community

I’ve gotten some strong reactions to how important community is to some of these readers.

The overwhelming reaction has been back-peddling and excuse-laden, yet the people trying to explain where they’ve been are HUGE SUPPORTERS of their community! It’s surreal to have some of these folks expressing disdain for their sometime-absence…as they are staunch supporters every time they find themselves remotely capable of supporting local.

One main refraction of opinion is that everyone is looking at me as the promoter of Phog, and thinking that I’m talking about live music. But I’m not. I’m talking about new restaurants, entrepreneur’s retail, cafes, bookstores, film screenings, group-led walking tours, bike groups, crafts, arts shows, theatrical productions, garden projects, and more…

It’s one of those things where the solutions are still pretty obvious, regardless of the lack of implementation of those solutions.

It’s all about simply continuing along with those big-hearted ideas and projects, regardless of the torpor-inducing lack of support. It teaches us to make our events better, sharper, and better organized.

I think that supporters of local ANYTHING have something very special in mind when they live within that community. They are to be thanked, honoured, and reminded that their involvement is appreciated.

And in reflection of that appreciation, those who benefit and thrive within this community must also remember how lucky they are to have such dedicated, spirited self-starters who bring their own special brand of “not-mainstream” entertainment to the city.

Does this make sense?

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Community is coming under fire again.
The idea of community is alive and well, in print, on the radio, and online.
What’s coming under fire is the slow-to-form actualization of the community we are hearing/seeing/linking about so much these days.

Windsor in particular is the place in question.
I guess it would be a nice change of pace to ask the readers of this blog who live outside of Windsor if they face the same challenges.

I think the big beef that community organizers and do-gooders are having is the lack of PHYSICAL/ACTUAL support for their events, projects, shows, and locally owned businesses.

There’s a lot of cheerleaders.
And when I really give it some thought, cheer-leading is an important role to play…when, and only when there are ACTUAL receptive audience members on the other end of the cheer-leading.

Any promoter or event coordinator can attest to the difficulty to get people off of their butts to go to a show. But we’re considering more than that. We’re trying to understand where the all-out, lifestyle, committed COMMUNITY-MINDED individuals are hiding.

Are they here? Do they need to be bred? Are they stretched to their max?
I tend to believe that the majority live in a Wal-Mart, discount-drink world, and every so often venture into the community-life for a little fill-up on their indie cred.

That might be harsh, but I believe it to be true.
I find a Tim Horton’s coffee in my hands from time to time, when I know my dollars should be spent at a local cafe.
But I know that it’s a Busch League move every time.
I know where my loyalties lie.
I just don’t think there are more than a handful of people who really give it that much consideration, within or outside of the “community”.

Thoughts?

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Please see the link at the bottom of this message…
Since our voting phenomena with the NATIONAL recognition of Phog Lounge due to CBC Radio 3, the idea of community coming together to be heard is not at all foreign.

CBC Radio 3 now needs our help in a BIG way. CBC has decided to make markedly HUGE cuts in spending, and this leaves CBC Radio 3 at risk. Signing this petition, set up by another CBC Radio 3 supporter is the LEAST we can do, since it was their efforts that brought national attention to Windsor recently because of their CBC Radio 3 Searchlight contest for Best Live Music Venue in Canada.

It seems wildly obvious why this outlet of CBC has become SO important to Canadian music, culture, and heritage. They were on the outskirts of this company from the beginning, and because of that position, they innovated. They brought INTERNATIONAL recognition to CBC by way of their weekly podcasts with Grant Lawrence and Craig Norris. They stream live Canadian music online 24 hours a day, and give legitimacy to so many artists from around Canada, that the idea of this outpost of culture being stripped of ANY resources is mind-boggling.

Canada cannot afford this loss, in my opinion, and I hope you share it. This is OUR money they are potentially deciding to withdraw from a resource WE care about. Let’s save this thing we love.

The following is borrowed form Justin Beach from the petition he set up for all of us to sign. It takes seconds to do…even quicker than voting for Phog Lounge in the recent contest. NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!!! If anyone can think of any other ways to share our distate in the idea of taking money AWAY from CBC Radio 3, please post a comment.
“CBC Radio 3 expresses the best of what the CBC has to offer in the internet age. It plays exclusively Canadian content. It plays independent and unsigned Canadian artists, many of whom have difficulty getting airplay anywhere else. It promotes Canada and Canadian artists across Canada and around the world and it does more than tie Canada together, it forms the hub of a community – bringing together Canadians from across the country and allowing them to engage with one another around a shared interest.

Although economic times are tough Radio 3 is more than worth it’s small budget. Please insure, if you have to make cuts, that Radio 3 lives on. ”

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saver3

This will not be all I do for this cause…
I will be doing everything I can to make sure our governing bodies know how important the funding is for Radio 3, Canadian music, Canadian culture, and how taking money away from this would be disastrous.

Thanks for your support folks!
Please pass this on to as many people as possible.

Also see http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=52074324069 and join this group, as well as THIS group on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=53334563398

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