Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

'Showcase' showdown

ntj3ph4b
Members of the band Redfield will be performing on Mill Avenue this Sunday as part of the ´New Times´ Music Showcase.

Eight years ago when Phoenix New Times began shaping the idea for a musical event featuring local bands, they weren't sure how the Valley would respond. Last year, the annual "New Times Music Showcase" attracted twice the amount of people as it did its first year in 1995.

Moreover, according to Ryan Kibner of New Times, as the event continues to mature, New Times is attempting to meet the need of the public's growing interest. "The first year we had 7,000 people - last year the event attracted over 13,000 people," he says.

Featuring 40 local bands from 10 different musical genres, "New Times Music Showcase" takes place Sunday at 10 different Mill Avenue venues, from Mill Avenue Beer Company to My Big Fat Greek Restaurant.

Kibner says that, while in the past New Times music staff has nominated the 40 bands that play in the event, this year it attempted to involve the community in the nomination process. In January, New Times held a nomination party and invited dozens of representatives from local music outlets, such as Blaze Lantana of KJZZ-FM and Kimber Lanning of Stinkweeds Records and Modified Arts, to vote on the Showcase's annual line up. Kibner says New Times presented 10 different categories, from best rap to - this year's new category - best cover band, for the selected judges to vote on.

"It worked out great. We had a democratic way to gather the area's best local bands," Kibner says.

Lanning says that while the nomination process did help channel the desires of the local music community, she found the categories restricting. "I felt there were a lot of original bands that the categories didn't represent," she says. In an attempt to illustrate how New Times missed some music genres, Lanning flipped over the nomination ballot and created 20 other categories. "I just wanted to make a point," Lanning says. "I mean, 'best rapper?' Come on, this isn't 1984."

Ultimately, Lanning says relying on the public was a good way to get the best music acts around the Valley. "It was a good way to solve the problem," Kibner says.

With plans to make the Showcase broader, Kibner says New Times will be looking to the community again for suggestions. "Next year we're going to have an open forum where we'll discuss how we can make the event bigger," Kibner says. This year, the Showcase will feature one national act, Maroon 5, and has plans to possibly open the Showcase up to more national acts in the future, Kibner adds.

Likewise, next year the Showcase will introduce bands from Flagstaff and Tucson into the lineup. However, Kibner says that even if the Showcase expands its musical reach, the primary purpose of the event will remain oriented around local music.

"We'll stay focused on the local music scene," he says. Creating an outlet for local bands to reach a broader audience is an objective for New Times, he adds, saying that there are at least 50 bands in the Phoenix market that could currently be signing with major record labels.

One of those 50 talented local bands, Redfield, that just two weeks ago was pick by New Times as one of the "Next Bands to Make it Big," will be playing for the first time at the Showcase. For Chan Schulman, ASU communication senior and guitarist for Redfield, performing at the Showcase will give his band the opportunity to reach a new audience. "It's a chance ... to turn heads," Schulman says.

Redfield has been around for three years and has released three independent albums. Schulman believes events like the Showcase are great for the local music scene. "Phoenix has a good music scene; the Showcase allows people to get exposed to it," he says.

Lanning agrees, saying that with the concentration of local acts, the Showcase provides an outlet to the people that don't necessarily have the time to keep up with the current local music scene. "[The Showcase] is good for the type of person that goes out once every six months," Lanning says.

Not only does the local music scene benefit from the Showcase, Kibner says the event fuels an incredible amount of commerce in the downtown Tempe area. "[The Showcase] drives business directly to downtown establishments," Kibner says.

Christy Bush, manager of Mill Avenue Cue Club, says the event enhances the overall experience on Mill Avenue. "The bands draw people who don't normally come to the downtown Tempe area," Bush says. Amy Piorkowski, manager of the Mill Avenue Beer Company next door, say this is the first year her bar will participate in the event. "The event brings a lot of volume to the area. The bars do quite well," Piorkowski says. "It will be a great night."

Even for Long Wong's, a Mill Avenue staple that decided not to pay the required fee New Times wanted to participate in the Showcase, the increased volume of people on Mill Avenue will still help increase business there, says Long Wong's manager, Sara Cina. "[The Showcase] attracts a lot of people," she says. "We 'showcase' local bands every night, so it didn't really make sense for us to be a part of it."

Kibner says ultimately for seven bucks you can't really go wrong with the Showcase. "For seven bucks," he says, "you get 40 of the best local bands."

Reach the reporter at matthew.garcia3@asu.edu.

IF YOU GO...

'New Times' Music Showcase all along Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe. 6 to 11 p.m. Sunday. $7. www.phoenixnewtimes.com


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.