Dear San Antonio Music Community,
As you read this letter, we are rapidly approaching what hopefully will be a tide turning event within our music community known as The Big Spill Music Festival. While the past four or five years in this city have been a renaissance of sorts among the streets of San Anto with the abundance of thriving non-corporate venues, breakout bands, legitimate organizations, expanded media coverage and our own nationally recognized act in the form of Girl in a Coma, we’re still considered a second tier market to music suits in California, New York, Chicago and so on. Why?
For one, it’s been lacking on one glaring front and the fact we don’t have our own national music festival not all things tejano, conjunto or metal to bring us national notoriety and press. Genre wise, none of which I mentioned are a negative in my opinion but there’s so much more festival wise to our great city than 39 teeny bopper metalcore bands lined up with 20 minute sets on a Sunday afternoon. While we can’t deny the fact, The Big Spill piggybacks our neighbor in Austin and the mega-conglomerate **** festival which we dare not mention by name with the fear of being sued up the ass for tampering with their brand. We can still show the bands from around the world what we have to offer them by showing up en mass and providing them with some southern hospitality in the form of a flawless production, a quality audience and of course an endless supply of Lone Star, Shiner Bock and maybe even a shot of our own El Perito Tequila.
However, the greatest asset we have to offer is the ability of our community to pull together and make a difference when it’s most needed weather it’s a mural, a burnt down venue, a local charity, a tragic death in our brotherhood or a local music lover being debilitated. While this may not be a dark shadow we must come overcome, it can still be just as daunting in taking a step forward nationally to 175 bands represented by agents and management not only here in the states but across the world. This is the opportunity to ensure we’re no longer just an afterthought to Austin when routing a tour anymore for the acts we love.
Recently, I heard someone mention we might soon be to Austin, what Portland is considered to Seattle. And honestly, I think that would be amazing considering all the great things coming out of Portland these days musically but let’s not underestimate the facts here. We have ALWAYS been great so why now to make a move for our sleepy city to be nationally recognized by those infamous guys in the suits. Because as others find out across the country about San Antonio, we can begin to tell them the great stories of Robert Johnson recordings, the Sex Pistols riot at Randy’s, Gwar playing Taco Land or the 13-year old, Nina Diaz, captivating our hearts long before taking Joan Jett’s, Robert Rodriguez’ and more.
For all the amazing people who have worked, sweated and shed tears in creating timeless moments which will always stand as the foundation for all that we have today, this is for them not us. This isn’t about ourselves, our music and our own selfish reasons but it’s about elevating our music community and demanding respect from not only our neighbors but from the music executives who have overlooked us for decades when they once only came to SA and not Austin back in the day. In today’s society, only in San Antonio, can the local media (SA Current & Backbeat), the music union (Local 782), college radio (KRTU & KSYM), social media innovators (Puro Pinche, Good Job Texas & Massive Rocket Radio) and the century old music store (Alamo Music Center) all come together with the help of a corporate sponsor or two in less than 8 weeks with the assistance of an upstart media marketing firm (Red Collar Media) stepping in to drive the little festival that could into the minds of thousands across this great city and one can only hope tens of thousands next year.
All these communities operate within one grand musical landscape and have nourished the ears of many in this city already and now we all have gotten together to make a stand for our future. Maybe one day soon, we won’t have to drive to Houston to see Radiohead, nor gas up for Austin to catch Foster the People or even better, not book a flight to Coachella to watch Texas’ own ATDI play their reunion show. Okay so we’re aiming high but the fact remains, we now have a vision. All we’re asking is you share that vision with us and make the trip downtown come mid-March in YOUR city and support what could be the stepping stone to leaving annoying tribute bands and shameless washed up hair metal acts from the 80’s in our past and moving towards Best Coast, Big Freedia, Crystal Antlers, Doomtree, The Growlers, VHS or Beta, The Wedding Present, Joe Pug, Nick Waterhouse, Gardens & Villa etc.
Oh wait, that time is now. The only question remaining is can we take the next step San Antonio?
With all sincerity,
Angel Castorena
Founder, The Big Spill