interesting idea... too bad I've already started the Phlog postering might have taken you up on it. btw are there areas at UMD where you can post stuff without going through the poster cops?

There's two. Both are general boards and are usually pretty full of "buy my car," "looking for ride," "come to church," etc.

Before I get myself into trouble here, I'll just ask, is there really any worth in hanging posters in Duluth anymore? In my 12 years of playing shows and promoting junk in Duluth/Superior I've never seen any significant impact on attendance from hanging 100+ posters vs. hanging none.

I'm serious here. Has anyone else experienced a mob of people saying "if it wasn't for that poster I would never have known about [fill in the blank]?"

Duluth seems to have a weird hive-mind. Either people know or they don't, regardless of outside promotion. This is based solely on my own experience, so please share your promotional success stories...outside of local publications/media of course.

And ug, don't even get me started on UMD boards...

It's hard to tell how much effect postering does & doesn't have. In my own personal experience, postering was vital before The Ripsaw (pre-2000? now R.I.P) & The Transistor. People would come to shows and say, "Why didn't you tell me! I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for your poster!" Of course, back then there was the Reader, which was consistantly rife with errors... and the News Tribune, which, well... let's not even go there. That was also before the internet was so gigantic. I stopped postering a couple years ago except for high-traffic areas where I like to think people actually look at posters (Fetus, Last Place, Ragstock, etc.). After hanging posters for the past 10 years, I got tired of doing it. And a bit lazy, too. All I know is I still look at posters to see what's going on that I might not be aware of through what media is available. And it's always been my belief that even if only one more person shows up because of a poster -- it's a good thing. Plus, I like creating them and have great respect for those who know how to come up with a great design. Overall, I think Adam's postering endeavour is a great idea, but nothing compares to the most powerful advertising of all -- word of mouth. Especially in this town. Until someone finds a way to perfect that method of dissemination, I feel postering is still a necessary evil. As we discussed at Twin Ports Brewery some weeks ago, ZB, my method to creating a buzz about a band or event has always been the "rock salt in a sawed-off shotgun approach". Try anything and everything you can. Also, as independant musicians, let's not forget it starts with making plain ol' good music. The best poster or sawed-off shotgun in the world won't help a bad band. Unless you're Bone Appetite -- but they defy pretty much every shred of common sense. Pardon the length of this post.

i think postering in high traffic areas does help as gwanto says. i check em out. on the dnt, i do think if you can get into the wave it helps just for the #'s you reach, but now that sarah henning is gone, unless your super well known and "vanilla" (pardon that term, it's early) forget it. i couldn't even get a headshot sans copy of venus in there.

Sarah's gone? Well, that explains the lack of support I've noticed lately in the Duluth News Fishwrap. The best one they ever had was Paul Virtuccio, but he's long since gone to the Cities. I've never understood the unfettering apathy for original local music in this town's biggest media (emphasis on "orginal"). And the DNT is at the top of the heap. Goes for the "college" radio stations as well. When was the last time anyone heard even a Low tune on KUMD, not to mention the countless number of other local bands trying to get their songs heard? For shame.

no...for LOW, you have to tune in to that other "college" radio station...

which incedentally...has been bugging the crap out of me since I moved here. hopefully, someone can clear this up...

KUMD...IS or IS NOT a "college" radio station...if it IS, then it's the most UN-college radio station I've ever heard. If it IS NOT, there are more college kids who listen to crappy blues programs than I imagined.

enlighten me...please?

As someone who has volunteered and or worked at KUMD for 10 years, I can most assuredly say that KUMD only uses its college student DJs to get free money. It is embarrassing how little respect they give to their college radio show (RPM) and how they absolutely refuse to even think of giving up day-time hours over to a college format. And yes, I've asked a few times to "No. Absolutely not." Yes, quote unquote. So there you go.

On the other hand, most of the college DJs I've known are the most irresponsible DJs on Earth, so I guess it works both ways. On the other other hand, I know about six ex-college DJs personally who were the best in the world ever, so again, it works both ways.

What were we talking about?

Oh yeah, posters. Well, whatever the case is, if it brings in more people to a show, then godspeed. Personally I'll just stick to phone calls and internet postings. I'm a lazy bastard.

ahh yes, but today's irresponsible college DJs are tomorrow's Tom Donahues (KSAN San Francisco)...

or...Howard Sterns...

...or Rush Limbaughs...

damn, didn't mean to go there...sorry...

so, yeah...it does work both ways.

oh boy kumd bashing...

ok, there are programs I like on kumd, but in general it is a love/hate relationship. hate to say it, but the station manager is the biggest problem. Hell as a radio station of a college it surprises me that there is no game coverage on kumd, (and I personally dislike sportcasts, but it would be community building in general for umd)... yeah Zigler, grrr

anyways

Program Director.

sorry to stray from the postering topic again, but...

how should the DNT cover original local music differently? why?

what would be a perfect balance of covering that scene and every other scene/genre/etc. relevant to the paper's distribution area?

is it any general circulation newspaper's job to "support" anything?

good query godsey...

is it their job? well...
is it news? current events?
one could argue yes.

is it in their best interest? certainly, but they have indirect competition from the other pubs in town (nowadays: the High Plains, X-istor, and ATHSH!) that garner more reading from the music scene here. The Wave is alright, but I tihnk that it kinda skips "our" demographic and panders to either the well heeled DSSO crowd or the folks more apt to check out G.B. Leighton at the Tap Room. Not the first place I look for what's going on in town, really. Not the last, though...that honor is reserved for the Reader.

I think they need to be more proactive and consistent with their support of the local scene, as well as a little more present, and a tad more accepting of the smarmy ne'er do wells that make up our funky little scene...fans and bands alike.

no credible newspaper's coverage should aim to support any scene or group or person.

it should only accurately and comprehensively reflect the world it's intending to report on.

that's an impossible job for a publication like the wave, but they could still do much better.

newspaper content decisions are like being a DJ: regardless of what you play, you'll get criticized for concentrating too much on some stuff and for ignoring other stuff, and you'll get more conflicting feedback than you can process.

i asked those questions, by the way, because i was very close--like, hours away--to signing a contract to be the dnt's new arts & entertainment reporter. but not long after i posted my comments, the offer was abruptly rescinded. they won't tell me why.

their loss...if i know insititutions like that, they'll bring in a fortysomething suit and tie chump that--try as he might--won't be able to "get" the music scene here...nothing more pathetic than a square trying to act and talk like "one of us."

IMO...this scene needed more of a voice in the DNT...not to neglect the rest of its demographic...but a little more exposure would have been nice...esp surrounding Homegrown. We had a good year last outing and we'd like to see that continue.