Bay City Music

By AJ Hoffman

Contributing Writer

The White Stripes once wrote an album (Elephant) about this very concept. Though Hott and Bothered Productions is not dead yet, it’s prime venue, The Arlington, just about is.

Kathy and Spyder, the owners of Hott and Bothered are done managing the Arlington as of this evening, September 29, 2007. The owner is planning to bring in a DJ and try to turn the place into plenty of what the Tri-Cities already has: another dance-floor with the same old stale beats that you hear on the radio.

Kathy is by far the kindest most understanding promoter my band has ever dealt with. Spyder, one of the most honest souls you’ll ever meet, offers advice and experience to every band that steps foot onto their stage. For musicians and bands that write their own songs, this is exactly what they need.

These sweethearts of a production company have not bitten the dust, but they are stepping into the dark temporarily at least until the new year. They need to re-group, from there, the plan is to land their own bar.

 
They’ve put their names behind original music for as long as they’ve existed and been a nurturing hand for everyone who has crossed their path. As a side note, it’s important to know that they’re leaving on their own terms and not being forced out.
“This sucks.” The universal sentiment of the nite rings on like a crash cymbal and this is why… no one else has done this much for original music.

Ask any band in the Mid-Michigan area… ask Hokori, the Thunderchickens, Born, the Greenary, Just, Nativity, SMTV or Jessi’s Dirty Laundry and they’ll all tell you that the news feels like a funeral. It’s the same feeling old school punk rockers in New York got when they heard the news that CBGB’s was closing.

For this occasion, Kathy sent a message to all of the bands that have played with her before that anyone that wants to play tonight is more than welcome to do so. It may just be the last great push for originality and truth that the tri-cities will see for a long time. Some might even call what they’ve done heroism. In fact, for the bands they’ve helped out, Kathy and Spyder are the definition.

Michigan, sadly, is a wasteland for original music. No one encourages it, at least not bar owners, and this is why: it’s the understanding that when people go out for a nite on the town, they want to hear songs that they know so that they can sing along to them and have a good time.

Well, Michigan isn’t a complete wasteland for originality… the previously mentioned White Stripes made it out alive. Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and plenty of others I’m probably forgetting made it big too - but there needs to be a ground zero for these types of acts to get any kind of break. Lately, the Arlington has served as this ground zero for everyone, EVERYONE. Not just their favorites.

As a final testament to how supportive Hott and Bothered have been to original bands, here’s something that happened about two weeks ago: my band, along with Somnia were participating in a battle of the bands at the Machine Shop. Both of our bands are from the tri-cities area and I think it’s safe to say that neither of us have ever played there before.

 For us, the drive is a long one from home and Flint isn’t one of the most inviting places to be. Anyways, while waiting in the parking lot before the show, the best feeling I got was seeing Kathy and Spyder getting out of their car with their tickets in hand. “We had to be there to show support for our bands…” Spyder told me, “you guys were there, Somnia was there, and there was at least one other band that’s played a show with us before, too. It was important that we showed support for these bands from Bay City.”

Rest assured though, Kathy and Spyder will be back and they vow to continue supporting local music and once they find a place of their own, local original bands will again have a home – an establishment that they know they’ll be welcomed back week after week.

AJ Hoffman is a journalism major at Central Michigan University and lead singer for the band Cartunes.