People pay to see the bands, not the promoter…

I was gonna write a blog last week, but then I got high
It was gonna be pretty sweet, but I got high
Now I haven’t blogged shit since May, and I know why…
Because I got high, because I got high, because I got high

Thank you Afroman.  Now, where was I?

Sons of OTIS are the anti-stars of the Toronto stoner scene.  They’ve been playing louder, heavier and longer than anybody else, yet, ever the proverbial Rodney Dangerfields, they get no respect.  Their history of playing at ridiculously late hours to ridiculously empty venues is well known to your humble scribe.  They haven’t been seen around these parts since they opened for Om last fall, where they played a solid set to a less-than-empty house of hipsters.

This evening’s performance at the Hard Luck Bar is their first since they were stranded in Amsterdam back in April.  They played Temple Ball in its (semi-)entirety at Roadburn, so I’m hoping for a couple old favourites in tonite’s set.  They don’t have any other upcoming gigs, and I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a promoter to add ’em to any bills anytime soon, so if you wanna catch ’em live, tonite’s the nite.

While we’re on the topic of promoters, this is apparently Shrubbco Visions “last ever” show.  Oookay.  They specialized in underground death metal, and once tried to bring Anal Cunt to Toronto, which obviously didn’t happen.  Apparently, this is meant to be a return to their “stoner roots” or something…

Obviously, when a band plays their last ever show/tour/whatever, it’s a big deal (unless they’re KISS–then it’s a load of BS).  But is there any reason for a promoter to put that it’s their last show ever on a poster?  Usually, if a promoter’s doing their last show, it’s cuz they’ve lost a ton of cash–not something you’d wanna advertise, right?

The last time I remember a promoter really plugging their last-ever show was the Metal Bar’s in-house Halloween/closing party.  It was the biggest crowd they ever got, too–although the shutting down of the venue was the main event, and the Metal Bar’s in-house guy even booked a few shows afterwards.  When No Official Capacity put on Glory Through Steel IV, it was their “last-ever” show, but people came out to see a rare Razor performance and a rarer DBC one-off, not for a pity party.  There weren’t a whole lotta people who came out to see the 17 opening bands, either…

I don’t think putting “Final Shrubbco Event” on the poster will bring out a death metal-sized crowd to a doom metal concert, but if it does, I hope we’re spared any on-stage speeches.  After all, people pay to see the bands, not the promoter.

Peace,

Greg

P.S.: I’m gonna be heading straight from the show to the radio tonite.  Be sure catch my NXNE 2010 preview on Smokin’ Green from 1 till 3 am at 88.1 fm on yer radio, channel 947 on yer TV or CKLN.fm on yer computer.