The Oppenheimer Report 8/26/15

Last weekend, Shauna and I hosted a concert in Huntsville in order to present our good friend, Bobby Cameron, to the local community. I have spoken many times in this report about Bobby’s skills as a guitarist and a song writer, but no words can describe his live performances. As an added bonus, also on the bill was my producer and uber talent, Juan Barbosa. The two of these guys on the same stage was a fantastic show, and I could tell that everyone present felt the electricity. We put this show on with Hunter’s Bay Radio, and it was coordinated to coincide, but not interfere, with the Hunters Bay Radio Radiothon, also held this past weekend.

Putting on a concert, even a small one such as this, is no mean feat, and I have a new found respect for people who successfully promote concerts. Disregarding for a moment the obvious challenges, such as conflicting events, there are so many variables which factor into the success of an event. These days, it seems to be harder to get people to attend live concerts, especially if the artist is not well known. Bobby told me of a large music festival that recently had to cancel for lack of ticket sales, and the organizers had already booked 25 or more bands to play the weekend. Bonnie Raitt was scheduled to play, and was probably paid in advance, but with only 300 tickets pre-sold, the festival had to be called off. Any bands that were low on the food chain were out of luck. That meant that not only were they not compensated, but they were left to scramble for another gig during the busy summer season. Indeed, the life of most touring musicians is not at all glorious, and the myth of wealth and fame is just that, a myth. I find it somewhat amusing to watch new artists come into the field with delusions of success and recognition. While the internet does somewhat level the playing field, there is also ten times the competition there was thirty years ago.

Bobby now derives a good portion of his income producing other artists, and he is routinely hired to play to music centers like Nashville and Austin. He’s had the good fortune to meet many of the great writers in those centers, and he said it has been eye opening. He said one night he was invited to a party in Nashville wherein 10 or more songwriters sat around the room and passed the guitar around. Each writer took a turn playing one of his or her own songs. Bobby listened to every artist play their songs and quickly realized that every song was a popular hit. It was a sobering reminder that no matter how much one believes in one’s ability, there are 20 guys out there who are better or more successful at what they do. The only strategy I can see to succeed in this, or any other art form is to simply focus on getting better. I am approaching the halfway mark of my weekly songwriter show on Hunter’s Bay Radio, and in this time, I have been simply amazed by the under-recognized talent in the song writing field.
 

Final notes … The first Hunter’s Bay Radio Radiothon was a success. The weekend-long event featured a steady stream of on-air performances by local artists, and while Shauna and I were busy with Bobby and Juan’s concert, we did spend a good portion of Sunday at the station. The volunteer support was inspiring and the live performances were excellent. By the end of the Radiothon, the station had raised over $14,000, which will help pay the cost of equipment repair, as well as to begin to pay for the CRTC-mandated emergency generator. The generator will allow the station to broadcast in the event of a power outage. Everyone involved in the event should be proud of their efforts. As I said before, this little radio station has been a source of great satisfaction for both Shauna and me. The fact that it is a voice to support the local music scene makes it a valuable asset, to me and many others.


Sorry the report was late this week.
 

-Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-