Over the past few weeks there has been a pattern noticed at the venues that are popular for shows. This pattern revolves directly around the audience members and the support system the bands/artists bring in wether family or friends that gives an over all identity to a city, block, venue, music, and members/guests which helps anyone when looking for a certain crowd, scene, and music.
A brief insider about Downtown Olympia:
Downtown Olympia is mainly filled with restaurants and bars and what I’ve noticed over the past three years working in the downtown restaurant industry is that each restaurant has a home bar for when the last table finally leaves. For example, my friends from Waterstreet Cafe go to Hannah’s, my crew and I from Dockside Bistro and Wine Bar go to the Brotherhood. The Eastside (which used to have live music) and is home to many as well. I often think Olympia is smaller than it actually is but I base that off of the downtown area and the one or two industries it holds. Knowing how Swing Wine Bar, Dillinger’s Cocktail Lounge, BroHo, The Reef Lounge, The Eastside and The Rhythm and Rye are all connected on a social and professional level offers a personal integrated map that makes everyone one or two degrees aways from the next person so it can be easy to network and build relationships.
Andy Geertsen the owner of The Rhythm and Rye was previously the man you go to book shows at The Eastside and The Pig Bar. He has history in the downtown area in this industry and has gained much respect from fellow coworkers, chefs, guests, and bands over the years and many of the audience members currently going to The RandR are followers from past venues and industry friends from almost all the bars in town. While this is true The RandR is also home to many others for example, Greeners, Senior Center, local musicians, gamers, etc. I have seen people of all ethnicities and all ages 21-80+ at the venue having a good time.
I went to four shows this weekend of Arts Walk, first was at The Rhythm and Rye. Friday was DBST and it was the lead singers birthday so on top of it being Arts Walk there were many people supporting him and his horn heavy, funky groovy band. Saturday was Tony Furtado, an Americana Folk band with banjo, stand up bass, and fiddle. This was a great opener for the Oly Mountain Boys who have played at The Rhythm and Rye before and who will be playing May 8-9th at The Steamboat Stringband Jamboree with The Pine Hearts, another local favorite.
Next was Full Moon Radio at McCoy’s who I heard earlier was breaking up and I wanted to see them before they did. They were fun and the drummer carried such a good beat all the way through, and funnily enough was an instructor of my Pantry Chef at Dockside from Culinary School (talk about small). But the music wasn’t exactly what I came to McCoy’s for, it was to make some connection with Full Moon Radio as an all female three person band, and the text of this week’s reading Girls to the Front. I was interested to see what the audience was like as far as participation, feedback, dancing, etc. Everyone seemed involved and although a small crowd the people near the front were into it and dancing. At one moment of the night a voice yelled out “Why don’t you do a flip?” and the lead singer/bassist calmly replied “You do a flip, dude. I ain’t up here doing no flips.” The crowd laughed as she started the next song with her strong deep voice.
The comment was a bit odd for me to listen to with context of Riot Grrrl fresh in my brain. I wasn’t sure if that was a demeaning comment or someone trying to be funny. The band dynamics seemed strong on stage and no comments from the audience were going to bring them down, in fact any comment would be an opportunity for interaction and the more interaction adds to the entertainment aspect of a show. Still with the band breaking up I wonder how confident they felt about the show and if they realized how inspired much of the audience was by them and their music, because I could feel it in the eyes and the movement of the people around me. An identity was being adapted if not already established by that rapport of the band on stage and the audience down below.
I ended the week with a show at Dillinger’s Cocktail Lounge for their industry night where I played Ragtime and Jazz for a lovely crowd. I had invited everyone I knew and the turn out was great. Every time I was done with a ragtime piece, Sherilyn the bartender would clap and everyone would follow. I noticed that playing in a setting so small everyone was closer and therefore gracious and aware of the music and energy that was flowing back and forth, non stop for the first set. There is something to be said about a city the size of Olympia, as a performer I have never felt so welcomed and comfortable in a venue. The few people that I didn’t know that night, I soon did because everyone was out to have a good time and socialize.
The total population of Olympia from 2014-2015 is 46,478, ages 22-50 is the vast majority. During this time it may be a safe assumption that with three different colleges in town, Olympia is home to many college students and recent graduates. Provided the size of the city, the social night life still has some catching up to do but the businesses that I have personally seen thrived or failed had a lot to do with a demand. There is a demand for music in Olympia, WA and the music should be affordable, consistent, and reliable with proper promotion and publicity utilizing the three colleges and local businesses from the Westside, Downtown, and the Eastside.