Joe Bunting

Fans and Champions

This was written on Wednesday, March 5th.

I played at the Artfolk Open Mike at Muddy Waters last night. Some unbelievable performers play there every other week to just a handful of people. If you’re not busy in Santa Barbara on the first or third Tuesday of the month you should definitely go. I try to go at least once a month and am always impressed by the talent of the musicians.

My view of the role of the artist is shifting as I absorb a lot of the ideas in the blogosphere and in books, people like Seth Godin, Kevin Kelly, and Joe Taylor Jr. I’m starting to see the artist as a servant of the “tribe,” as Seth puts it.

The tribe needs the artist for entertainment and prophetic vision, but just as much, the artist needs the tribe’s enthusiasm, energy, and support. Last night, I needed–really needed–my friends Travis and Graham. I needed someone to play for. I needed someone to interact with my songs and join the conversation. I needed someone’s ears to try and make them happy.

An artist is only as good as those who love them. An artist can be good, great even, the best. But without people to play for, who’s minds are ready to hear them, their artistic seeds will fall on rocky soil and wither.

You can find countless artists throughout history who weren’t counted as successful until they had a great champion of their message, a critical voice in the masses, a curator who tells the world why they need to be listening to their artist.

Blake would have been nothing without Alexandar Gilcrist, the unexpected biographer of his life. The Beatles might have played in Liverpool and Hamburg for the rest of their lives without Brian Epstein. Jesus wouldn’t have been half as successful without John’s preparation and Paul’s translation.

Support your local artists. Be a curator. Discover new talent and tell your friends. The world needs fans just as much as artists.

By the way, here’s one of my favorite videos from ImprovEverywhere. I love it.

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