0710 August 2010.pdf - Pacific San Diego Magazine

{currents} first things
Guitar Heroes
THE NORTH PARK MUSIC THING SHOWCASES
THE BEST IN LOCAL TALENT
BY SASHA ORMAN
Kevin Hellman is used to friends
turning to him for advice on
how to make it in the music
biz. As publisher of the local
weekly, San Diego CityBeat, and president
of the San Diego Music Foundation—a
non-profit that puts guitars in the hands of
kids—he’s about as entrenched in the local
scene as one can get. So, it would seem
that it was only a matter of time before he
and his colleagues decided to harness their
collective knowledge into one event for the good of all local music.
That event is North Park Music Thing (NPMT), a music and
media conference, to be held August 13 and 14.
Now in its third year, NPMT was inspired by Austin’s South
by Southwest and New York’s CMJ Music Marathon. Through
interactive panels (held at the historic Lafayette Hotel in North
Park) featuring local media, legal experts and executives from top
record labels including Sub Pop, Epitaph and Sony, it serves to
help bands and artists get a leg up in the biz.
For music fans, NPMT is by far the largest showcase of the
best local up-and-coming local talent—more than 160 artists and
bands are scheduled to perform at venues throughout North Park.
Joshua Zimmerman, frontman for roots-rock band The Silent
Comedy, is one of those burgeoning musicians for which NPMT was
designed. But despite the industry-insider advice he can glean from
the conference, he says that it’s playing for hundreds of potentially
new fans that he enjoys the most.
“The first year, we played U-31, and it was absolutely out of
control,” Zimmerman says.
The event has grown exponentially over the last three
years, and buzz over NPMT is bringing in flocks of
newcomers, including some from out of town.
“We’ve got people coming from as far north as San
Francisco and Sacramento,” says Hellman. “And we’ve
got people from all over the country performing.” It’s a
migration local musicians are welcoming.
“San Diego can be a real tough nut to crack for out-oftown
bands who aren’t familiar with the best places to play
or the best bands to play with,” says Zimmerman. He adds
From top: Gaux Nu Vaux, Joshua Zimmerman
that getting paired up with local bands can make a huge (far left) and The Silent Comedy, Erika Davies
impact. “They can ask them questions, learn from them and and The Dabbers are four of the over 160
make friends—which is the best way to break into a new city. bands playing NPMT this year; a scene from
last year’s music fest.
That’s a really exciting thing.”
In just three years, NPMT has grown to encompass
a music scene stretching far beyond San Diego’s borders, but the heart of the event remains local,
enabling our hometown music fans to see all the best talent in one fell swoop.
“This year, we’re back,” says Zimmerman. “And I anticipate that it’ll be another really rowdy show.”
sandiegomusicfoundation.org
JEFF “TURBO” CORRIGAN REBECCA JOELSON SADE WILLIAMS