PAGE 7
L-
uv wtu uiv. to at a lowumiu ui a ucu 111 venue* in i~napei nut couia necome
I concept for the combination of coun- town that doesn't have a stage and is a problem.
I try-music bar and southern barbecue able to do it at a cheaper door price, He explained that just because
I that Hideaway employed. most people don't see the difference." there is a wealth of bands and venues
I ... “When Hideaway BBQ opened up. And some artists in the area do in the Triangle, this doesn't correlate
IjJMB I thought it was a really genius idea," like playing the smaller clubs. to a large enough audience to support
mm.~, _ * * " - ' .. 1 B* "* he said. Nathan White, leader of Chapel them all.
V V ■ * ■** - B - But Boothe also said that such enter- Hill's Nathan Oliver, said that he “Every time anew place starts
‘ '* W prises combining live music with other enjoyed his performance at Sprat having bands it just takes the pool
husmewes can be to operate. earlier this month. of people that go see live music and
" “"l w - - " " “When you try to do live music and “I thought it was a pretty good takes another dice out of it," he said.
■ - J •;—V something else, one of those busi- experience," White said, admitting a “The same people go. Now it's just **
y ‘ ' iif K nesses has to give,’he said, indicating drop in sound quality from more tra- one more show on any given night
JBl V that when you have food and music ditional venues such as the 506. “It’s that you're competing against. That’s B|
' it’s hard to not let one suffer at the not set up to be a music room." where it gets tough."
' fllHr 0051 of the other. “At the end of the “It was definitely a lot better than But Kutchma also sees hope in the
HMMpr jp day, if you're going to do it. then both other places we’ve played before, situation if people who aren’t aware
~dar jyfK wjjm ends have to be good." Even other places we’ve been that of the music scene get roped in bv the
" r ' l Boothe admitted that Jack Sprat have bands more frequently.' myriad of shows.
/ JKgm has had some ideas he has also begun White was also pleased with the “The crowd is out there." he said. %
v—yr *§£ to implement at the 506. different crowd drawn by Sprat. “They just don't know it vet.' 2
'**•' ■■■ -Jr ’ For instance. 506's new Free For “I think the best aspect that Jack
IBei Alls, free shows on week nights that Sprat has going for it is probably just Contact the Diversion* Editor at fB
' ** pppr give untested acts a chance to play tlie that it gets really good street draw.’ dii<e(a;unc.edu. Jjg
Online I dive.dailytarheel.com
GROSS! Check out Rachael Oehring’s fight to
overcome picky eating. This week: head cheese.
CONCERT REVIEWS Vicarious experiences
of last week’s shows with photos, too.
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NEW MUSIC VENUES
CHANGE DIRECTION
BY JORDAN LAWRENCE
STAFF WRITER
Some people in Chapel Hill might
not think of Franklin Street's Jack
Sprat Cafe as a place to see local music.
Dayn Peters is out to change that.
The booking agent and live sound
engineer at the restaurant says he has
a canned response to correct local
bands who think they wouldn't fit in
at the venue.
“Some bands think they’re way
too loud to come and play here," he
said. “I just say that’s why they sell
ear plugs.”
Peters, who has been spearheading
a recent flurry of live local music at
the venue, said he believes his venue
has a place among the area's already
established music clubs such as Cat’s
Cradle and Local 506.
“I’d like us to be a mini-Cradle
or a mini-506," he said, adding that
he wants the cafe to be an outlet
for bands that aren't big enough to
headline at those venues on weekend
nights. “I'd like us to be the venue
drey can go to"
But in light of the January 19 clos
ing of Raleigh's Hideaway BBQ. some
members of the Triangle music scene
question the viability of such non-tra
ditional music venues.
Glenn Boothe, owner and bar
tender at Local 506, said he loved the
concept for the combination of coun
try-music bar and southern barbecue
that Hideaway employed.
“When Hideaway BBQ opened up,
I thought it was a really genius idea,"
he said.
But Boothe also said that such enter
prises combining live music with other
businesses can be tough to operate.
“When you try to do live music and
something else, one of those busi
nesses has to give,' he said, indicating
that when you have food and music
it’s hard to not let one suffer at the
cost of the other. “At the end of the
day, if you’re going to do it, then both
ends have to be good."
Boothe admitted that Jack Sprat
has had some ideas he has also begun
to implement at the 506.
For instance. 506’s new Free For
Alls, free shows on week nights that
give untested acts a chance to play the
concerts
GREAT 3
Megafaun, I Was Totaty Destroy
ing It and Red Collar laid to waste
just about everything in their path
at Saturday's showcase
PAGE 12
venue, are modeled on Sprat's ability
to cut costs by using a smaller PA sys
tem and not having to hire someone
to manage the sound.
“The idea is we can buy the same
PA that this place has, plus we have
the benefit of having a stage," Boothe
said, emphasizing the fact the stage
at 506 offers a better view of the band
than venues like Jack Sprat can.
Boothe also added that the newly
installed DJ booth at the venue is
a direct reaction to such sets being
played at local venues such as Blend.
“Some of these things that we re
doing right now are a reaction to the
smaller venues in town," he said.
Boothe added that bands and
audiences have different expectations
about what they want from venues,
indicating that these differences
sometimes give the smaller, non-tra
ditional venues an edge.
“Bands would much rather play,
with a stage and a nice PA system, as
opposed to having to move some chairs
out of the way and use a vocals-only
mic and set up on the floor." he said.
Boothe explained that concert
goers' expectations are different.
“If X band is playing here and we
have to charge $6 because we have
to make enough money to cover our
sound-guy cost and that same band
is playing at a restaurant or a bar in
town that doesn't have a stage and is
able to do it at a cheaper door price,
most people don't see the difference."
And some artists in the area do
like playing the smaller clubs.
Nathan White, leader of Chapel
Hill’s Nathan Oliver, said that he
enjoyed his performance at Sprat
earlier this month.
“I thought it was a pretty good
experience," White said, admitting a
drop in sound quality from more tra
ditional venues such as the 506. “It's
not set up to be a music room*
‘lt was definitely a lot better than
other places we’ve played before.
Even other places we’ve been that
have bands more frequently."
White was also pleased with the
different crowd drawn by Sprat
“I think the best aspect that Jack
Sprat has going for it is probably just
that it gets really good street draw.’
music
LOVE LOST (AGAIN)
Former N.C. resident covers age
old themes on his latest album,
but does it with an immaculate
attention to emotional nuance.
RAGE 11
he said.
“It’s just a different group of peo
ple; I think it’s younger people too."
White, like others in the area, has
also noticed a pattern of places not
known for live music beginning to
jump into the game and is not sure
w hat to think shout it.
“I think more places are becom
ing more open to different kinds of
music, which I think is better on the
whole for everyone," he said.
But others, such as Jason Kutchma,
lead singer/guitarist of Durham's Red
Collar, don’t look on the rise in the
number of venues in a completely
positive light.
“I don’t think there is enough of
a crowd," Kutchma said, explain
ing that there aren’t enough people
willing to go to shows to support the
growing number of venues.
“Show attendance is in a bit of a
drought.
“If one place is successful, then you
open a second one. and if that one is
successful then you open a third. But
they just keep opening, and I’m not
sure if it's for the best."
Boothe said he believed that there
is simply not enough room for more
venues in the area.
“I think this area's maxed out,” he
said, proposing that the amount of
venues in Chapel Hill could become
a problem.
He explained that just because
there is a wealth of bands and venues
in the Triangle, this doesn't correlate
to a large enough audience to support
them all.
“Every time anew place starts
having bands it just takes the pool
of people that go see live music and
takes another dice out of it," he said.
‘The same people go. Now it’s just
one more show on any given night
that you’re competing against. That’s
where it gets tough."
But Kutchma also sees hope in the
situation if people who aren’t aware
of the music scene get roped in by the
myriad of shows.
“The crowd is out there.” he said.
“They just don’t know it yet"
Contact the Diversions Editor at
dive@unc.edu.
movies
STEP UP NORTH
‘How She Move’ delivers a
stale rehash of similar films,
except this time, it takes place in
Canada Eh?
PAGE 11
thursday,january 31,2008
Q&A
KAPOW!
John Ribd is a man of many
talents As leader of Kapow!
Music, he proves songwriting is
one of them.
PAGE 10