Once again, I find myself amazed by Elysium... on many levels

Last year, I met a Goth friend online who invited me to the club. So I wanted to go for a while, but never made it out. Please being a Goth-o-phile, I was anxious to experience the club. But I didn't. It wasn't until this year, when I talked another friend into going there for a 80s Goth night. And then learned about their 80s night on Sundays. I went back for one of those and had a blast. I liked the club. It had a good atmosphere. Dark and swank. Since the smoking ban went into session Austin, it's not too been too bad for cigarette smoke... That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but it's not unbareable though.

So after I-Con in New York, and spending another amazing evening hanging out with Voltaire, I decided I wanted to get him into the club. So I hunted down the agent, did the footwork, and I was impressed by the character of the owners who booked the club. Good people. And great character. Of course, the show was a rousing success.

So now we're up to the present. Friday night, we had our first show there where we shared the evening with two Goth bands. In case, you didn't know, we're not Goths. We're more geek than Goth. We've played a lot of shows here in Austin. I love playing shows in Austin. It's so much easier than being on the road. But it's also so much easier to be complacent.

Most of the venues we've played in Austin have been half-hearted in supporting us. To them, it's all about how many people we can bring in on a dead night. That's fine. I accept that that is the fate of a musician. That's usually what it's about. We're kinda fortunate to perform at Ren Faires and Sci Fi Cons, where that's not the primary issue.

Oh and I should mention that many venues also don't want to pay because in Austin, musicians are a dime a dozen. So why pay good musicians when you can get some for free?

Elysium--a Goth club--is the first place I've played in Austin where I feel we are treated with respect. I like that. A lot. To know that the club sees your value. They know what you can do, what you can do for them, and what they can do for you. And they are willing to help you attain that goal.

I know Elysium, as a venue, doesn't serve all of our fans. So I am on the lookout for more venues like it that will reach our other fans. But I am a huge supporter of independent businesses that are run from the heart. And Elysium is just that sort of business. I can't wait until we return there in another three months.

Labels: performances