Pinc's Picks

Studio A, I Doth Love and Despise Thee

At the outset, I should note that when I wrote this post last night, I believed the following to be true.  However, after drafting I placed one final hopeful phone call to Studio A and learned that Walkmen tickets are for sale to the general public.  The people at Studio A have righted their wrong.  But the let the following diatribe serve as a reminder of what could happen ...

This week, Studio A joins the ranks of institutions that can kiss
my ass.

Last month when I saw that The Walkmen were playing in Miami, I
couldn't believe my good fortune. I listened to their live show
broadcast by NPR and finally understood the band. I like their
albums, and in fact really like some of their songs, but they
really seem to gel when they play live. Point is, I was thrilled
that I could go see them, and especially at Studio A, my former
favorite South Florida music venue.

I kept checking back to see if tickets had gone on sale yet.
When information was finally posted on Studio A's web site, it
said the following: "A Very Special Invite Only Show."

WHAT THE HELL?!?!?

Previously I praised Studio A for not subscribing to the usual
Miami bullshit of velvet ropes, dress codes, and dickhead
bouncers. How refreshing! How novel! However, somehow in the
course of the summer, the venue has become just like every where
else in this town. And I'm seriously pissed.

The Walkmen have a special page for complaints. There's even a
specific person to address if you want to complain about the
venues where they play. I wrote an e-mail and complained. That
was three weeks ago. I've not yet received a response.

I've tried calling Studio A to complain or find out how to get
on the "very special invite only" list. But of course no one
answers the phone there. Why would they? This is Miami - they
don't have to. The more they treat us like shit, the more we will
salivate behind the velvet rope like sheep praying to get chosen
to go in. It's sad when what was once a beacon of hope for a
great social alternative succumbs to the pressures of trendiness
and becomes just like everywhere else.

I'd love to say that I'm boycotting Studio A entirely, but
that's a little too extreme. That said, I had planned to see
Ladytron, Art Brut, and Nouvelle Vague later this summer, and now
I've lost interest -- no need to go there unless I have no
choice. If The Arcade Fire played there, I'd go. But short of
that, I don't know. They are making a stupid choice on this one -
alienating real music fans in favor of hosting a party for
hipsters and wannabes who don't know who Hamilton Leithauser is,
or whether he sounds more like Bob Dylan or Elvis. Good call
guys. Way to go.

posted by Danya @ 8/17/2006 12:34:00 PM