North Texas bands should think locally, play regionally

by Sarah Crisman of My Denton Music

Denton is a land of transience. We experience what Paul Slavens calls Denton Escape Velocity: the power with which a person is propelled the heck out of town. It may be in part that this is a small town, complete with all the tiny dramas inherent to small group dynamics. But I think it's more than that. I think Dentonites, as a rule, are wanderers. We live here for a matter of time, allow the influence to take over for a bit, and then hit the road to see what else the world has to offer, knowing full well that Denton will still be rocking when we meander on back. Denton is a lovely place to land, but it's not the only place.

We've recently seen a parade of going away parties as many of our friends have taken to Brooklyn (or Little Denton, as I like to call it). Most of Snarky Puppy has relocated to the Williamsburg area, along with a hearty trove of other jazz musicians. I have to say that while I miss those guys every day, I can't wait to see what kind of sound emerges from that area as our jazz-infused funk mingles with the Brooklyn scene. Some of my favorite bands have come out of Brooklyn, and many of those acts have since come through Denton. Consider the Source has rocked (quite literally) the roof at Cool Beans while School of Seven Bells cast a spell on Hailey's. Denton and Brooklyn get on famously.

This got me to thinking about the dynamics of two scenes colliding; I find myself intrigued beyond reason. I have seen how touring can bring about an evolution of sound as bands take to the road, picking up influences (and new members) along the way like a Beautiful Katamari. The laws of attraction kick in, and then you start to learn from each other and play together and create something only collaboration can bring about. How else is that going to happen unless you leave the comfort of your usual hotspot and take to the road?

Now that I'm out on the road on a regular basis, I am discovering that there are many musical communities out there, and you'd really be surprised by some of the places that have a scene. For example, Mississippi loves them some funky dance music -- but they're not really into the Internet, so it took actually being there, dancing with them, to appreciate it. Bands like Backside Pick (the band I serve as tour manager for), Congratulations, Snarky Puppy, Moosehound, and Hatch would all do very well to romp through Jackson, Starkville, and Oxford.

Many of us take regular jaunts through Louisiana ... in fact, everyone needs to go to New Orleans on a regular basis. We need the energy of that city as much as they need us to go down and party on Frenchmen. There is darkness and resilience unlike anything else I've ever experienced, and it's waiting for you around every corner with music laced with voodoo. You'll have to excuse me; I just gave myself chills thinking about it. I would like to see more of the NOLA crowd play Texas. I'm always surprised that more people don't know about Papa Grows Funk, and I can't wait to see them back in town this fall.

Regional touring -- be it a weekend in Oklahoma City or a two-week trip through the Deep South -- is a vital factor in the success of local scenes. We cannot subsist on our own, and we don't have to. We can cross-pollinate with other bands from not-too-distant lands, put together killer shows representing a few different scenes all on one stage. The potential of what we can be together is infinite and more within our grasp than many realize. We create work for ourselves in other cities, we bring some of that work home with us, and then we go back out again and make some more friends. Soon we'll have people coming into town to party for the weekend and see shows, because we've been out at their parties and shows and found this common ground of music.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get back on the bus now.