:
:Bottom line is we need mew local bands, and a good variety of them.
i would agree with this statement, but also like to add that more bands in town need to focus on making their shows actually count. playing every single week isn't doing anyone any favors. one of the (several) reasons people pour out of the woodwork for bands like hella and the advantage is that those bands don't play sacramento or davis more than a couple of times a year. their shows just feel more like EVENTS to people, and that's not something that's easy to come by.
same thing applies for setting up shows in general. one of the reasons i go to the d.a.m. house for EVERY show is that they always feel really special. the people involved put 110% into making every show there RULE and they don't spread themselves or the crowd that goes there too thin by having a show more than once every 2 months or so. even on the nights where the bands make me cringe, i still have a GREAT time there and it always feels like being at the show actually matters.
but personally, i think i could do with a few less shows and be better off rechanneling some of that time and energy into making the remaining shows more fun. as for what i think jay's original line of questioning was: i think shows/scene health is more directly related to people really believing in what they're doing. if you are enthusiastic and not a jerk, that will always rub off on other people. i stay inspired by all the other people doing cool shit like their record labels, or record stores, or starting bands, or letting bands play in their house, or do radio shows, or like when duax is telling a story. just stay busy and try and make the stuff you do awesome, and i'm pretty sure everything else will work itself out.
as far as bad turnouts the last couple of months...i dunno, maybe if you are playing a show or setting one up think about making the whole experience a little cooler for the people that are there to see the bands. shows kicking off super late and then bands taking an hour to set up is getting ridiculous for most people i know. also, please quit booking bands that i think suck.