Columbia College is one of Chicago's well-known art schools, and they have great showcases every year for their students.
Wednesday, they had an album release featuring three bands developed in a year-long class. These bands each wrote their own material and developed their own style. Columbia's student-based record label, AAEMP hosted and promoted the show.
Something I love about these shows is that the students aren't worried about money or opinions, they are there to learn and grow as artists. They are free to create and develop their bands however they want. Columbia booked the show at Reggie's Rock Club, so the students also had the experience of a live venue.
Beyond it being a class performance, the music was pretty professional. The bands had more of a blues vibe that is characteristic of Chicago's culture, and fused it with their own contemporary style. While it still had characteristics of a student performance, they were showing great stage presence and the bands fused seamlessly. I enjoyed their closing band, Minds of Atlantis' style. They made sure to give a story to each song and introduce the band and writers. While, in my opinion, the singers would be better as featured solo artists, they did well blending their styles. It was a fun, intimate experience that seemed to be born out of camaraderie and mutual support.
These artists are not technically part of the indie Chicago scene, yet. However, they often come out of these classes and begin using the experience to gig and perform professionally. Colleges like Columbia enrich Chicago's art scene both through students and graduates. For these bands, the smartest way to build off class momentum is to starting making connections and playing gigs early. If they are dedicated as artists and performers, they will be able to build and grow from the platform their class has given them. I look forward to seeing what they do as individual artists and as groups.
From a marketing standpoint, there are a lot of areas of improvement. While the event may have been well-advertised on campus, there was a low turnout and no community presence. The label's website has not been updated for five months, and Minds of Atlantis' webpage seemed to have frequent posts but poor following. If the band continues performing, promoting its shows via Facebook, and its social media via shows, will help build its following.
Check out AEMMP's site here. Minds Of Atlantis and other Columbia artists are featured on the college's Soundcloud.
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