Buzz F.
Yelp
Whoever is running the Cascade needs to be sacked, immediately. Needs to be put out on the curb -- and not in the recyclables bin.
It was a short time ago when there were so many great musical acts being booked into the Cascade that you either had to go once a week -- sometimes twice -- to catch everyone you wanted to see, or you had to do some painful triage when you looked at the schedule. And when you went to the shows, they were packed. So well attended, in fact, that getting a drink at the bar was a bit of a pain in the ass because the lines were so long (another rant that I'll save for another day).
This year? First of all, the schedule was pretty much a blank slate the entire Spring of 2017. Then, when the schedule started to trickle out, the GM was quoted as saying something like, "Olivia Newton John is our biggest act this year." In what universe is Olivia Newton John the biggest act on the schedule? Maybe in the Cascade's new universe, where the schedule is diminished, at best.
Last night we went to see Lucas Nelson and The Promise of the Real. Lucas is Willie Nelson's kid, and he's a legit talent. He and his band spent time during the last year or so as Neil Young's backing band. Dude has an amazing voice, somewhat reminiscent of his dad's at times (when he wants it to be--Lucas wears his influences on his sleeve), but with far more range and power. He also has legit guitar chops as the bands lead guitarist.
Granted, he's not a superstar, but he's known, and the place should have been at least 3/4ths full. I found out about the show two days ago. Two days ago! I've been a Cascade member for years and years, and that's how lame the promotion is for Cascade shows these days.
So the crowd that's there is enthusiastic, and the show goes well, but the place is ONE-FOURTH FULL! On a Saturday night! What. The. Christ. It was embarrassing.
At the end of the show Lucas asks that the house lights be brought up so that he can see the crowd (such as it is). The lights come up, he looks out at the empty seats (confirming what he must have sensed from the volume of cheering). He has a little huddle with his band, then steps up to the mic and says, "Yeah, I think we'll skip the encore. My voice is shot, and we have other shows coming up this week. We'll be selling and signing swag in the lobby in a few minutes if you want to meet us. Peace out."
Dick move? Hell no. Well deserved. The message to the Cascade was: You did a half-assed job, so we're doing a half-assed job.
There's no excuse. There are bands making the drive between Portland and the Bay Area/Sacramento with a night or two to kill between shows, and it's the easiest thing in the world for them to get off I-5 and do a show in Redding. And as everyone knows and the talent often remarks from the stage, the Cascade is a magnificent venue. History shows that the place will sell out, even mid-week. No excuse.
The people who do the promoting at Vintage and The Dip know what's up--I get bombarded with social media promotions from those places. I see posters with schedules. I get regular emails. And many of the bookings at those small venues are magical--The Suitcase Junket show at the Vintage recently was crazy good. If nothing else, hire one of those people. They know how to promote.
Like I said, Lucas Nelson isn't a superstar, but he's obviously well connected. Ditto for Joan Osborn--what if her upcoming show is one-fourth full? What happens if the Cascade gets a reputation as a place that sells less than half its seats?
I love live music and I love the Cascade, and the whole thing frosts my ass.
