Friday, Jun. 06, 2008

Taking The Streets Back

By Bethany Lee

There are new sheriffs in town. They go by the name of Tri-Cities Booking.

Imported from Germany at the age of nine, 21-year-old David Johnson began booking shows for musicians in Walla Walla, Spokane, Seattle, and Portland about two years ago.

"[I] went to [Ray's Golden Lion] one day, asked if I could get a show there; he let me get a show, and that's how it started," Johnson explained, matter-of-factly. "It went from one show to two shows a week, to booking five or six a month, and on and on."

After taking a break for the past six months, he's back booking shows with the help of three other friends:

Josh Toner (20) is Johnson's right arm man who helps book acts and network with the community.

Brian Griffin (21) has been Johnson's friend for the past five years and eagerly jumped aboard the project. A Psychology student at the University of Idaho, Griffin comes down on weekends to help out wherever he can.

Although they can't always remember his last name, Tim Thornton (18) was recently brought on to help tie up loose ends.

All four gentlemen joined the project after agreeing the venues around town weren't necessarily minor-friendly. Johnson in particular felt that certain places he booked shows at were not all-encompassing.

"Ray's is not a positive attitude place," Johnson shared. "I don't like the whole drinking aspect of it. There's a lot of fights, a lot of unnecessary stuff there. That's why I want to get something going."

"We're not trying to put anybody out," Griffin stated. "There is a scene, there are promoters, there are bookers, there are talented bands, there are kids who want to go to shows. There's going to be promoters who book shows there, it'll be a community thing, but at the same time Ray's will still be around. There's bands that are oriented towards that type of thing."

They group is currently looking for an available building and are working out the details for a building across Music Machine on Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick.

Their goal is to create a safe environment for young adults to go listen to local and out-of-town bands at reasonable prices and at reasonable times. A big driving factor in getting this started is that most shows start late and often don't get over until 2 in the morning.

Griffin said that if he were a parent he would not feel comfortable with his 15-year-old child walking down to a bar for a concert at 10 at night.

"Ray's is a good place and it's been a good thing for us and definitely for the scene," Griffin pointed out. "I definitely don't really have anything negative to say about it, but it is definitely more of an adult atmosphere."

Johnson plans to get local churches involved, believing they will bring more support from the community.

"I plan on opening something that's gonna start at like 6 p.m. and end at like 10 or 11 just so the kids and the parents can get involved in it."

In addition to booking shows, Johnson works for Discordant Records, helping bands get shirts, CDs, recording time, shows and tours. Currently, the label has several bands underneath them and Johnson himself is helping plan five tours.

"If they ask me, I'll basically do it," Johnson admits. "It's basically like $50 to see what they can do in three hours. It's really affordable."

Collectively, they are in the midst of setting up a Battle of the Bands in Hermiston around the 1st of September.

The Battle would primarily consist of local bands competing for a $300 first place prize and $100 second place prize. Tickets are going to go on sale for $8.

In order to raise the prize money, the guys have several car washes planned in the nearby future. It also helps that three bands they have been talking to said they would donate half the prize money to the venue costs if they win.

But the costs of starting up a venue and organizing a Battle of the Bands isn't weighing them down.

"David always seems to fall backwards into money," Griffin said. "He'll be like 'dude, I just found $500 in the street,' or 'I was at the casino and this lady started gambling money for me...'"

As far as booking shows, Johnson would like people to know he is open to anyone and the venue will have four or five shows a week. He is also quick to state that although he hasn't booked a lot of country and hip-hop artists, he is 100 percent willing to.

"I think I'm the only booker who mixes acts, like metal and rock," he said. "I enjoy mixing shows."

"I think it'd be cool to have something kind of permanent," Griffin said. "Ray's has been a good thing, but it'd be good to have something for the younger crowd. There's a really strong hard-core metal presence in the Tri-Cities. There's also a lot of alternative bands."

"They're just out there for the picking," Johnson added.

Tri-Cities Booking is currently taking name suggestions for their new venue. If you have an idea, or would like more information about them, go to: Tri-Cities Booking