If you’re even a casual fan of live music, then you probably like to catch at least a few a year. Maybe you only go to tours that are coming directly to your hometown. Or, if you’re a huge fan of a certain musician or band, then you travel to see them, either to another city in your state or another state completely.
But how many times a year do you visit your local bar or music hall to catch a small local act? Some people like to think that local acts are local for a reason, maybe because they lack quality or just don’t have a lot to offer.
But local musicians might not have found their big break yet. There’s nothing saying that your local tavern won’t feature a musician who just knocks it out of the park at every performance.
Why should you support local musicians? We’ll give you some good reasons to think about.
Support the Local Industry
Industries are composed of multiple entities working in the same line of work. When you go out to see one local musician, multiple parties are making money.
There’s the bar or other establishment, which might be charging a cover or just making more money from food and drinks. There’s the musicians themselves, who get paid when the establishment books them, and the places only book them if they can draw in crowds.
By showing your local community that there’s an audience for this type of thing, you keep the industry going in your area.
You Increase Your Exposure
You know about all the most mainstream music types and artists. They’re everywhere from the radio to magazine covers.
But do you know what your local musicians are up to? Have you experienced the types of music they play? How do you know if you’ll like it if you don’t go check them out?
When you search “entertainment near me” on Google, you’ll get a lot of results that don’t look familiar to you, bands you’ve never heard of in your life. But just because you don’t know them doesn’t mean you won’t become a fan when you hear them.
It could really be worth your time to take a Friday night and go check them out, with the most open of minds, of course!
You Can Meet Other Music Fans
Chances are good that, if you’re taking the time to head to a local pub or other venue to check out a local artist, you’re going to be with other people who also cared enough to do so. Few people simply “find” themselves walking into a bar at 10 at night and paying a cover charge for an artist they have no interest in seeing.
That means that, if you do become a fan, you’re liable to meet other fans who have as much passion about the act as you do. You can talk to others over drinks and maybe even make a few friends. You folks might even be able to meet up at all future shows here or just anytime. You never know!
In the end, it’s worth your time to go out and evaluate local musicians if you have an interest in music already. Keep an open mind about it!
