Here are some reflections from Chris Darby about his company Independent Chicago:
May 19th,
2014 marked the 10th
anniversary of the first show of my Chicago songwriter series. Like
many ideas, it began as merely a whisper and grew dramatically from
there. It wasn’t even called ‘Independent Chicago’ in the
beginning. The first show consisted of six performers and three
audience members. There was a small semblance of formality, but at
the core, it was simply a gathering of friends playing songs and
telling stories to each other.
The show was held at 1809
North Francisco, a three-bedroom apartment in Humboldt Park. I was
renting the apartment at the time, with my band mate Philip. We had
both been frustrated with the songwriter scene we had discovered
after moving to Chicago. Many performers we met seemed to be actively
working against each other, which seemed to us to be the exact
opposite of what one would want to do to succeed. Our philosophy was
that community was essential, and the stronger a music community was,
the more that everyone would succeed individually, as well as
together.
With this in mind, we
held a show at our place, one evening in May, with a few like-minded
musicians we had met at open mics. The goal was to enjoy each other’s
music and company, without any thought of competition. Little did I
know that this was to be the planting of a seed that grew into a
massive tree, the roots and branches of which stretch further than I
may even realize.
We called our apartment
‘Humboldt Studios’ and the series developed over the next three
years, showcasing a wide variety of songwriting styles. By the time
the last show was held, it was clear that the idea had outgrown the
space.
On December 3rd,
2008, I held my first songwriter showcase in a public venue. The
event took place at Phyllis’ Musical Inn, on Division Street, in
the heart of Wicker Park. The emphasis was still community focused.
The difference was that more people could attend. No RSVP needed.
The series continued to
grow for two more years and in 2010, I put together a festival,
showcasing 20 acts over three nights in July. I still didn’t have a
formal name for the shows, and in some ways it felt like the end of
the series. I was about to embark on a multi-month tour, and wasn’t
sure if or when I would return to Chicago. I felt like I was saying
goodbye to the city, and this community of songwriters.
As it turned out, I did
end up returning to Chicago in 2011. I decided to develop the series
in a bigger, more organized way. I created a name and put up a
website. I bought a video camera to record songwriters playing around
Chicago, to showcase on the website. And I began to think of the
festival as a yearly event.
Over the course of the
next year, a solid team of volunteers came together. We found a
permanent home for the series at Jerry’s. This venue has been 100%
onboard with the idea from the moment it was presented. I had
presented showcases at a variety of locations around Chicago, but it
was nice to finally have a single venue to work with. For the past
three years, all of our festivals and individual showcases have been
held exclusively at Jerry’s. We are so happy this has been the
case.
(here are some highlights from last year's festival)
When this year’s
festival comes to a close, I will have presented 85 nights of
songwriters, both under the umbrella of Independent Chicago, and more
loosely defined prior to that. In total, over 150 artists have
rotated through the series, at 15 different locations. These numbers
feel slightly overwhelming to me, but I think that’s ok.
This year is the final
year for the Independent Chicago songwriter series. There are a
couple of main reasons why I have chosen to bring it to an end this
year. First and foremost, I have been spending less and less time in
Chicago since 2012, and don’t have plans to reverse that trend at
any point in the near future. Not being physically present in the
city does not afford me the opportunity to seek out new songwriters
to showcase in this series. If I were to keep it going, it would
naturally become a clique of the same songwriters playing every
showcase, and I have never wanted these events to present an image of
exclusivity.
Secondly, and perhaps
more importantly, when I first started bringing these events
together, the goal was to encourage community amongst songwriters in
Chicago. Ten years later, I can look around and see several other
songwriter groups that have sprung up, and I feel a much stronger
sense of musicians working together in this city than I did upon
first encountering the music scene here. I have no idea how much, if
any, that this particular series has influenced this change. But I
feel good about this year being the last year, knowing there are so
many new community minded avenues for songwriters in Chicago to
explore.
There is one thing that I
will take away from the way this series grew, from its tiny origins
to what it is today. And I hope this will give you pause for thought
as well. The thing I most wish to ask of you is this: if you look
around and see a need for something, don’t wait for someone else to
do it. Don’t tell yourself that it is beyond you, or that there is
someone else who would be better at it. Be the change that you want
to see in the world. It is very much within your power. It will be
more work then you might possibly imagine. But difficult is not
impossible. Be as dedicated, kind, and genuine as you can be, and you
will accomplish much. Don’t worry if you don’t change the world
overnight. If you can make your community better in even a very small
way, it is worth it.
Our 5th
and final festival begins on Wednesday, June 25th,
at 8 PM, and runs all the way through Sunday, June 29th.
Jerry’s is located at 1938 W Division Street, in Chicago. The cost
of admission is $8 per night, or you can purchase an all access
bracelet, which grants you admission to all the nights of the
festival, for just $15. 100% of the ticket sales go directly to the
artists.
I hope to see you soon.
With love,
Chris Darby
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