Meta media is a semi-regular feature on Guerrilla Candy where members of the local music media talk about their roles in the local music scene.
My good friend Chris Burlingame recently launched his new website Another Rainy Saturday and to commemorate the occasion he put together a bill of top-notch local talent for his launch party at Columbia City Theatre Saturday.
The show features Viper Creek Club, Tea Cozies, Katie Kate and Concours d’Elegance, all artists you should make yourself familiar with if you want to be considered in the know when it comes to local music. I’ve been provided with a pair of tickets to give away to Guerrilla Candy readers so if you’re interested in hitting up the show drop me an email with the subject “I’m a winner” and your name in the body. A winner will be chosen by noon on Friday, Jan 21. It’s a 21+ show so sorry kiddos, you must be of legal drinking age to attend.
I chatted with Chris over IM yesterday (we’re both bloggers, did you expect us to leave our computers?) and we talked about his background, his interest in pop music and how Another Rainy Saturday distinguishes itself from other local music sites.
3:37 PM me: When did you start writing about music and what motivated you to do so?
3:39 PM Chris: I think I started like 8 years ago, or something like that. I had made some friends that were musicians and was interested in being part of that clique but wanted to have something useful to bring to that group and I knew I didn’t have the time/money/paitience/drive to learn an instrument, so I thought that I could write a few hundred words on why an album is good or not. It was much harder than I ever thought!
3:40 PM But I went to SXSW in 2007 and had a lot of fun there and that was where I decided that I wanted to take it seriously.
3:42 PM me: It’s interesting that what is supposed to be an industry event turned you on to music writing. I assume you went to SXSW as a fan. I’ve always been curious about what the SXSW experience is like. What was your experience there like?
3:44 PM Chris: I definitely went as a fan. I should have mentioned in the earlier question that I started out as a writer at ROCKRGRL magazine but was writing for Three Imaginary Girls at that point. It was a lot of fun. There were clubs on just about every corner and bands playing all the time and lots of parties in the afternoon where there were free drinks and cool bands. I think Peter, Bjorn and John played some insane number of parties and showcases in that week (though I missed all of them).
3:45 PM I think I saw something like 20 bands in two days because I was mostly there just Friday and Saturday.
3:46 PM me: Sounds like a good time. So you’ve written for Three Imaginary Girls, ROCKRGRL and elsewhere, what led to the decision to start Another Rainy Saturday?
3:49 PM Chris: To try something with out “Girls” or “GRL” in the title? Kidding, kidding. I had been at TIG for a long time, almost six years and loved it and them, but I knew if I wanted to develop as a better writer that I had to do something different. They were wonderful and let me write about virtually anyone I wanted, but I wanted to take another step forward. I didn’t have much luck getting a paid writing job because they’re so scare right now. I thought that starting my own blog would be a great challenge and would be the next step I could take.
3:50 PM me: It had to be a bit intimidating to start up a blog in the current local music blogosphere. How does Another Rainy Saturday distinguish itself from other sites?
3:54 PM Chris: It definitely was, and still is! All of the other sites have already had quite a headstart, so I was basically starting from the ground level and at zero. I think each site, or at least the ones that cover music well, fit a certain niche and have a certain readership. For me, I write a lot about pop music a lot and I think that’s what makes ARS different from other sites. I think my taste differs from most local writers and I hope that is one thing that brings people to ARS.
3:56 PM me: Pop music has a variety of definitions. How do you define pop?
Chris: Oh god.
3:57 PM me: I know, tough question. How about a bare bones definition?
Chris: This is going to open a can of worms but I think anything that is catchy or meant to be, can be pop.
I try to treat it as broad and encompassing as I can, but mostly anything that’s intention is to be catchy is pop to me in some way or another.
3:58 PM It’s one of those things like Justice Potter Stewart said obscenity, that he couldn’t define it but knew it when he saw it.
me: That makes sense, especially given that one of your favorite songs from 2010 was a My Chemical Romance song.
3:59 PM Chris: Right. That’s a rock song by definition but it’s incredibly catchy and has an addictive chorus.
4:00 PM In that particular song, which is called “Na Na Na” (with about a dozen more “Na”s in parenthesis), it has so much energy that you keep moving along with it, before you wonder if Gerard Way really rhymed “gascan” with “Batman” with “jazzhands”.
4:01 PM me: Emo punk and jazzhands together in song at last
Chris: Yes! It was bound to happen, right?
4:02 PM me: You’re going to officially launch Another Rainy Saturday at Columbia City Theatre Saturday. Tell me a bit about the show and why you chose the bands you booked to help christen your blog.
4:03 PM Chris: Sure. My birthday is that weekend so that’s why I chose that weekend, though I want the show to be more focused on the site and the bands playing and much less about me.
4:04 PM I asked four bands/artists to play and they all said yes. I think they all make fantastic music and will continue to do so for a very long time.
I think they all fit together but still have their own takes on what makes good pop music.
4:05 PM me: It’s quite a diverse bill, which I think reflects what you mentioned earlier with pop music being very broad and Another Rainy Saturday covering a wide variety of territory when it comes to local music.
4:07 PM Chris: Thank you. That’s definitely what I was hoping for. I do try to cover music outside of Seattle when I can and when it interests me, but with this lineup, I couldn’t have been happier or luckier.
