i see what youre saying Wolfman, but i disagree still. if TB had frequent gigs (twice a month at least) in chicago, as UM did for about 3 years, the chance of people just showing up to a show through friends or just from hearing their name frequently, they would absolutely have a more rapid growing fanbase. their music is head & shoulders above any chi-town based band ive seen in this genre (UM is obviously the one exception), and yet TB still had less fans on a Saturday night in the city than these other mediocre bands ive seen on a wednesday night. playing only 1 night every what, 8 months to a year, in a huge city like chicago is not gonna spread itself like it could. i agree, umphreys is really good, but...
West Haven\'s population = 60,000 people
Chicago = 3 million people
i know you cant really prove anything in this debate, but come on, guy, thats a huge difference. even their chances of having someone show up to a show in the music industry with connections and $ that could help them move up is way better in chicago than in staven. but this is all hypothetical, i know, i just hope you see what im saying. more people=more exposure. and i do agree that there are a lot of big cities nearby their hometown, but they still arent FROM nyc where timmy could be playing solo shows before frequent weekend gigs at bars in the heart of nyc. i personally just think it makes a huge difference.
I would counter chicago with NYC. Psychedelic Breakfast made a name for themselves during the last revival of "Jam" music in NYC. The shows that they played at Tobacco Road not to mention Tims month of solo shows really got them in front of the people you are talking about. The unfortunate aspect is that fan friendly hip venues are a thing of the past around here. NYC is just like any other place (venue wise) there aren\'t that many good places to play (acoustics), gone are the days of partying in the city. Sure you can do it but it is sooooo much harder to do. The lure of NYC as being that place to cut loose is gone. PB had mucho support from all of us freaks at Tobacco road, but when the bar closed it kind of closed a era (short lived but still) and with it went the bands direct connection to the city. they have played No Moore Bar, Lions den, Knitting Factory and all of those places are fine but that connection isnt there. I have never been to Chicago but what is it like out there ? Do they still let you smoke in bars ? are there really cool fan friendly venues that let you cut loose ? If so I would love to hear about it
there are still a lot of great venues in Chicago, a ton actually. yes you can still smoke in every bar/venue in chicago. but to name a few fan friendly venues where ive absolutely cut loose with the whole crowd (even seen some titties on the dancefloor):
Double Door
Elbo Room
Subterranean
Schuba\'s
The Note
and im definitely forgetting a TON of places, incl. a lot ive never been to (only been 21 for 1/2 a year at this point). actually 3 of those places-- D.D., Subt., The Note, are all kiddy-corner. all great venues, id love to see The Breakfast at the Double Door, it fits them well. Schuba\'s would be fantastic too.
the spot where id reeeeaalllly like to see the boys end up within the next couple years is House of Blues. never been to any HOB\'s outside of Chicago, but this one is an A+ venue. the setup is great, they have 3 bars surrounding the main floor and 1 up on the balcony, the aesthetic appeal is the best ive ever seen indoors (paintings everywhere, grand hand-carved walls, balconys, everything you look at is a piece of art basically). ive see Denson there a few times, and the funk turns that place into a madhouse. umphrey\'s always puts on a nice show there too. shit, i could just imagine TB with a light rig at HOB, itd be undoubtedly incredible. the sound is also as good as it gets.
