As I’m sure the majority of you now know, Illini Media Company has changed its much-debated Local Music Awards this year. With its previous format of honoring bands spawning outspoken commentary, artists withdrawing from the event and even a charitable (yet competing) concert last year, I applaud Buzz, WPGU and The217 for realizing that something’s gotta give. Altering the layout so that the awards are no longer based on musical productivity is a good idea, both for community cohesiveness and eliminating any sort of contest to mark each group’s success as each year passes.
But, that being said, and as really, truly positive as I’m trying to be about this year’s Local Music…Non-Awards, I guess you could call it, one question keeps incessantly coming to mind — why? Why still have an awards show? Why even award people titles, despite how frivolous they are? Why poll students about local bands when frankly, the majority of them consider Canopy Club to be a trek?
Sadly, as the questions continue to pour in, I can’t help but think the exact reason why: money. Sponsored by One Illinois, LM5 (the moniker for this year’s show) is an opportunity to display local groups in a fun, evening-style event, but it’s also an opportunity to rake in extra advertising dough. And, in that case, maybe creating a contest that pins musicians against one another isn’t the only issue. Maybe, at its core, there’s another problem — the problem of utilizing local artists for a boost in the company’s cash flow.
There’s a reason why OverUC.com is ad-free. Offsetting the cost of printing 5,000 color handbills, a digital SLR and hours of choosing which photo Ryan Groff looks most emotive in would be fantastic, but at the end of the day, I never wanted the community to feel as though I, or anyone, was using them to make a quick buck. And despite how much larger 512 E. Green Street is than my dinky bedroom, how much glossier their presentation is than my WordPress theme or how much more widespread their readership is, it’s a standard I would hold up to anyone and everyone involved in reporting on Champaign-Urbana’s music scene. I understand why there are print ads in their weekly, but throwing a housing-sponsored event, regardless of if Curb Service is getting honored for music or a mustache, makes me uncomfortable.
I am in no way attempting to step on a soapbox; I truly hope this post fosters conversation in a neutral environment. But, the why’s keep on chugging through my brain, and my stomach still does a tiny turn when I see that ballot. The mission of the show is a legitimate one — to expose “listeners and readers to the great music scene here” — but that’s what the Buzz’s music coverage by definition aims (or should aim) to do on a daily basis, and in all fairness, you need to know the scene pretty well to even be able to vote. So, call me crazy, but I don’t think polling the student body about categories both puzzling (“Band who gives the most eye contact to the crowd”) and not even opinion-based (“Band with the oldest college student in it”; “Band that has had the most revolving members throughout the years”) is the best way to aid local artists.
But, hopefully, this won’t ruin my chances of winning CU Local Music Fan of the Year.
(Kidding.)
What do you all think?
