The inaugural Capital Radio Day happened and what a ding dong good-ass time we had! Bands played, people danced, merch booths sprouted like wildflowers, friends hugged, strangers hi-fived, the Gregorios danced ALL DAY LONG, and everyone was sore AF…but the good, bangover sore. Let’s Recap our first fest.
As a follow up to Jean Mendoza’s How to DIY last week, I thought it only fitting that my recap on Capital Radio Day speak to the lessons learned putting together a first time fest by aligning to the steps that Jean laid out in his starter kit.
1. Scout your venue: Let’s start with location. I personally live in Olympia, Washington. Olympia is a state capital in the Pacific Northwest with deep roots in punk, DIY, and activism. I cite the Riot Grrl movement as a key example of all of these. It’s also centrally located amidst some other great scenes in Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle. This was useful in execution of the goal of showcasing some of the great things that are currently going on in Olympia. In terms of the venue itself, I wanted a space that was a little ambitious in size, but not so large that it would feel cavernous if the crowd wasn’t as large as hoped. It needed to be all ages with the ability for adults to drink- this also means food is a must. The space would need to have infrastructure (like sound and door people) built in as I was handling most aspects on my own, and lastly, the space would need to be in a high traffic area to maximize foot traffic. While it’s a DIY event, it’s still a public event, and with the stated goal of sharing some of the current highlights in the Olympia scene while building community a public, easily accessible space was a must. Wild Man Gastro Pub was a no brainer.
2. Spread the word, but stay wise: To quote Jean, “Old School flyers and word of mouth still work wonders.” FACTS. I think so much of the spirit of punk rock is tied into physical media and in-person interaction. That’s part of why the Reddit punk subreddit is so awful…it’s just a bunch of elder punk shut-ins still listening to the same 5 albums from 1992 because they never get out (don’t get too close to that hot take, you may get burned). At the same time, I couldn’t ignore digital media because it’s a digital world, and again, since it was mostly me leading the efforts, it was an most sensible way to scale. So, 2 months before the event, I started posting fliers around town every week as sometimes fliers get covered up or torn down, for whatever reason. I also made it a point to hand out handbills are shows and drop them off at record stores. Going to a show? That’s an opportunity. Getting a tattoo? Opportunity. Grabbing a beer? Opportunity. Buying records…you get the idea. Either you want people there or you don’t. I also tried timing the announcement posts to maximize the old Meta algorhythm. Lastly, per the previously mentioned algorhythm, one has to boost. It’s just a fact of life. I think a missed opportunity here was not partnering more with external sites or radio stations like Olympia’s KAOS-FM.
3. Keep it inclusive: YES. This. I booked the date about 5 months in advance because I wanted to get ahead of anything else in town. I knew about some other fests that usually
happen later in the year so I didn’t want to compete with them. Further, the venue was accessible for all ability levels. Lastly, I worked hard to curate a lineup that was a mix of ages, identities, orientations, races, and abilities and all were known to be bands that were inclusive as well in their presentations. However, a challenge presented itself when shortly after announcing, the Olympia Pride events were announced for the same weekend with the bulk occurring on the same day. As an ally who also identifies as a member of the queer community, the last thing I wanted to be seen as was running counter to the LGBTQIA2S+ celebrations, but I also couldn’t move as there’s always going to be something, so we just tried to decorate the front with as many flags and signs as possible to make it clear all were welcome (see DIY décor) In the end, I think it worked out fine. Could we have worked more closely with the producers of Pride to do even more? Absolutely. That’s another opportunity.
4. DIY Décor and Setup: I mentioned pride flags, but also, like many venues, the
stage area itself is a bit of a neutral black box waiting for someone to claim the space. I bring it back one more time, though to the low amount of assistance early on, so I needed something I could handle easily that would elevate. I have a deep video background, and the space had a projector and a screen so I was able to create a series of animated logo videos both for between bands and for the bands themselves which really help uplevel the event. Further, just having all the band merch in one part of the space created a mini-market vibe that was really fun. There’s a missed opportunity here for next year to try to include a table for both a record vendor and zines.
5. Community and Respect: This is everything. And I think we did a great job on the
day of of reminding each other to be kind to the staff, to not be sloppy, and to respect the space. I also think the idea of respecting the space has become more prevalent in recent years as live music, specifically punk and rock music in general has been both saturating communities and declining in popularity. This is both good and bad. Declining in popularity means less oversight and less guardrails allowing punk to evolve even more. But it also means less spaces are willing to host events and shows. By being respectful, helping gather glassware, throwing trash away and not vandalizing the space, we gain continued access to good spaces that want to host events like this.
6. Foster Local Talent: As mentioned, I worked really hard to curate a lineup that
mixed ages (and all those other things). We featured two underage bands in particular that really showcased passion and performance levels that pushed all of the more experienced bands to up their game. And then by connecting and sharing experiences, the elders help the newer bands gain more contacts and experiences while the younger bands remind the old punks why they became passionate about the experience in the first place. That was very apparent at Capital Radio Day as bands like los Ocupados and Kids on Fire were seen sharing tips and insights with Human Vacuum and Hot Stepmom. I think the opportunity here for the future is an even greater mix of ages and to have them further dispersed throughout the day.
7. Be prepared for anything. I’ve mentioned a few times how much of this was just me. And I think that’s my fault I was putting too much on my plate and not asking for help.
My bandmates in Storm Boy were more than willing to step up at anytime. And I was trying to find some help along the way by offering to trade entry for a couple hours of working the door, but I didn’t have any bites, so when the day came there was no one to work the door. I shrugged and just decided to handle it myself, bandmates Kuba, Jeremy, and Charli (as well as Charli’s rad partner Charlie) all stepped up but this obviously wasn’t sustainable. At the last minute, Storm Boy guitarist Charli (also known as the BLOOD RULER OF OLYMPIA WASHINGTON) reached out to her mom and sister who both stepped in and worked the door for the majority of the day, saving the day, opening us up to tackle other pressing issues like tech challenges and logistics. The missed opportunity here was both not being completely prepared and not vulnerable enough to ask for help. I can’t stress more how grateful I am to those that stepped up. Also, big thanks to Clare Phillips for taking photos, Leprotic Cole for keeping me motivated throughout the day, and for the Gregorios for dancing ALL DAY LONG.
So…that how it went down. Was it a success? ABSOLUTELY. Will we do it again? ABSOLUTELY. Will next year be even more epic as we learn from our missteps and build on the foundation? ABSOLUTELY…and we absolutely hope you come next year.