Kateri Yager, formerly the Label Development Marketing Director for the now-defunct Big Easy Distributing Company, is a woman with a mission. In her new position as Louisiana Label Liaison Representative for Southwest Music Wholesale, based in Houston (Yager’s office is in New Orleans), Yager wants to make sure that everyone on the planet gets their Recommended Daily Allowance of Louisiana music.
"I get to take this Louisiana music and stick it in corners where it’s never been heard before," Yager explains. "You get to turn people on to something new. People say, ‘I’ve never heard this before–what do you call it? Cajun?’ This is American music–don’t worry about trying to figure out the words."
As Louisiana music blossoms with a plethora of outstanding product, the vine of distribution often seems on the verge of withering. "The industry in the last couple of years has really been driven by new releases," Yager says. "Catalogs have gone by the wayside. It’s bad for indie labels. A musician might say, ‘I’ve got five great records in my catalog.’ And the industry says, ‘Well, what about Number Six? What have you done for us lately?’ That’s the attitude of the buyers in the industry."
So what advice does Yager have for the average band with a garage full of unsold CDs? Do it yourself is her counsel: "Some of the little guys who are going to play once a month and they’re not going to tour and they have a day job, they really might not want distribution. It may do them more harm than good.
"Most of the sales come off the stage. Some big household names in Cajun music sell more off the stage than they do in stores. When a tourist is waving a $20 bill at your face, that’s the easiest sale you’re ever going to make in your life.
"Musicians should always sell off the bandstand. Don’t ever get into a deal where you’re not allowed to sell off the stage. Sell off the stage early and often, every chance you get. That’s Rule Number One. Rule Number Two is that if you hand out a promo copy, drill your bar codes–you don’t want people returning CDs that you gave them to stores for credit. I get on a big soapbox about that."
Yager’s most refreshing quality, especially for someone in the "music business," is that she really loves music: "If I wanted to make money, I’d go back to Wall Street. It’s about life. How many cars can you drive at one time? How many houses can you live in? It’s about having enough life."
Enter Galactic
Galactic has completed their latest album, recorded in New Orleans at Magazine Sound, American Sector, and Kingsway under the direction of producer Nick Sansano, who has previously worked with Public Enemy and Sonic Youth. Now being mixed in New York, the as-yet-untitled disc will be released April 4, 2000 on Capricorn Records.
Directory On-line
OffBeat’s "Louisiana Music Directory," also known as the "Bible" and/or "The World’s Most Complete Source for Louisiana Music Businesses and Musicians," is now available on-line, via the World Wide Web. To subscribe, head to www.offbeat.com and have your credit card in hand. The annual fee is $30, which gets you an actual printed copy of the Directory and unlimited Internet access to the electronic version of the Directory, which will be continually updated with new information and contacts. If you have even the slightest interest in the business of music–for instance, if you want to book a Cajun band for your next backyard crawfish boil, hire an Elvis impersonator for a bachelorette party or can’t live without a calliope-player at your family reunion, the Directory will prove indispensable.
Better Late Than Never
The late application deadline for bands and performers wishing to showcase their talents at the South By Southwest Music Conference (better known as SXSW) in Austin, Texas is November 15.
You can apply on-line at www.sxsw.com or by mail: SXSW Music Conference, Box 4999, Austin, TX 78765. The event will take place March 15-19, 2000, deep in the Heart of Texas.
TicketWeb Comes To Town
With the arrival of TicketWeb, the first company in the world to sell event tickets over the Internet, New Orleans consumers can now buy concert tickets without having to pay those pesky and outrageous "convenience fees." Founded by Tulane alumnus Andrew Dreskin, TicketWeb offers tickets 24 hours a day both on-line at www.ticketweb.com and by phone at 504-299-TWEB. TicketWeb is currently selling tickets for Carrollton Station, the Howlin’ Wolf, Live Bait, MOM’s Millenial Madness, Storyville District and select Superfly Presents attractions.
Caving In
Several OffBeat staff members were recently extremely excited by the appearance of Nick Cave calmly strolling down Frenchmen Street. Calls to local recording studios elicited no confirmation of Mr. Bad Seed doing any recording sessions in the vicinity so we suppose he was just being a tourist or looking for antiques, which is what most rock stars do when they hit New Orleans.
Laveaux With An "X"
Among the many distinguished visitors to OffBeat’s world headquarters in recent weeks was Lawrence David Moon, who is in the process of composing an opera based on the life of voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. Except Moon spells her last name with an "x," as did her father. Among Moon’s discoveries is the thesis that there may have been seven separate Maries and we don’t doubt it in the slightest: what else could possibly explain the New Orleans Saints’ pitiful season, other than a slew of voodoo curses? Anyway, Moon is eager to talk with Marie’s descendants (probably about one-third of New Orleans’ population) and can be reached at 504-566-l939. Moon, no relation to the Asian evangelist but a direct descendant of the Earl of Mornington and the Duke of Wellington, asks that you call him late. Very late. We’re talking Voodoo Standard Time.
Nun Better
For the first time in recorded history, a group of Tibetan nuns from the Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery will travel to New Orleans (and Covington) to present two concerts of sacred Buddhist music and dance. The performances will take place on November l4 at Loyola University’s Roussel Hall (7 p.m.; tickets: $15) and on November 20 at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Covington (8 p.m.; tickets: $10).
This order of nuns can trace its roots to Mahaprajapati, the Buddha’s aunt and stepmother who cared for him as a child. When Mahaprajapati and 500 other women shaved their heads and requested ordination, the Buddha at first declined but after the intercession of his disciple Ananda, he gave his consent. Buddhism entered Tibet in the seventh century and the nuns were its most determined adherents. According to Tibetan legend, the nuns were so skilled at philosophical debate that the (male) monks issued an edict that henceforth nuns would not be trained in the art of debating.
The name "Khachoe Ghakyil" means "The Bliss-Whirl of the Sky-Dancers," which is described as a "dynamic, dancing, female emanation of enlightened mind." The nuns’ music is performed on drums and horns made of bone. They will also create a sand mandala at Loyola’s Art Gallery. This mandala will represent "the psycho-cosmic universe in which the Buddha carries out his or her spontaneous activity of leading all beings to happiness and peace through the emanation of unlimited love and compassion, and the pointing out of transcendent wisdom."
Going Bananas
Acclaimed Costa Rican pianist Manuel Obregon is coming to town for a week of performances, playing his tropical jazz at Snug Harbor on November 4 and at the Maple Leaf on November 7, as well as conducting a Master Class for the students of NOCCA on November 2. The coolest thing about Obregon’s new CD, "Sin Ton Ni Son" ("Without Rhyme or Reason"), which was produced by Charley Howard, is its packaging–made entirely from banana fibers. Copies are available locally from violinist Nancy Jean Buchan (who is featured on the disc). The price is $18 and the address is 4455 S. Johnson, New Orleans, LA 70125.
Cosmic Shit
A Phish fan has reported the following "cosmic" incident to us. Because the band’s followers were accused of, ahem, defecating all over the place at the Jazz Festival several years ago, Phish commenced their most recent local concert with the Rolling Stones’ "Sweet Virginia," which has that line about scraping "the shit right off your shoes." As the band was performing the song, a bird flew over the stage and dropped a load of avian fecal matter on drummer Jon Fishman’s head. He was not injured in the assault. Later, local musicians Michael Ray and Tim Green sat in for six songs, including Son Seals’ "Funky Bitch." This did not elicit any complaints from female dogs.
