Band Market Still Rockin?

Area Has Spawned Some Dandies

While it is far from the rock-and-roll havens of Detroit and Cleveland, the blues centers of Chicago and Memphis, the jazz joints of New Orleans and country capital of Nashville, Northwest Arkansas has enjoyed a rich history and wide range of musical talent. From Ronnie Hawkins to Sleepy LaBeef, the Cate Brothers to Jed Clampit, and Lucinda Williams to Zorro and the Blue Footballs, numerous locals have made their mark — and money— on music.

Fayetteville, particularly with the nightclub scene of Dickson Street, has long been an attraction both to local musicians and fans.

Hawkins, a rockabilly superstar in Canada, was born in Huntsville and raised in Fayetteville. He has recorded 38 albums and had multiple Top 10 hits in Europe and Canada.

“I don’t know how many albums I’ve had go gold or plutonium or whatever they call ’em,” Hawkins joked with the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal from his home in Ontario.

“Fayetteville was good to me. And those ol’ Cate boys have been doing some good music for a long time, too.”

The Cate Brothers are still regulars on the local scene.

The going rate for bands at local clubs varies, but most in Fayetteville offer the door’s cover charge. Then the group pays the door man five percent.

Dave’s on Dickson, the largest venue in Fayetteville’s entertainment district, can accommodate about 500 people for a concert. The cover charge there for local bands is usually about $5 but has ranged as high as $30 for nationally known blues guitarist Robert Cray. That would mean revenue from the cover charge can range from $2,500 to $15,000 for a packed house.

Private parties can be some of the most rewarding financially. Big local companies such as Wal-Mart can pay about $2,500 for a night’s work.

To some artists, Dickson Street will be as good as it ever gets. To others, it’s a great place to fine-tune their skills. And to those who have had national or even international success, Dickson Street is a place to come home to when the road is no longer as appealing as it was in their youth.

Unfortunately, it’s the business of the industry that will sound the final note for the lion’s share of the talent, no matter how great.

Tyson Foods Inc. spokesman Ed Nicholson knows the sharks and snakes of the music industry about as well as he does the process of public relations at the world’s largest poultry company. He once toured the country with Tanya Tucker’s sister, LaCosta, backing up acts such as Merle Haggard, George Jones, Charlie Pride and Barbara Mandrell. He owned his own recording studio in Little Rock. And he has recorded with two different bands, both rhythm and blues oriented: The Grownups and an eclectic acoustic band Outside The Lines.

“There are a lot of people out there that take advantage of people’s dreams,” Nicholson said. “They claim to have connections. They can really run the gamut on you.”

While avoiding shady promoters and signing prematurely with a record label will alleviate some financial setbacks, there are other problems that are simply unavoidable.

Musical instruments alone are extremely costly, and renting time in a local studio runs anywhere from $35 to $75 per hour.

However, today’s musicians do have the benefit of today’s technology. Where equipment to record a demo-quality album would once cost a band upwards of $50,000, a nice home demo studio can be be purchased for only about $5,000. People can burn their own CDs. Ernie Cate recalled the days his band had to record their music to a cassette tape in order to get a demo in the hands of producers and record companies.

Then there’s sound equipment while performing. Some groups, such as the Cate Brothers, own their own gear. Others, such as disco-oriented Ultra Suede, do not and have to use the club’s sound equipment and sound board.

There are pros and cons to either method. Equipment depreciates in value rather quickly, Nicholson said. However, technology is so advanced that today’s musicians don’t need as much equipment as they once did.

You can usually tell those who own their own equipment.

“A lot of rock and roll musicians in their 30’s and 40’s have bad backs from loading their own equipment,” Nicholson said.

Trout Fishing in America, a two-piece group that plays both the local club scene as well as children’s music, has been one of the most successful groups locally from a financial standpoint. They have received offers from major labels, but decided to do their own producing and promoting. They have a mailing list of more than 20,000 fans whom they keep abreast of new releases. They have also made a couple of children’s videos that have been extremely successful.

“Trout Fishing did the smart thing,” Ernie Cate said. “Most any young band nowadays can make more money selling their music themselves. If you’re with a label, you’re lucky to get 10 to 20 percent of retail, which isn’t a lot.”

Clampit, a longtime local favorite, has gone a similar route in recording several albums over his career. In fact, his latest CD, Jed Clampit Live, was recorded at Jose’s Mexican Restaurant on Dickson Street. His label is even called My Own Records.

Clampit has worked with the likes of Willie Nelson, B.B. King, The Band and Chuck Mangione.

Some groups bring additional expenses upon themselves. No one is more guilty of that than Ultra Suede. Members of the group buy outlandish costumes for their Mardis Gras-like appearance. They also buy — in bulk — gag gifts to pass out to the audience. The group, a favorite for dance functions and corporate gigs, will be changing some members and perhaps its name this summer.

The Cate Brothers, Earl and Ernie, began performing in 1963. They’ve played all over the country as well as Canada, Japan and much of Europe with some of the legends in rock and roll. The Cates have released several albums, had a top 10 national hit with Union Man in 1976, toured with Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, The Band and Crosby, Stills and Nash, and performed at President Bill Clinton’s 1992 inaugural ball “The Blue Jean Bash” with Bob Dylan.

“The biggest expense on the road is generally your hotel costs,” Ernie Cate said. “Sometimes you can get clubs to make that part of the contract. But to get around you usually have to get a van and they don’t come cheap. And gas is a lot higher than it used to be. You may have to get a trailer, too, to carry all your equipment. Next thing you know you’re spending thousands.”

The Cates have elected to stay home in Northwest Arkansas.

“The history of this place so important,” Ernie Cate said. “We used to go watch Ronnie Hawkins. That kinda got us started wanting to be in the music scene. He made us want to go after it.

“There are a lot more venues to play locally now. We could be on the road every day of the week. But it’s not worth it.”

The Cates have mainly kept their circuit down to a four-state area.

Nicholson understands why the Cates would prefer to stay near their home.

“Everybody has to make their own decisions, but if you want to make a living in clubs, you’re going to be in a smoky environment every night with people drinking a lot, and you’re gonna be traveling a lot,” Nicholson said.

Clampit, after 41 years of playing, said he has grown tired many times of some of the more “smelly” clubs he’s worked. He’s looking forward to an April 30 performance at the Walton Arts Center where he’ll sing with a classical choir.

“Every day I hope to be a little bit better than the day before,” Clampit said.

“Don Tyson told me that time in the chair makes you know how it feels to sit there and the more comfortable you’ll be to be there. Twenty years later I know what he means.”

The Fayetteville clubs may not be as financially rewarding as Little Rock or Memphis, but for the most part it’s better than much larger Tulsa.

“You can’t make any money in Tulsa because they don’t charge a cover charge,” said Rhonda Dillard of Ultra Suede. “Why would you drive two hours for so little money? Fayetteville has been very good to us. It’s a good place for bands. That’s why groups like 17th Floor drive down often from Chicago. They keep coming back because they know they can make money here.”

As long as their is a college in town, the Fayetteville music scene doesn’t appear in danger of diminishing anytime soon. Groups such as the Jungle Bush Beaters, The Tares and many others are keeping the town alive when the night comes.