What happened to Minneapolis?
Seven years ago when I arrived in Minneapolis for my freshman year of college at the U I had expectations to be amidst a city of rich arts and culture. I came from Madison, a beautiful city no doubt, but it lacked artistic depth: the music scene was confined to very few music venues - all 21+, theater consisted of (decent) community theater- some in which I took part, one professional reparatory theater, and various art exhibits at the one (I believe) art museum. I don’t need to go into what the Twin Cities offers in contrast.
One of the main reasons I chose to go to the U was to be in a city that offered many more artistic opportunities- to be a patron of (and hopefully someday a member of and contributor to) a rich arts community.
I wasted no time. I lived on the arts floor of Middlebrook Hall on the West Bank in Minneapolis. My floor consisted of musicians, dancers, actors, painters, photographers and an IT kid thrown in for fun. I spent my freshman year concentrating less on my studies as a music major and more on taking in the Twin Cities arts community- namely the music scene. I spent more nights than not (sometimes 4-5 a week) going out to see live music. Luckily most shows were 18+ and those that were 21+ I used my horrible fake ID (26 year old, 5’9” 150 pound with glasses Ernest Young) but got in no problem. DISCLAIMER to the City: I didn’t go to drink.. duh.. I went to see the music. I rarely ever drank when I went.
Being on the West Bank, much of my time was spent at the Cabooze and occasionally Triple Rock, Red Sea, Nomad, Cedar Cultural Center, 400 Bar, but the Cabooze mostly, as most of the others were strictly 21+ and I only used my fake when absolutely had to catch a touring act.
Over the next few years I changed colleges (MusicTech/McNally Smith) and moved around to a few different places in Minneapolis, but kept seeing as much live/local music as possible. I also started performing a bit: mostly around the U campus at the Steak Knife, The Whole, various coffee shops and the Varsity Theater. I branched out to other venues in the city and eventually (to date) have performed nearly every venue in the Twin Cities.
But most importantly, I was out seeing the scene. I saw more White Light Riot shows between August 2006 and December 2007 than probably anyone else. As soon as I turned 21 I went to as many Combo shows at Bunkers as possible. I played with the earliest (acoustic) incarnation of Roster McCabe (before they were Roster McCabe) saw their development into Minneapolis’ premier jam act. I caught The Alarmists at Big Vs in their earliest stage with the spastic Joe on tambourine; was shocked at Mark Mallman’s headstand on his keyboard; saw Tapes N Tapes open up for These Modern Socks opening up for Halloween, Alaska- I caught nearly every HA show between 05 and present date- one of my favorites; was stunned by the skills and voice of Alicia Wiley; floored by the tightness, mastery of pop writing and stage performance of ReadyGoes; found a love of song through Romantica (and played trumpet with them); was enamored with Breanne Duren (now Owl City star); discovered the brilliance that is Atmosphere - my introduction to rap/hip-hop; followed every Chris Morrisey and Dave King project and every George Hadfield and Tyler Jorenby project; participated in the hype of Jeremy Messersmith, Chris Koza and Haley Bonar; fell for the sweet acoustic pop/rock of Cedar Avenue, basically got into anything Paul Marino engineered/mixed/produced, discovered the weekly Root City phenomenon - only after graduating from the weekly God Johnson dance fest; tip-toed through the sub scenes of jazz, jam and funk; most recently got drunk to The 4onthefloor, and found one of my all-time (since disbanded) favorite bands, This World Fair, and lived through their rise, multiple member change, and fall.
I got to know most of these musicians and so many more and some have become my closest friends. I started performing more, traveling more and concentrating more on my career, but I never lost the love for the Minneapolis music scene. On the contrary, nearly every interview I gave in 08 and 09 I cited “the Minneapolis music scene” as my biggest influence and “the greatest music scene in the country.” And I wasn’t lying. I not only played with many of these bands, but was heavily influenced by their songwriting and performance quality and found a home within the amazing community.
I basically grew up musically within the scene. Just yesterday, I found a CD while cleaning my room, labeled “Ari Concert” so I popped it in and found it was a recording of one of my shows back at the Varsity in early 06… wow have I improved (and man did I suck!). But I improved because I surrounded myself with all these amazing musicians who strived for musical greatness and challenged me to become better.
My close circle of friends now consists almost entirely of Minneapolis musicians. Not to say I got to know all of the Minneapolis musicians (impossible), but we found a community and related with our basic love for music- not the culture of music- the music itself.
I felt virtually no competition and felt only support and community. Something, since traveling the country, is rare to most scenes.
But now something has shifted. Seriously shifted. There isn’t less talent, but the talent has become tainted as the scene has become tainted. I find so many more conversations turn negative; many MANY local reviews are very negative and there has become a strict division between what is ‘cool’ and not- according to the ‘scene.’ The scene is no longer defined by the amazing talent, but by the bloggers, The Current, the new (young) music reviewers and the hipsters who love to hate.
When a (newly appointed) writer from the popular Twin Cities arts and culture publication Vita.MN wrote (from his personal YouTube account) on my music video comments section “what a cocksucker,” I had to pause and reflect. This came after the (relatively newly appointed) music editor from the City Pages posted a scathing review of a local band (not me) containing more factual musical errors than my 8th grade trumpet recital. Around the same time prominent local bloggers were ripping to shreds concert after concert, album after album if not in complete reviews, in their sarcastic tweets and facebook posts.
I now have to step back and ask “what happened to Minneapolis?!”
That Vita.MN reviewer who went out of his way to comment on my YouTube video, constantly tweets and writes in his music reviews “local bands don’t get a pass.” But I ask him and the rest of the scene who have so much hate within, WHY? Why must you hate on the scene you are a part of? Why not be supportive of your local scene? Isn’t the hometown supposed to be the most supportive of their local bands? Isn’t the hometown supposed to build up the bands- not beat them down? Musicians get enough shit on the road that it’s nice to come back to the support and love of their hometown community.
Why not only write positive reviews of local bands and if you absolutely can’t find anything positive to say, then just ignore it? It boggles me that for nearly 2 years I can draw 300-400 people locally to my concerts, but have been 100% ignored by the City Pages - the largest music editorial in the state. But at the same time I’m fine that the publication has ignored me because clearly they don’t like the kind of music I make. At least, for me, they have found restraint (not true with other local bands where I cringe at every negative review I read).
I find most of these young, new “music” reviewers aren’t actually reviewing music. They are reviewing the culture surrounding music. I have received a negative review from that Vita.MN writer (3 in one semester actually) when he wrote for his college newspaper, but the reviews didn’t discuss my music in the least (and I wasn’t a student at his college). He actually went into my personal facebook profile and bashed my movie choices, favorite quotations, who he thought my fans were and my wardrobe… I kid you not… wardrobe. Now, don’t think for a moment that this juvenile writing actually got to me…well maybe it did a little. I’ve received hundreds of positive reviews that actually talk about my music that offset these 3 ‘cultural’ reviews a hundred times over. I don’t know the guy (but must have slept with his girlfriend or something cuz damn!).
What got to me, was that a writer such as this - discussing everything BUT the music got appointed as a prominent Minneapolis MUSIC writer. Not just him, but like I mentioned, the City Pages music editor and music bloggers continue to write review after review - positive and negative that attempt to discuss the music but accurately cannot. Any musician could do a much better job at describing and reviewing music than what the Minneapolis media has turned into. Even the longstanding, legitimate reviewers for other publications have become tainted. Now everyone writes positive reviews for bands that the ‘scene’ has decided to love and negative ones for those the ‘scene’ has decided to hate and there is virtually no digression from a ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ selection that has been collectively accepted. A good egg, bad egg for all eternity to fall down the chute of the ‘scene’ never to get a second measurement.
And now, the negativity and hate has seeped its way into the actual musical talent of the Cities. The actual bands and musicians who should define what a local scene is have become tainted and jaded. But moreover, it has turned from the supportive community of musicians that I discovered years ago into a virulent sea of artists itching to get out.
Many of the bands that I mentioned before who were defining pieces of what this Minneapolis music scene was have now expressed a strong desire to leave and go somewhere else. Some have left already, more are leaving and others will settle into a day job and leave music altogether.
So now I ask you again Minneapolis music reviewers and those who subscribe to this pretentious negativity, is it worth it? Is it worth driving away talent and tainting your scene so you can feel comfortable in your ‘cultural’ bubble?
I’m leaving Minneapolis. I have sought out a supportive and talented singer/songwriter community in Los Angeles where I will go to write, record and challenge myself to become great. Of course there will be adversity there as well, but it’s a big enough sea to not get ruined by sporadic drops of oil like our little lake here has.
Peace and Love Minneapolis. I wish you the best and hopefully you will return to the supportive, positive, welcoming community you once were.
With love,
~Ari
