SCALE. >> YEAH, OK, GREAT. WE’RE ABOUT 30 SECONDS AWAY.
>> IN TODAY’S KSAT, Q AND A
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING
YOU PROBABLY EXPERIENCED.
YOU SEE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE
BANDS. ARTISTS IS COMING TO I’M
GOING ON TOUR, BUT NOT
NECESSARILY COMING TO SAN
ANTONIO. YOU CHECK OUT THE
DATES. WE’RE NOT ON THEIR
AUSTIN. HOUSTON, DALLAS.
THEY MAY BE PART OF THAT
SCHEDULE. BUT WHY NOT US?
SO IN TODAY’S KSAT, Q AND A
WE’RE JOINED BY NICHOLAS FRANK,
THE ARTS AND CULTURE REPORTER
FOR THE SAN ANTONIO REPORT.
YOU JUST DID A BIG PIECE ON
THIS. LOOKING AT THE REASONS
HISTORICALLY THAT SAN ANTONIO
MISSES OUT ON SOME LIVE MUSIC.
LET’S START THERE. WHAT IS IT
ABOUT US? WHY DON’T WE END UP
ON THAT SCHEDULE?
>> WELL, TALK TO ANY LONGTIME
SAN ANTONIAN AND THEY WILL TELL
YOU THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN
KNOWN AS THE HEAVY METAL SIT.
IT.
AND THAT WAS DEFINITELY TRUE
2030, YEARS AGO. AND IT’S LESS
TRUE TODAY, BUT THAT REPUTATION
HAS SORT OF STUCK WITH THE CITY
THAT IT’S MAYBE NOT AS OPEN
TO OTHER GENRES OF MUSIC OTHER
THAN COUNTRY MUSIC. OBVIOUSLY
IN LATIN TOURING ACT BUT FOR
INDIE POP AND ROCK, MAYBE NOT
SO MUCH. SO IT’S TAKEN. A
DECADE, MAYBE 2 TO REALLY START
TURNING THAT AROUND AND
ATTRACTING TOURING ACTS TO OUR
CITY. YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU
TALK TO YOU, YEAH, UP THRASHER
CITY, HEAVY METAL CITY IS WHAT
SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN KNOWN AS
BUT EVEN THOSE ACTS.
>> DON’T SEEM TO BE COMING TO
SAN ANTONIO MEAN THERE USED TO
BE A HEAVY METAL FEST THAT WAS
IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE ATNT
CENTER. IT WAS CANCELED A FEW
YEARS AGO AND HASN’T BEEN
REPLACED BY ANYTHING OF NOTE.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS AS IF IT
ALMOST IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
SAN ANTONIO NOT LANDING SOME
OF THESE BIG TOURING ACTS.
>> I THINK YOU’RE RIGHT.
I THINK IT’S THE ECONOMICS OF
THE MUSIC ON A LARGER SCALE
AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT MAY BE
IS PUSHING SOME OF THOSE ACTS
TO SMALLER VENUES AND EACH
WHETHER IT’S AN ATTORNEY AND
CAN STILL PROVIDE THE AUDIENCES
THAT THOSE ACTS NEED. IT’S
COMES DOWN TO ECONOMICS FOR A
LOT OF IT.
>> AND YOU TOUCHED ON THAT IN
YOUR ARTICLE, WHICH I THOUGHT
WAS REALLY INTERESTING THAT
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ADVANCED
TICKET SALES, THERE IS A BIG
DIFFERENCE IN THE AUDIENCE FOR
THAT IN SAN ANTONIO VERSUS IN
AUSTIN, FOR EXAMPLE. SO IS
THERE WHEN IT COMES TO
ECONOMICS, MAYBE THE MAKEUP OF
A OF A CROWD LIKE SAN ANTONIO
COULD PROVIDE VERSUS DALLAS OR
AUSTIN. IS THAT A BIG REASON
THAT SOME OF THE SHOWS DON’T
HAPPEN HERE?
>> YEAH, DEFINITELY SEVERAL OF
THE KNOWLEDGEABLE PROMOTERS AND
AGENCIES THAT I SPOKE WITH FOR
THE ARTICLE SAID THAT SAN
ANTONIO IS NOTORIOUS FOR NOT
PROVIDING ADVANCE TICKET SALES,
WHICH IS WHAT GIVES THOSE
PROMOTERS AND FANS CONFIDENCE
THAT THEY CAN SELL OUT THEIR
SHOWS HERE AT LEAST MAKE ENOUGH
MONEY, YOU KNOW, TO PAY THEIR
MUSICIANS, PAY THEIR CREW AND
KEEP TOUR.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT
AUDIENCES WILL SHOW UP AND SAY
CHAD CAREY, WHO OWNS THE PAPER
TIGER, WHICH IS AN INDEPENDENT
MUSIC SAINT MARY’S STRIP.
HE SAID THAT PEOPLE WILL SHOW
UP. THEY’LL SHOW UP ON THE DAY
OF THE SHOW AND LARGELY MAKE UP
THE HOPES. THE PROMOTERS TO
FILL THAT CLUB.
HE ALSO SAID THAT ARE IN A
RECENT SHOW. THE BRIAN
JONESTOWN MASSACRE CAME TO TOWN
AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO SELL
ABOUT 150 MORE TICKETS TO THAT
SHOW. BUT THAT WE TREAT THAT
BEEN WELL. THEY HAVE A GOOD
EXPERIENCE IN SAN ANTONIO.
KNOW, WANT TO COME BACK.
>> EVEN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
BIGGER THE BIGGER ACTS. I DO
YOU THINK THE IMAGE OF SAN
ANTONIO IS WE JUST HAD THE
SMASHING PUMPKINS THAT WERE OUT
AT OUT OF THE TECH CENTER.
THEY SOLD THAT PLAYS YOU KNOW,
THE LEAD SINGER HAD A SPURS HAD
ON WAS PROMOTING WHAT A GREAT
TIME HE HAD SAN ANTONIO.
IS THAT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
OR, YOU KNOW, PROMOTERS, THEY
SEEM TO BE FEWER AND FEWER AND
BIGGER AND
BIGGER PROMOTERS.
>> IS SAN ANTONIO KIND OF STUCK
IN THIS A RUT RIGHT NOW WHEN IT
COMES TO LIVE MUSIC.
>> YOU MAKE 2 EXCELLENT POINT,
YES, THERE THERE’S A PROMOTION
ISSUE WITH LARGER
CONGLOMERATES, A TOURING
PROMOTERS TAKING CHARGE OF FANS
AND REALLY DIRECTING THEM TO
SPECIFIC CITIES, MAYBE TO HELP
MAXIMIZE PROFITS FOR 2 DIRECTED
TO SPECIFIC VENUES.
I SPOKE WITH ERIN ZIMMERMAN,
WHO’S THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR
PROGRAMMING FOR THE TOBIN
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
AND ALSO TREATMENT
ENTERTAINMENT. VERY
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE SCENE
HERE. AND HE MENTIONED THE
SMASHING PUMPKINS TO AN
ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCT. AND HERE
HE SAID THE SHOW IS FANTASTIC.
WAS HACKED. I’M LIKE YOU SAID
IT WAS SOLD OUT AND THAT WILL,
YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO’S CHARM.
THE SPURS WILL ALSO BRING DANCE
LIKE THAT BACK. THOSE FANS WILL
TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND AS AARON
SAID IN THE ARTICLE, THINGS ARE
CHANGING AND THEY’RE CHANGING
FAST.
>> WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
GO TO THE SAN ANTONIO REPORT
DOT ORG AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT
ARTICLE BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT
MORE IN IT THAT WE KEEP CAN’T
COVER IN 5 OR 6 MINUTES.
YOU KNOW, IT’S FASCINATING.
YEAH, THINGS ARE DEFINITELY
CHANGING FOR THE BETTER.
IT SEEMS LIKE. NICHOLAS FRANK,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE
AND SHARING SOME INFORMATION
WITH, BY THE WAY, NICHOLAS,
BEFORE YOU GO, I WANT YOUR
BACKGROUND IS INTERESTING.
YOU’RE AN ART CURATOR FOR A
MUSEUM. YOU WERE AN
INDEPENDENT. YOU TOURED WITH
THE BAND. YOU’RE ORIGINALLY
FROM MILWAUKEE. I MEAN, YOU ARE
YOU ARE KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW.
SUCH A DIVERSE BACKGROUND
YOURSELF. AND WE’RE HAPPY TO
WELCOME YOU TO SAN ANTONIO
THANK STEVE. I APPRECIATE THAT
SO MUCH. I FEEL VERY WELCOME
HERE. EVERYONE SAYS IT’S A