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Written by Laura Hamlett Monday, 16 April 2007 15:47

Catching up, or...Advice for bands, or...God hates Venus Envy, or...Work it.

Catching up

Every time I write in this thing, I swear I will get better, write more often. And then I get worse, disappear for weeks at a time. My life keeps interrupting; things keep happening.

There was South by Southwest, in all its mad, sleepless, caffeine- and beer-fueled intensity. There was the mag's fifth anniversary show at The Pageant—Gentleman Auction House, The Daybreak Boys, Troubadour Dali, Todd Sarvies (and a tip of the hat to Omaha's Go Motion), I salute you for not only delivering an awe-inspiring show, but also proving that St. Louis breeds some amazingly talented musicians. And then, there was Venus Envy.

God hates Venus Envy

Of course that isn't really true; it's just what Jim said when he raised the blinds Sunday morning to find a sunny, springlike day. This followed nearly two weeks of a winter blast, which included Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. On these evenings there occurred the 9th annual Venus Envy in St. Louis, for which I was the performance co-chair.

Venus Envy celebrates women and art; it's primarily artists and their creations, but also performers: bands, poets, dancers. And for this year's celebration, the unheated, in-the-process-of-being-rehabbed warehouse space was cold. Seriously, you could see your breath indoors Saturday night. I felt so bad for the belly dancers; at least I had a coat and scarf on.

Advice for bands

This one could be me just blowing off steam, or me genuinely trying to offer some serious advice; maybe a little bit of both. If you do your own PR and you know the person to whom you're sending the disc, write a personal note. Even if you've got a bio, onesheet, press clippings; whatever. That personal touch goes miles, let me tell you. 

And the next step? Follow up. Don't just assume that silence equals rejection; people get busy, music writers especially. Those CDs have a way of multiplying before you know it; take a second to remind them you're there, that you've sent your CD, that you're looking forward to hearing their thoughts on your work.

Friendly, but persistent. Trust me. 

Work it

Life is way too short. Do what you love. Make it happen. Follow your heart. Make your own music, and make it work.