Every year I receive emails from bands asking to be part of the crawls, and every year I have to explain what happens when the crawl is put together. Here are some basic points:

1. For every crawl event, the Alibi invites downtown venues to participate. If a venue accepts, Alibi then asks for a list of about 20 acts they'd like to have in their particular room. If you are not on one of these lists, it may be quite difficult to be part of the official event.

2. When the lists are collected, we find all the bands that have been requested by more than one venue. I then ask these bands to give me a list of venue preferences. Since they have been requested by more than one room, I try my best to give them the choice of where they'd like to play.

3. From there, many other calculations must be made to generate a full schedule for this event. Some bands share members with other bands performing in the crawl. The bands obviously cannot perform the same time slots. Some bands have other gigs elsewhere, and can only play certain time slots. Some band members WORK at participating venues, so their bands can only perform during certain hours. We typically program this event to include approximately 100 acts/performers. It's a massive puzzle.

4. The most effective way to be a part of the crawls is to develop in the downtown scene. Most acts chosen by the venues have made their mark months or years before.

They are most likely:
A. a great band
B. a band that draws well
C. a band that has a great relationship with the venue booker/buyer
or
D. a combination of any of these.

This year I'll be using Rocksquawk as much as possible to field questions and give everyone the play-by-play as the event develops.

I realize there may be many of you who could give a rat's ass about the crawls, and I respect that. I hate dealing with certain elements of this event, including, but not limited to: hoochie mamas, scene "politics", bar owners (they're ALL assholes), those who clog up the streets and do not buy wristbands, my "friends" who want me to help them cut the line at the Library(?!), people who laugh at my golfcart, the fucking Romantics, Police who Alibi pays $40 per hour to stand around and gawk at women going into Maloney's, etc.

But overall, whether you like to acknowledge it or not, it is the largest, most successful, longest standing live music-centered event in the history of the state.

Stay tuned and hit me back.

well said!

quote:

Originally posted by JoeAnderson:
people who laugh at my golfcart

Slap some 28" spinners and some ground effects on that sukkah and it'll be dope, fool.

Well that's great info and I do agree with all that u said about creating your own opportunity!
Never had a chance to play any of the "Crawls" but everytime we dealt with Mr. Anderson we have been treated well.......

Whether we play or not "The Crawl" is till a great time to be part of the music scene here in ABQ! Had friends who came from Canada onetime during The Crawl and loved it and have been back to vist and schedule their visits during "The Crawl".......

I just wished the Phrat boys who lost their asses to them playing pool would have had more brains and not call them girls from "Canadia".

I'm gonna start a blues band called The Crawls. I'll play drums. Who's in? Thats actually a pretty cool band name.

Does it have to be blues? I'm in for some noise pop.

I'm down only if I get to wear eyeliner and girl pants.

Yeah, and you guys can play in Santa Fe!!! You would be a big hit up there.