ORIANS: Musicians need to create community to support other artists

It has been pointed out to me that my musings have been extremely cynical. And it's true, I'm super bitter and angsty. So I decided this week I would write about something great that's happening in punk rock. On July 1, one of the coolest acts of kindness that will probably ever grace the city of Lincoln occurred, and you guys need to know about it.

Local pop-punk bands A Summer Better Than Yours and the JV Allstars played a show at the Bourbon Theatre. They played with two touring bands, I Call Fives and, a personal favorite, We Are The Union. On the surface, this show doesn't seem very exciting at all. However, it's how the locals treated it that truly reaffirms my personal beliefs that the punk rock industry is so much better than anything else in the world.

JVA and ASTBY played the show for free. Some of their members even paid the cover to get in. Upon hearing the show lineup, I was a bit upset. I felt that it was a couple of local, successful pop and pop-punk bands hoarding the good shows. It's not uncommon. The Bishops in Omaha always get to play any show with renowned third-wave ska band the Toasters, making it impossible for kids who love the Toasters to hear any of the other great ska in Nebraska. However, I learned of the circumstances and had an immediate change of heart.

The whole point of playing for free was to give as much money and support to the touring bands as they possibly could. They didn't want to make money off a show that, quite frankly, they probably could have. Neither of the local bands is extremely successful, and yet in order to help these outsiders with their dreams that all us punks share, they actively and metaphorically allowed their own financial success to step aside and make way for the touring bands.

The way venues work is simple and based on a modestly fair system. Sound guy gets paid first, then the rest goes to the bands. If there is a book agent, the money goes through him or her first and trickles to the bands. However, it doesn't work quite that peachy anymore. Bands don't get paid shit. We consider making $40 a decent night. One time, my old band made $200, and we were completely floored by the generosity of the bar. They had made money off the bar and cover, and they supported who we are and what we wanted to do.

We need venues to support bands more, yet I know that's not a system that will likely change soon. Some of my best friends are sound engineers, bartenders and even door men. I understand they need to make money, too. There is a certain sense of tug and pull that comes from the music industry, and something is eventually going to give — hopefully it's not us musicians.

In order to have a better scene in general, we need this sense of community. We need local bands who have the floor space to help touring bands. I've slept in a van with seven people outside a Wal-mart because none of the local bands or 100 kids who went to the show had the decency to give us room to sleep. It sucks, and it breaks my heart knowing I'm not the only kid who's gone through that. If you have floor space and dig the out-of-town band that's playing, offer them a place to stay. Let them sleep on your futon. Better yet, let them munch on your Top Ramen and cereal. If we want better music to come and stay in Lincoln, we need to take a hint from A Summer Better Than Yours and The JV Allstars and start treating each other better.

neilorians@dailynebraskan.com