Tallying the Numbers
Well the votes have been counted and the race is over. I'm not talking about the presidential caucuses, but The Stranger's SXSW Send-Off, where readers chose two local bands to be included in our Austin and Seattle showcases, and the Spits and the Lights are the official winners. Both groups said their secret was canvassing everyone they saw; the Spits threw a pink bunny costume and blinking Christmas lights into their presentation, a traveling Capitol Hill campaign. Congrats to the winners, and stay tuned for more details on the big Seattle party at Neumo's on Friday, March 5, to celebrate.
It's no secret that the music community and the government suits haven't always been fast friends. But Seattle lawmakers are attempting to change that image. Last Sunday, at a Grammys viewing at EMP, Mayor Greg Nickels told a crowd (which included Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate, another speaker that night), "We're going to make Austin take second place as the live-music capital of the world," and promised to see how we can "keep growing music-industry jobs to a larger level." In order to establish what kind of cash cow the music industry is for the city, the Office of Economic Development commissioned a study, the results of which were also revealed that night. Some highlights: In 2002, the local music industry earned $197.3 million in income and raised nearly $1.3 billion in revenue from "core and supporting industries." The industry creates 8,700 jobs spread over 2,600 businesses. That's certainly not pocket change, and it's definitely an improvement that Seattle bigwigs are pushing music as a valuable resource.
Krist Novoselic, another speaker that evening, said, "Twelve years ago, the Washington legislature passed antimusic laws while Seattle was taking the music world by storm... people saw the music community as a liability." In response, he says, the music world is sending the message that "our music brings economic and cultural development to the state. Our music community is not a liability. It's an asset."
And now for the random notes: Keep an eye on Dalmatians, a local electro-punk three-piece. They have a similar aesthetic to the Fitness--heavy on the electronics, chaotic male and female vocals--but the Dalmatians include a drummer and project a goofier vibe with a more stripped-down sound. Their next show is Monday, February 16, at Graceland.... Rob Hampton, frontman for math rockers the New Mexicans, joined local hiphop buzz-band Grayskul onstage last week for one song, helping punch out an already noteworthy set... and the Pixies are coming to town. Well, sort of. They're playing the Big Easy in Spokane on April 24. The show is part of their "warm up" tour for Coachella May 1, and will present the original lineup together for the first time since 1993.
