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Let’s send the Dayton sound global: marketing we can afford.

The Dayton Daily News finally called the Dayton Development Coalition marketing inept [1] after their two high profile failures:

The $900k “Get Midwest” campaign [2] that made a lot of money for Congressman Turner and his wife- and this week’s “Dayton Region Rally” [3] which was more like a college lecture.

What we need to do is put Dayton back on the map as a place where it’s great to live, work, play and- get down and boogie (which we have done in grand style since the days of the Ohio Players- a personal fave).

Bill Pote put up a post lamenting the lack of local band airtime in a post yesterday:

no commercial radio station plays or promotes local music – not a single one. Anybody that listens to local commercial radio in Dayton would probably have no clue as to just how many original bands call Dayton home.

via Looking for Local Music on Dayton Radio | Dayton MostMetro [4].

And at the same time Shaine Sullivan, GM at the South Park Tavern, [5] has been talking with his boss Bill Daniels about streaming live shows from the Tavern and putting together a streaming loop of old material. As their web host- I’ve had to look into what it takes to run a streaming server.

Then Shelly “Glad Girl Hulce” who is a local dynamo- who is always working with the Dayton Dirt Collective [6] (another listening room) to make the local music scene hop- starts talking podcast.

I’m a big believer that there is nothing wrong with Dayton- but that we have a hard time trusting leaders (everything has to be by groupthink) and an even harder time putting our best foot forward. But, here is my proposition to all you brilliant young creatives in UpDayton and DaytonCreate etc.- instead of building a local online hub for all activities- why don’t we build an online radio streaming channel of local Dayton music- all original- all the time, and get it up on iTunes to show the talent we have in the area?

Let’s get Teradata or LexisNexis to donate the hosting and bandwidth- and maybe get some local sponsors to pay for software and recording gear, and get this up and running by year end. This is marketing that can cost a lot less than a Dayton Region Rally, and spread the word around the world. We’ll even let the DDC talk about our abundant water supply at the breaks if they pony up some cash.

I can’t wait to hear “Live from South Park Tavern, in Dayton Ohio- front man from Guided by Voices, Bob Pollard, and South Park’s own Kelley Deal with the Breeders” coming off iTunes.

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Wesley Wellbilly

Do it on and offline. Put political pressure on the Clear Channel stations to do something like a “Live from the South Park Tavern” show on the air.  The message and hubub from skipping out on local talent I think was heard by the corporacratic crowd who run Dayton’s mainstream media after that last big expensive hooorah at UD arena. Now is a good time to move. A flashmob protest for inclusion of local talent on mainstream radio outlets would be good too.
The mainstream media have robbed us in many ways of our local uniqueness, but Dayton’s music scene shows that people, despite being robbed of many opportunities due to the exclusion of locality in much of the mainstream local broadcast media, persevere nonetheless.

Bruce Kettelle

Local music programming has always need a tough sell to commercial stations.  I’ve lived and listened in Philly, Boston, DC, and Charleston SC.  Boston probably does (did) the best job.  Commonfolk will spin the dial when they hear things unfamiliar.  It is a gradual process to make it work.  I like the streaming idea.  I also beleive the local scene should have a coordinated way to tell their story to radio that includes weekly or monthly local sales reports.

There is a lot of competition in the streaming world.  Capturing enough audience to make an impact takes more than just putting up a random shuffle of songs. There needs to be more behind it.

Bruce Kettelle

I should probably mention I worked in radio for eight years, the last two (79-80)  were at the number on progressive rock station in Boston and we did feature local music both in the daily rotation and during special weekend broadcasts.

Joe

Esrarti wrote: “I can’t wait to hear “Live from South Park Tavern, in Dayton Ohio- front man from Guided by Voices, Bob Pollard, and South Park’s own Kelley Deal with the Breeders” coming off iTunes.”
This would be awesome, although I don’t know if the Deals and Bob get along… A local radio show would be great. Lots of great music in Dayton. Bob Pollard releases about 6 albums a year! The early-mid 90’s were great for Dayton music. Every time I’m out of town and mention I’m from Dayton, I get at least one “Hey, Guided by Voices were great!” It’s a shame people in Dayton don’t seem to know who these bands were, or berate them for whatever reason. I personally know several people come to Dayton a couple times a year specifically for GBV/Pollard, Breeders, Ex-Braniac/Enon shows…
I like to refer to Cooper Park downtown as Pollard Park.

R0b Degenhart

Sign me up!  I’ll throw a few hundy in the pot to get something like this started.  I love local radio, WBZI, UD, WSU Radio and WYSO.  Need an on air personality?  I have always wanted to host tradio AND I have a face for radio.

Jeff

The late, lamented WOXY used to work local music into their playlist.  Mostly Cincy bands but also GBV.  I think they used to have a local music show, too; “Local Licks”(?)
 
 
 

GladGirl

I need a little clarity on this: “We’ll even let the DDC talk about our abundant water supply at the breaks if they pony up some cash.” I missed something there. What would we, DDC, know about abundant water supplies? As far as cash goes, we would have to vote on that. We’re pretty much committed to all our cash going to bands. What small % we keep from the door of each show goes to operating expenses. We have other resources to offer that are just as valuable as cash, that is how we have stayed open this long. 2 years is like 10 in Dayton years. Thanks for thinking of the DDC. We have put a lot of love, sweat, tears, sleepless nights and our own cash into it. In a way, you could say we have put our love, sweat, tears, sleepless nights and own cash into Dayton for that matter.
As far as the Deal’s and Robert, best to leave that negotiation up to the honorable Mr. Donald Thrasher. He’s the only one in town that they care to talk to these days. I’m not sure even Don could pull that off, but you never know.  Time heals.

Joe

A shameless plug:
 
Guided By Voices new DVD “The Devil Went Home and Puked” release party is at South Park Tavern tonight. Come see Motorhead Mountain, an excellent cover band assembled from Dayton musicians! Also, rare footage of GBV shows circa 94-96! Come check it out!
 

Jeff

The music scene has been Daytons strong suite for quite some time.  Which is interesting as it seemed to be rather overlooked by this creative class hoo-hah and the attempt to recast the Oregon as an arts district rather than a music district.
 
 
Ironically my first introduction to Dayton was via its’ music scene. But not in Dayton and not the music being discussed.  When I was living in the Bay Area a public radio station in San Mateo that played a lot of bluegrass did an entire Sunday afternoons worth of programming on the history of the Dayton area bluegrass and trad scene; bands that started in the area and bands that had a fan base here.  An example of how outsiders might be more aware of the musical heritage of Dayton than the locals.  Also maybe because there was a good bluegrass/trad scene going on in the Bay Area and Northern California, so they were interested in places where this music became popular, like Dayton and the Miami Valley.
 
Branching out from strict bluegrass there was also the Hot Mud Family, which received airplay in Northern California on shows that featured trad/folk stuff (though they were more from the 1970s), and in modern times there is Larry Cordle, who is a songwriter as well as a player (maybe more on the country side) and the Dry Branch Fire Squad, who I think have relocated out of state.  Anne & Phil Case , based in Germantown, have a national reputation as good interpreters of old-time music (and were included in one of those Paste magazine compilations).
 
 
So, this is, and has been, a great town for live music of various types.  Just not much recognized by the local cultural poobahs except for maybe the Cityfolk folks.

Bruce Kettelle

Just for the record any discussion about Dayton music history should at least mention the acts that garnered substantial nationl record sales besides the alternative acts mentioned above (which I personally prefer). 
Country, bluegrass and root rock
Albums from such local artists as Dixie Peach, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Hot Mud Family, and Sharon Lane
Funk
Albums from such local artists as Dayton, The Ohio Players, Slave, and Zapp
Rock
Albums from such local artists as Brainiac, Captain of Industry, Hawthorne Heights, and Shrug

Joe

I wish Dayton could support another record store, specifically vinyl sales. Go to Columbus and see the all kinds of record stores in odd little shops. Those seem to stay in business, albeit in a larger city with a younger crowd. I think Dayton could support another small record shop. Omega Music has been up on Main forever. Maybe one on Wayne, or Belmont maybe?