As I listened to Kevin Lyman speak, I couldn’t believe that New Noise Santa Barbara was only in its second year. His conference session was informative and entertaining, just like the others. The founder of Warped Tour engaged his active listeners into the history of his famous tour, and stated that the current music industry is much like it was 15 years ago.
“Let’s retire the punk rock genre. We’re ALL punk rock,” he said.
He was 32-years-old when he got the ball rolling and it’s been a hell of a ride ever since. Since the inception of Warped Tour, Lyman traveled the world promoting music. He brought some of the best bands to the entertainment forefront and insisted that music should be taken to smaller towns. He told conference attendees that it is currently a “great time for music.”
“Be patient. You have to get up and work,” he insisted. “No successful musician “makes it” by sleeping in until 11:00 AM every day.”
Kevin Lyman’s conference session, aptly titled “The Shape of Punk to Come,” was a great way to conclude the panels portion of the festival. New Noise brought over 50 bands to Santa Barbara, some under the radar and some better known. About 50 speakers spoke in music workshops and panel discussions. The three-day festival encouraged music fans, songwriters, and industry professionals to connect with one another.
The festival’s first night welcomed MTV’s Celebrity Rehab and Loveline host, Dr. Drew, to the Arlington Theatre. The music portion kicked off with bands from Santa Barbara and beyond. They played at venues such as SoHo Restaurant & Music Club, Velvet Jones and Whiskey Richards. Thursday’s acts included the rapping of Oakland, CA-based Pep Love, and Sprout, the soulful eight-piece band from Santa Barbara.
Friday kicked off the conference sessions during the day. The panel discussions ranged on topics from conservation efforts, songwriter’s legal rights, and film and television licensing. The hugest draw of the festival’s second night was Thievery Corporation and Massive Attack at the Santa Barbara Bowl. The energy in the bowl was off the charts. The reggae-infused sounds of Thievery Corporation and the electronic/trip-hop sounds of Britain’s Massive Attack were illuminated by intricate stage lighting and strobe effects.
The music didn’t stop there. Along State Street, bands such as Los Angeles’ Honeychild and San Diego’s The Silent Comedy rocked Whiskey Richards. Muddy Waters hosted Nico Stai from Los Angeles. Singer songwriter Meiko, and the down-to-Earth honesty of The White Buffalo charmed SoHo.
At 10:00 AM on Saturday, festival attendees attended a songwriting conference session that included panelists such as Meiko, Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) and Tavi Shabestari (BMI). They discussed the importance of “catch phrases” as well as radio and television placements, and the advantage of co-writing.
The closing day of the festival had wonderful conference sessions, such as Kevin Lyman’s Warped Tour panel. Another well prepared and well-executed session was presented by TopSpin’s CEO, Ian Rogers. His session, “I Want You to Want Me: Why It’s Punk Rock to Market Yourself and How to Do It,” was as detailed as it was focused on what the music industry is today. He educated attendees on how to market successfully. Rogers introduced several different marketing software and services. By offering pointers and pinpointing what works and what doesn’t, Rogers delivered a honest-to-goodness lecture that spoke directly to every person in the room.
After the close of the sessions, State Street was again filled with music from local and out-of-town bands. Borders Books and Music hosted the Buskers Paradise right outside their front door during the day. Later in the evening, music acts emerged and Santa Barbara saw and listened to the sweet duo of honeyhoney at Velvet Jones. Los Angeles hard rockers, Nico Vega, got the crowd pumped at Whiskey Richards. Fitz and the Tantrums and Imagine Dragons made people dance at Velvet Jones and SoHo, respectively.
Overall, New Noise Santa Barbara’s sophomore year was successful. The sessions were both beneficial and informative for inspiring musicians, industry veterans and dedicated fans of music. The bands were full of diversity and natural talent. In the words of Kevin Lyman and Ian Rogers, the entire weekend was “punk rock.”
www.newnoisesb.com
