers and bobblehead dolls or whatever, then fine. Those dudes are probably smarter and going to get further (in comfort, wink) than everyone who didn't feel comfortable asking their supporters for something like that. And it doesn't matter how you feel about their music, but they put the effort into building a fan base large enough to facilitate and accomplish that shit first. I can't really take that away from them.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go start a kickstarter to purchase a 6 foot party sub and a Great Lakes sampler pack for my next rehearsal.

So do I get to pick the shitty band that's gonna play "Freebird" when I donate $1,500+...? I'm loaded...

Uncle_Bob

are there other "city showcases"?

i mean this thing if nothing else just reeks of O-H!

which is a horrible representation of "columbus art"