This is pretty boring, huh? I know.
BLOWOUT BANDS: Offers will BEGIN going out TODAY…but will continue coming out all week. We are doing this on a showcase-to-showcase basis. Official lineups announced SATURDAY, JAN. 30th.
At least that is going on… So here is how it will work this year: You will get an email. It will look exactly like this:
2010 Blowout - You have been selected to play!
Hello All,
Congratulations — you or your band has been selected to play the 2010 Metro Times Blowout Music Festival! Thank you for applying! Welcome!
http://metrotimes.com/blowout/
This email is our fist step in securing your slot. Please reply to this email ASAP so we can move forward with sending you your showcase/payment (if applicable) offer/information, etc. If we do not hear back from you in 72 hours, we will assume you are no longer interested in playing, so please do you best to get back to us in a timely manner.
The Blowout is March 3-6, 2010. Please keep these dates open.
Also, if you have a really good reason (meaning, totally unavoidable and dire) for needing a specific date, please let me know right away. PLEASE BE SELECTIVE WITH SPECIAL REQUESTS.
Also, if your friends ask, it will take ALL WEEK to get this thing finalized. You are just the first of several batches poised to receive this email. Nobody needs to worry about whether or not they were selected this year until after the official announcement (Jan. 30).
Thank you so much for applying this year — the weekend is completely about you dudes.
With a pick slide,
Eve
So… A million of these went out today. You didn’t get one? You suck. Wait, it says right there that no one needs to be worried until AFTER the official announcement. So you don’t suck… you’re just a big secret.
If you haven’t gotten this yet, it just means you’re not the favorite of anyone involved. That’s okay though… last year they put The Dead Bodies on the schedule without them submitting, so if that happens again there will be a spot available last minute for you. Congrats!
Feel free to use the comment section to confirm if your band got the email as a way to make the other bands around here feel inferior.
Antagonizing Blowout staff is an olympic sport.
i will end every email i write in 2010 with the line ‘With a pick slide,’
Ann Arbor’s JUICE will be headlining one of the nights at KFC HALL:
http://www.juiceontour.com/
To the MT’s defense, I too would have put the Dead Bodies on the schedule without them submitting.
JUICE is like a gayer err..(sorry more gay) version of the blue man group.
this year see all the same bands as last year!
Not excited about Blowout this year at all.
http://www.dokimos.org/ajff/
whatever Im stoked to get drunk and ride a trolley and see bands I like for free.
i’m selling band-based DUI squares for 10-20 bucks.
I’m worried about that “fist step”. Could be brutal.
Another year, another blowout *yawn*
Last year, attendance was shit no matter what the MT try to tell you. The only question is how many bands will get in this year who didn’t submit.
I’m kind of surprised there are still enough bands in Detroit for this event to be possible, let alone more bands then the schedule can handle. I guess that’s why they’re adding bands like JUICE and THE MEGA 80’s.
What is Juice?
Juice is a musical pipe bomb: an explosion of energy and invention. We make music the hard way, whether climbing xylophones, inventing and reinventing instruments, impersonating percussion, or battling with poles, electronics, or cellos. Fusing all these elements together, we build music to be seen as well as heard in one electrifying show.
Frat party yeah!!!!!!
The Mega 80’s? That is a DESPERATE ploy for people if that is true. Why cant the Metro Times just accept what everyone else has - that the detroit scene has shrunk (significantly) and make the event smaller, and more importantly, that they are far from being in touch with what is actually going on outside of their little circle?
If the Detroit scene has shrunk and should be smaller, how devastating will it be for those 200 or so bands who don’t make the cut?
My dream Blowout lineup:
Friday 03/05/10 @ Painted Lady
8:00- Killer Flamingos
9:00- Fifty Amp Fuse
10:00- Grinder
11:00- The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre (Headline)
it’s sad but (other than jcm) really those are bands who get paid to play.So they will not be attending.
We get paid not to play…
Two free beers and a wristband then you can go waste a shit ton of $ all weekend yeah! Great deal for musicians.
But all the money goes to Haiti this year.
I hope the dead bodies play.
“Last year, attendance was shit no matter what the MT try to tell you.”
Because you counted everyone?
One difference this year is that you can’t buy wristbands at the venues. You can get them at the pre-party, the Gates (not Knights) of Columbus Hall or Detroit Threads. Some venues may get around this by purchasing wristbands to sell at their door for patrons who come in needing one.
Yay Blowout! You know it’s FUN.
http://download.atorecords.com/dbt/this_fucking_job.mp3
Why would they make wristbands harder to purchase? Is that a staffing issue?
Anonymous @1:07 - the higher the number of people touching money, wristbands, etc, the higher the amount of “shrinkage”. They’re not trying to make wristband harder to buy, they’re trying to make them harder to steal.
@Melody - you’re right, I didn’t count everyone last year. But I spent another March weekend bumming from showcase to showcase, and there were f-a-r more bands playing to groups of 3 or 5 people than years past. Im sure part is the economy. But I’m sure the bar you own will do fine this year.
There were fewer venues last year than the year before — but I’ve always been at some blowout venues that were packed and others that were kind of empty. It’s a pretty hard thing to generalize and certainly the weather makes a huge difference. In theory if you go see a unpopular band at every time slot, you might be under the impression that a few hundred people attend.
The only thing that has remained steady is complaining about Blowout… I mean, it’s pretty well documented that Handyside, Paycheck, the Imam of Hamtramck hired Sam Riddle (later replaced by the apt named Tony Blowout) to develop Blowout to give the internet something to compalin about.
Pretty visionary really.
Lame. Boring. Don’t care.
^^
but you cared enough to post something completely inane,
you’re an idiot
-jr
Hope the Blowout isn’t as lame as those Haiti benefit shows at The Magic Stick this weekend.
This town is full of cunts.
Wednesday night’s schedule, lifted from Melody’s blog:
Majestic Café
Keep on Trash Dance Party all night
Magic Stick
Chapstik
The Displays
Doop & the Inside Outlaws
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Majestic Theatre
F*ke Blood
Bad Party
Punk Fitness
Computer Perfection
Inane? I’m surprised you know the meaning of the word. I don’t really think it’s foolish (synonym of the word inane) to have an opinion about something. People either like or dislike and I happen to dislike. So what.
http://www.vimeo.com/9019680
^thesaurus.com
@gaga
sick video
we feel inferior. Or at least, not as well connected…
when the DJ’s are the only good thing about the pre-party, i worry greatly about the rest of the party.
OK folks, now that the bitching has begun - if you are a band and you have not been contacted, you were not included in our initial selections. All bands have been notified. As not all bands have replied, slots may (and have in the past) open up, and we will have those finalized by Saturday (Jan. 30). Thank you.
If you’re predisposed enjoying DJ’s, I’d assume that live bands aren’t really your thing.
The real Eve here. I didn’t write that comment.
How would Blowout be better? Every legitimate band in Detroit that can play undoubtedly will. That’s not good enough? What do you want? Pixies? Spoon? Your band? Your cousin’s band? What event could possibly be put together that would make you stop bitching?
I will personally pay Jesus Chainsaw Massacre not to play not only Blowout but any show ever.
bands playing for bands and their girlfriends.jpg
My sentiments exactly, M. Tyvek.
Tyvek, email me and we’ll set up a payment program
-jr
tyvek insulting JCM is like a turd calling a piece of shit a poop.
wishes that Tvyek would stop trying to get a rub from the JCM brand that we have worked so hard to establish. Let the music do the talking kids! APRIL FOOLS!
-waiting for elitist to tell me what is actually going on outside of some circle-
some bands are playing at some bar(s) on some weekend coming up and maybe some one will make some money or some thing. It’s what we do, whether it has a label or not. Complain about SXSW lineups or how you can’t afford to go to that either. Stay home this time…write a song about it
Eve didn’t write the above post. She also didn’t deny what it said.
Blowout is fun. Can’t speak for the rest of the nights, but we had people at our show on Thursday. It doesn’t hurt that we were right after Bryan “PT Barnum” Metro and the JCM and before Dial Tones - we’ve been lucky enough to play on good, diverse lineups all 3 years.
I hate myself a little for asking this - did people get any sort of confirmation email when they submitted their app? We never did, which makes me wonder if it worked.
Kinda like giving a note to a friend to give to a girl in junior high. You don’t hear anything and you start thinking “well, maybe he didn’t give it to her yet” or “maybe she didn’t have time to read it yet” or “maybe she’s writing a really long note back”.
But really, she’s just not that into you.
Aaron, she’s just not that into flat feet. Actually, thats not true, Eve will hook you up if you ask her. She saves spots for friends, me hears.
I know of two bands who submitted and didn’t get the promised acknowledgemnet of submission.
This is just me and not an attack… but when technology promises me something and it doesn’t arrive, I check the junk folder and then email the person in charge to double check — usually in about 24-48 hours.
I am not connected or friends with the people in charge, but in my experience they are quite accessible and reasonable folk.
I submitted around eight bands this year and didn’t receive any confirmation. I don’t think I received a confirmation last year, but that worked out well for us. Everyone I have talked to lately has been having serious problems with Yahoo accounts. This is more help than I would like to be without charging. (I actually prefer Bryan “Tom Byron” Metro)
I am not connected or friends with the people in charge, but in my experience they are quite accessible and reasonable folk.
Get real. I submitted three bands myself, got no confirmation letter and know how to check my email. Three emails later to Metro Times Blowout and Eve Doster Knepp, I never received an answer.
Cronyism. Pure. And. Simple.
I don’t think it’s cronyism. My band got in (unfortunately we are going to be out of town and can’t play) but we don’t know anyone who would have had power in selecting.
Now I leave you with a shameless plug:
come to the blind pig tonight!
Aaron, it might not put your mind at ease, but we never received a confirmation e-mail upon submission. I submitted a second time maybe a month later just to make doubly sure, but no confirmation either.
As someone who played the Blowout for the last bunch of years and did not get an invite this year, I say “Meh.”
The Blowout should rethink their whole admission policy. Sure, sell wristbands at a discount but still charge cover for individual shows. I can’t tell you how many people wanted to see us.. but didn’t want to buy a wristband. So we’d actually tell people not to come. Yeah, it sucked to only play to 6 or 7 toothless Hamtown regulars at some crappy neighborhood bar that didn’t want musicians messing up the place. But I didn’t want to rip off our fans who weren’t interested in seeing any other bands.
But whatever.
we played for a packed dive last year…just saying, sorry ur in a shit band that noone has ever wanted to see in the past few years
-jr
I didn’t want to play and didn’t apply but still got selected. Please explain.
“In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism and skepticism and humbug and we shall want to live more musically” - Vincent Van Gogh
^I guess its that cronyism Reality Check spoke of up there…Why go through the process of having bands submit applications if the results are known ahead of time.
Hey! I just got the Thursday lineup!:
2010 BLOWOUT SCHEDULE
Wednesday->Thursday->Friday->SaturdayTHURSDAY > MARCH 6
ATLAS BAR
09:30 PM CITIZEN SMILE
10:15 PM ETHOS
11:00 PM PRIME MINISTERS
12:00 AM FREER
BAKER’S STREETCAR
09:30 PM THE DARTS
10:15 PM EMPTY ORCHESTRA
11:00 PM CHAMPIONS OF BREAKFAST
12:00 AM THE DECKS
(THE HARD LESSONS’ SHOWCASE)
THE BELMONT
09:30 PM MILLIONS OF BRAZILIANS
10:15 PM CHROMAPHOBIA
11:00 PM SCARLET OAKS
12:00 AM OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY
CAPO
09:30 PM TBA
10:15 PM RIGHTEOUS KNOWLEDGE
11:00 PM AM K’JON
12:00 AM WEI
(URBAN ORGANIC SHOWCASE)
CHILL & MINGLE
09:30 PM PEWTER CUB
10:15 PM SILENT VIOLET
11:00 PM DUTCH PINK
12:00 AM SOLITARY STATES
JEAN’S
09:30 PM COWBOY MESSIAH
10:15 PM OTTO VECTOR
11:00 PM THE LAZY CRAZIES
12:00 AM SHOTGUN WEDDING
KELLY’S BAR
09:30 PM THE BLOIDS
10:15 PM LIGHTNING LOVE
11:00 PM CHARLIE SLICK
12:00 AM SIKSIK NATION
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS (Main)
09:30 PM TBA
10:15 PM PEOPLES RECORDS VINYL DRIVE
11:00 PM NOMO
12:00 AM ODU AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA
ALL NIGHT FUNK NIGHT DJs
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS (Lounge)
ALL NIGHT HANDMADE DETROIT CRAFTSHOW
10:30 PM ARAN RUTH
11:30 PM BATTLE ELF
3141 (LOCKER ROOM)
09:30 PM MAHONEY
10:15 PM MISTY LYN
11:00 PM THE JOEY SPINA BAND
12:00 AM KATHY “DIVA” DAVIS
MOTOR CITY SPORTS BAR
09:30 PM 12 TON SLEDGE
10:15 PM OUR FATE IN HELL
11:00 PM MINDROUGHT
12:00 AM REALITY OF TOMORROW
(MICHIGAN ARTISTS SHOWCASE)
NEW DODGE
09:30 PM BUTTAZ
10:15 PM TBA
11:00 PM HAWKEYE MCHALE & ION LIFE
12:00 AM SIMPLICITY
PAINTED LADY
09:30 PM ERIC DILWORTH
10:15 PM INDIAN GUIDES
11:00 PM SPANISH CASTLES
12:00 AM GEORGIO “THE DOVE” VALENTINO
PAYCHECK’S
09:30 PM HELLEN
10:15 PM THE RUINERS
11:00 PM CIRCUS BOY
12:00 AM DOOP & THE INSIDE OUTLAWS
P.L.A.V. POST 10
8:00 PM ROBIN MOORE AND THE NORTHSTARS
9:00 PM CONCRETE RODEO
10:00 PM VIVIAN GEORGE
11:00 PM THE ORBITSUNS
12:00 AM DEVIN SCILLIAN
01:00 AM TERRIE LEA AND THE MUSTANGS
(DETROITCOUNTRYMUSIC.COM SHOWCASE)
SHENANIGAN’S
09:30 PM TBA
10:15 PM SUPERDOT
11:00 PM MEGA WEEDGE
12:00 AM THE LAURELS OF BEDFORD
SMALL’S
09:30 PM DEAD LETTERS
10:15 PM GRAYLING
11:00 PM GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY
12:00 AM BRAVE RIFLES
Sorry, I regret the last dumbass post. I meant to cut off most of it. That was the 2008 schedule by the way.
Gorilla - sound advice on the first part, agreed on the second. I’m not complaining, just more curious.
Bryan “Col. Tom Parker” Metro. Thanks for ruining Elvis, jackass.
One thing I learned at Blowout last year is that -jr isn’t Junior, it’s pronounced Jay Arrrrr
Wristbands are cool with me - more motivation to see lots of bands and keep moving.
The only person that has the right to complain about Blowout is my liver.
^HEYO!
Great post from Gorilla:
::::::::::::::::::::::::
It’s just Blowout People… Relax.
Blowout approaches and the same old bitterness is filtering out in the usual locales.
I’d like to address a few of the endlessly perpetuated bitchy comments.
1. The Metrotimes is making lots of cash and they should give it to the bands.
I like when bands make money, but this dig always sounds so conspiratorial… plus it implies that most bands are making lots of money playing the same bars the rest of the year… which they aren’t. Financially, Blowout functions as a near charity event for the Hamtown bars (oh really, you spend lots of money at Jean’s the rest of the year?) and a revenue generator for the Metro Times. The Metro Times also incurs expenses with sound guys and equipment, the non-volunteer Blowout staff — though maybe the sponsorship money covers that stuff. If Mitch Ryder or the Dirtbombs get paid too, that’s fine with me. You may not like them, but other people do and they have options to play elsewhere for money every night of the year.
Despite their pro-communist editorial, I don’t think the Metro Times ever implied they aren’t a business trying to make money. These guys run classifieds for hojo professionals for god sake, you don’t see the massage hookers bitching about how they should run their ad out of the goodness of their ink stained hearts. The fact that they manage this thing and make a few grand also doesn’t take away from the event being fun. I like stumbling into Baker’s Street Car once a year, if you don’t… don’t go.
If you have a band that can “make money” playing those nights somewhere else besides Blowout (you 5 bands know who I’m talking too) go for it — it’d be wrong for anyone to begrudge you your livelihood.
2. The wrist bands are stupid, I’d rather pay cover for the bands I want to see. Or Our fans don’t want to buy wristbands, they just want to pay cover to see us.
Could you miss the concept of local music festival a little more? This is like suggesting that all the bands should play in bars miles apart in different cities, so that people don’t travel between venues to see multiple acts.
Also, if your “fans” won’t spend more than $5 and will only go out to see your band and no other bands… they kind of suck. But, that doesn’t really matter, BECAUSE, there are 51 other weekends a year. I suggest booking a “gig” at a “bar” or “club” on one of those weekends and playing a “show” for your “fans”. One of two things is happening here. The complainer is bummed that nobody came to their Blowout show last year OR all your friends are lying to you and making an excuse about the cover so they don’t have to come see your shitty band.
3. Blowout use to be cooler, it’s all new bands that suck
You probably use to be cooler too, nice Baby Bjorn by the way… is that a Synergy? Nice, I went with the Air… lightweight, easy to pack. Again, there are tons of bars and tons of bands every other weekend the rest of the year… you can find the kind of music you are looking for and go see it basically whenever you want.
4. Blowout sucks, it’s all old bands that suck.
There are plenty of bands who’ve played Blowout lots of times and you don’t have to go see them. BECAUSE, it probably won’t get any easier to go see new bands or old bands you haven’t seen before any other weekend of the year. Plus, you get to see them at a huge discount over all the cover charges you’d have to pay to see the same number of bands. Last but not least, if you don’t like the band you’ve gone to see, you can walk down to the next place and try your luck again.
5. The list of bands is predetermined. The selection of bands is unfair. You have to know, blow or pay someone off to get on a bill.
I don’t believe any of this. I do believe that the Blowout people have some bands in mind that have a good reputation for attracting audiences — this is called doing their fucking job. The idea that it should be some sort of Pepsi challenge where unknown high school band fresh out of mom’s basement should be able to get on instead of a band that can fill a reasonably sized room around town the rest of the year is so ignorant. Again, this is capitalism not democracy — the idea that Blowout should adopt policies that hinder it’s success is fucking nutso.
I’ve personally played with bands that submitted for Blowout and were accepted and other’s that were denied. The only difference between those bands was how hard we worked the rest of the year on the band, playing gigs, recording and building a minor level of recognition (one of the 200 best known bands in your area code is not a big deal). Your band may be fantastic, but if you aren’t putting yourself out there, the rest of the world won’t know. Filling out an application is not enough. Play more, talk to other bands instead of taunting them, talk to bar owners instead of complaining to them and ask people who will tell you the truth if you suck, instead of trying to justify how great you to anyone who will listen. Friendliness, professionalism and humility go a long way.
If you can’t manage any of that stuff, I should ask how fucking crazy is your band? Oh, you have two guitars, drums and bass and your music is somewhere between Jackson Brown and Pantera? I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you before and I’ve already lost interest because you are kind of acting like a huge prick.
If you are a giant egomaniacal ass… run with it. Better yet run with it with scissors, light your hair on fire and stick a roman candle up your ass. Exceptions will always be made for those who straddle the intersection of creative, dangerous, innovative and insane. That’s also, NOT FAIR, it’s entertainment. If you can hold someone’s attention for more than 15 minutes you could be on to a winning formula that will still allow you to be yourself, a huge fucking douchebag.
As a closing note, I’m not saying you have to like Blowout, go to Blowout, play Blowout or ever set foot in Tight Fittin’ Jeans. I’m also not suggesting that some years, the event might have been better than others — that’s almost certainly true.
I’m just tired of the same sad-sack of blaming everyone else for the minor issues individuals might have with the event.
People, this is litterally one of the only things that kind of goes right around here.
And you wonder why we can’t have nice things…
amen
tl;dr i’m a huge faggot.
I performed at the first blowout. Thanks.
The first Blowout wasn’t as good as the one before it.
“He fixed up the roof, floors, ceiling and basement, and revamped the bar top to add dozens of colorful guitar picks covered with lacquer.”
THANK GAWD HE INVESTED $$ IN THAT SWEET LACQUERED BAR TOP!! THAT ALONE WILL TURN HIM A PROFIT EVENTUALLY I’M SURE OF IT!!
lol wut
I’ve been falling so long it’s like gravity’s gone and I’m just floating.
See Aaron, I told you Eve would save you a spot, Eve always saves spots for her and Daves friends! Now, which hard-working but not cool enough Detroit band got fucked for that slot? So many to choose from…
yeah. i can think of one. whatever.
Dear Flatfooted,
I appreciate your deluxe teenage attempt at a snarky comment but know this;
1. Feel free to catch up with me when I’m out and about and share your witty and urbane comments with me. I’ll probably buy you a beer.
2. I don’t have any friends to save slots for.
Thank you.
what the fuck is a Blowout?
Blowout is a lot of fun for, if you consider how much music you can see/hear in those 4 nights, very little cash. the peripheral expenses (beer, gas, etc.) would be spent if you were to go out somewhere else anyways, so those aren’t really legimate gripes. truth of the matter is that the “Detroit scene” hasn’t shrunk at all, but is more spread out among “splinter” scenes instead of being culled together under one umbrella (like, say, 4-5 years ago). I personally think this adds to the diversity and richness of the scene, and actually diminishes the sense of elitism many a folk (musicians, mostly) have griped about for so long. but it also sheds light on how many great bands are out there, and as a consequence, how many great bands inevitably will get left out of Blowout (like Pewter Cub - one of my favorite bands). there are far more than 200 great bands in detroit, but not every one of them can get in. that’s just the way it is. unfortunately (and I DO mean unfortunately), being a great band isn’t all it takes to be a successful band; you have to go out and meet people (if you haven’t already), make connections, and promote the FUCK out of your band. cronyism, nepotism, etc. will always exist in any scene, but the reality is that, supposing you’re not completlely socially abrasive, if you go out, support other bands and hang out with people involved in local music, then they might come out to your shows. if they come out to your shows then promoters/bookers/bar owners/media types, etc. might notice. or not. then just start a blog site.
People take this shit too seriously. I totally agree with the above comment.
There are so many great bands out there, if you even think the scene is dead and that there is no good music out there, that just means you aren’t going to the right shows. There are a lot of great bands out there that you choose not to support and then they fade away because they think they aren’t good enough. How sheepish we are that we only see shows that everyone else tells us to see.
Why not try something different…? You’ll be out $5 if you hate it, big deal. The blowout is amazing. I’m excited to play it this year, but the politics involved makes me not want to play. Being in a great band really doesn’t mean it is successful is so right. You need someone that’s cool to think its cool and get you good shows.
callous - the politics involved tend to be sequestered to websites and the corners of bars (out of earshot), so I wouldn’t let it ever dissuade you from playing; it’s a great opportunity to play for new people and discover great new bands. actually, this year (as a change of pace from past years) I’m going to make it a point each night to (even if it means missing one of my favorite bands) check out a band I’ve never heard of or at least seen before. it’s part of the point, innit?
Yeah true true. It’s just tough when you work so hard at something and you feel like you are being laughed at. It takes a lot to put yourself out there and when people are outwardly mean for no reason it makes you not wanna do it.
don’t let a few smartass remarks ever deter you from putting out there something you’re proud of. hyperbolically speaking, you haven’t made it in Detroit unless everyone hates you. ask Jack White.
If your band sucks, buy a computer and make minimalist techno. That will get you noticed in Detroit apparently. Just ask the blank artists.
if all else fails, get a haircut that makes you look like a speedboat
BAD PARTY !!!
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