While checking out what other websites are talking about the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest I came across this thread at Steve Hoffman’s forum:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=153011
Which talks about what kind of music a new exhibitor should bring to a show with them.
I don’t know who any of these people are, I am not registered there and the site does not let you see people profiles unless you are registered :D.
Well, besides disagreeing vociferously with the suggestion that exhibitors should not play show-goer’s CDs because they will invariably sound bad [a true signature of a bad sounding system all around, eh? If the system can’t play the music that an audiophile loves, then what use is that system for that audiophile? An accent for the livingroom decor?] – our suggestion would be to bring music that you love.
If the exhibitor brings music they love, or just music they want to play to see what it is like, then at least one person [i.e. the exhibitor] in the room will be enjoying the music. Sure, show some eclecticism – don’t just bring country, but bring some of your runners up like western and rock-a-billy and country-rock and bluegrass, etc.
This has the side effects of at least putting the exhibitor in a good mood and of attracting ‘like minds’ who love the same music. There is also a level of honesty implicit in this kind of approach – which we happen to think is a good thing.
Yeah, we get blasted for this approach [as being ‘unprofessional’] from some other dealers and reviewers – who, in another industry, would not let people test drive their prospective new car, or maybe just for 2 or 3 minutes [yes, there are still car dealers out here like that – ones that we visit just ONCE] nor review a car without Corinthian leather bucket seats [OK, my metaphor sucks – but moving on…].
This year I feel that we want to bring mostly things we have gotten recently: a CD by the Dave Holland Quintet – Extended Play [yeah, yeah, plenty good audiophile quality – but the songs are long – a no no at shows 🙂 and it is complex enough that it’s depths are hard to plumb in just a few listenings… like Radiohead … except it is Jazz ;-). Oh, and way less complex than Sun Ra or even Ornette Coleman – or is that Ornette Coleman and even Sun Ra?].
Anything else? I don’t know … usually we just do a mad rush through here and pick things we like and want to hear. The only problem is that Neli and I usually disagree significantly on the selection. So – we just end up with a his and hers side on the CD and LP collection at the show.