did y’all read his blog? Uganda. Love it. Far be it for Sam to go for anything mainstream.

(don’t look at me, cari came up with it)

This city’s best bands and artists found out long ago that they could succeed without Deep Ellum and they have done well so far.

IMO, the real shit is going down at the Cavern, Doublewide, Darkside, a few other places around town and then of course Denton which is getting a huge portion of the best touring acts lately.

Certainly I’m biased… I’m into the indie/experimental thing mostly (which covers quite a bit of ground here in North Texas) and besides the great hip-hop scene, everything else seems tired and bankrupt.

Everyone is going to continue to argue and everyone has their safety zones and the places they like to haunt and the music they want to see. That will never change. To say that people should get off their high horse and go see some hard rock or emo show even though they hate that kind of music is just naive. You get new people to go out to shows by giving them a good product in a cool environment.

how many bazillion comments on this thread here, and how many “there”? One.

’nuff said. Ain’t nobody firing you! (with apologies to Sam)

Sorry for the cheesy dictionary intro, but you see where I’m going with this? Sam was a true critic. He knew his opinion, he was unafraid to write it. Not just to say it, in a bar, to his friends, but to write it, every week, on a deadline, with a staff to lead as well. He said his piece in a paper he knew everyone he met could read. He wrote in non-retractable, undeletable ink. That young man has cajones.

Sam was unwavering in supporting what he saw as good (Bosque Brown, Theater Fire, Red Monroe) and merciless in tearing down what he saw as bad (Black Eyed Peas, Deaf Pedestrians, the Dallas Music Festival). Did I agree with him, always? No. Did I faithfully read what he wrote and decide for myself? Absolutely yes. He did exactly what a critic should do: he inspired additional critical thought.

Sam was who he was on the page. He was honest in his views and he cared. He hoped to effect change in the scene that inspired him. I respect him because he knew his own mind and didn’t much care what others thought of his opinion. My guess is that he didn’t much care what they thought at the Observer, either. He wrote what he felt needed to be covered, needed to be heard, needed to be talked about in the Dallas scene. He pissed people off. Apparently, at least one of those people held his pink slip.

Sam- my best to you and good luck. I’ll say it again: I’ll miss your voice in the scene.

you know I will give you the reach around later so just calm down bro.

hahah.

See you poolside on saturday… biotch!

bill

“Most important, it will take an extended hand toward the kids, the high schoolers who want the same thing I found when I fell in love with this city’s music scene. More all-ages shows that aren’t cluttered with their friends’ bands. More access for kids on early Wednesday and Thursday night gigs. More chances for teens and underagers to meet our city’s huge rock stars, from the Theater Fire to Bosque Brown, from Current Leaves to Money Waters, from PPT (congrats on signing to Idol Records, guys!) to Red Monroe…and on and on (see below for more).”

And Cindy, giving this guy’s post so much credit is a little disappointing. Anyone who really thinks the Observer impacts the attendance of a particular show should go out to the shows it touts and the shows it ignores; often, a show that isn’t mentioned at all winds up packed, and the ones with huge recommendations are too often barren. Take my endless babble about local hip-hop…I go to as many Final Friday shows as I can, along with other well-publicized hip-hop shows, and the core audience is usually the same core group of friends of the hip-hop acts. I’ve slapped the city with accolades about local hip-hop time and time again, and I know the futility of my recommendations first-hand.

That is not the issue. Evangelism is always an uphill battle. People respond readily to negativity though. That was the issue. When you directly attack certain clubs, and we both know which one I am referring to in this case, it has a direct and quick response. Negative press, especially when times are tough, are poison pens. Venomous attacks and continued baiting are worse still. It may very well have set in motion the closing of a landmark of this city’s musical history. It is very discouraging and disappointing to me, and if you knew my background, and how much I have given of my meager talents to this scene, you might have a less snarky attitude. It’s very depressing to work so hard, endure so much, to have somebody randomly tear it apart in an unprovoked, and in the case of that particular rant, uninformed diatribe. I still have no idea why you vented the way you did. I assume you were responding to issues with the booking, but it affected everybody there and really demoralized a struggling group of great people. Do I take it personally, no Sam I don’t. But it has significantly affected business rather you care to admit it or not. I have seen and heard the fallout firsthand.

Now, before all the conspiracies abound, do I think this played any part in your dismissal? No not ultimately. It never has in the past with your predecessors. I know that it may be a partial part of the complaints, but the issues with CC and the Observer are long standing, and before your tenure. The fact that they are not advertising is merely a coincidence of timing in regards to your unfortunate dismissal.

I would like to thank Cindy for appreciating my comments enough to highlight. I was not expecting that, and am flattered that my words were considered. I also want to thank Amanda Newman for her wise revelations in her post above. She speaks the truth.

(phew I can type when I get going..sorry. I had no idea I had so much to say. Bear with me a bit more.)

I won’t disparage Sams columns for what he wrote. I believe he attended all the shows that he liked and supported. My only point was, there is more to the local music scene than the limited genre that he enjoys. That is all. We all know that you cannot make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time. I would have liked to have seen a more open minded approach to the realities of the total music scene, and less dogging on everybody who doesn’t live up to the indie cred. South FM is a great band. May not be your style of music, but they are great at what they do, and they are genuine in their pursuit of their brand of music. Drowning Pool are great at what they do, and yes, some people even care about Strangleweed. Belefonte..well that’s another story..

Sam, if you would like to run sound for some bands sometime..let me know. I think I could really use a break, and it might help you grow musically a bit as well. At the very least, it may give you a different perspective as to really being hated.

Thanks again to Cindy and Amanda for this great blog, and allowing me to have a voice!

If I hear or read one more snide comment from someone about a local band simply because that person doesn’t care for that genre of music, I honest to God think I’ll wretch.

Keep up the great work

Your dismissal of Sam’s efforts is similar to saying, “So what if Lance Armstrong trained for 16 hours a day to return to shape after having testicular cancer? Isn’t it his job to train?” In a sense, you’re right, but we also all know you’re wrong.

That Sam was out as much as he was is a real testament to how much he loved the scene, and yes, the job. And I would bet he’ll still be out there much more than most.

One thing: you’ll notice (maybe) that I’m replying solely to posts that, in my estimation, have their facts wrong about the responsibilities or facets of Sam’s job. I’ll let the differences of opinion go, because that’s what they are – opinions – and I’ve had more than my share of differences with goddamn just about everyone. But please have the courtesy to know what you’re talking about. If you’d like, I’ll see if I can arrange a meeting with you, Wilonsky, Zac, Sam and Sarah on the phone to discuss what it really, really, truly means to be the Dallas Observer Music Editor. I can pretty much predict that you’ll find it’s exhausting, it’s violently polarizing, it’s demoralizing and it’s underpaid. And then, when you get fired, you have to endure this sort of shit. Man, sign me up.

Sam, I wasn’t giving credit to all the post stated, more just some of the observations:

…Radio has never cared about the music that is played, they only care about the advertising they can sell. MTV has never cared what style the music was, or the message being spread, just how much revenue in ads it can produce. And clubs and promoters ultimately don’t really care what bands play, they care about selling alcohol and tickets. And the majority of professional acts don’t care who pays them, as long as they get paid. Sad fact of life, not very inspiring, but that’s the way it is. And if everybody in this town continues to have a stick up their asses about showbiz reality, there won’t be anyplace left for your fledgling band to play. It will all go away. So get your bags and start headin for San Fran, or NY, cause the scene here is being destroyed by arrogance and apathy. Everybody in this town acts like they are immediate stars simply because they shopped at Buffalo Exchange and Urban Outfitters. Not everybody can only play on the weekends. And NO club in this town has a built in draw anymore. Not enough people to sustain it. Bills are really high in case you haven’t noticed. Can you imagine how much it costs just for electricity in most of the clubs in this town? Everybody acts like the clubs are their rich friends dad’s house. They are not. If you don’t spend money, the clubs will go away. It’s up to your band to try to inspire friends to see you, and to work hard to get on bills that complement your music with someboy who draws more than you. (Perhaps I will start a blog pointing out facts of life about any music scene. I’ll let ya know. )

Granted Deep Ellum has taken a large kick in the ass in the last two years. It’s unfortunate for me to see, because when I was the age of most of the local bands now, there were NO places to play. Deep Ellum started out as a place where kids could get together and create something new. It’s really a shame to see this new generation just kick it to the curb. You will regret it eventually…

Plus I find interest in what sound guys (and gals) have to say from there perspective. Like I said on the post, I think clubs and bands should start asking the folks in attendance to tell them why they are at the show, where they heard or read about it, what their experiences are like. Accomodate and express an interest in the paying customers/fans who DO show up at shows, rather than bitching about all the people who are NOT at the shows.