previously posted by carl in the reviews thread:
I realized two things at the show, both of which made me a little sad. Because The Features are now playing to more diverse audiences around the world, they are adopting the "leave them wanting more" philosophy. I fear that there may be fewer 1 hour+ sets in the future. Of course, this seems like the best approach for the band. It also means less frequent Nashville shows, so 1) they can play other cites more often, and 2) they can have an even more packed house than usual. This is pretty evident from friday's turnout after such a long hiatus. Once again, this just makes more sense for the band. It makes me a little sad, but it also makes me hopeful that they're on their way to getting some well-deserved recognition outside of Nashville.

I was afraid of this, and really hope you're dead wrong. They deserve all kinds of recognition, praise, and money. But I don't want it to come at our expense. I know we've had the conversations on here a million times over, but I too, feel like things are on the verge of changing. I hate to sound selfish, but I will be completely pissed off if the band stops doing local shows altogether. I don't care how big ANY band gets, they should never be too good or too "comfortable" to please their original fans with an occasional local gig. Not saying the Features would forget about us,,, its just a fear I have.

Depends on your definition of local. They'll continue to play Nashville, to large audiences. The M'Boro might not continue to happen... there is, after al, a dearth of good places for them, and if they get huge, the small venues of Murfreesboro could become a legal problem in terms of crowd control. I read a story awhile back about a huge band (REM? Radiohead? I forget, but that level of huge) that decided a club tour was impossible for them because the venues said they'd draw too many people to be controlled.

But look to Wilco for solace. In January, Jeff Tweedy did a solo show at the Vic, a sizable "club" in Chicago, that sold out very quickly. A second, then third consecutive date was added. At that time (and we're still in "that time") Wilco hadn't played Chicago since they were huge, and they'd never had such quick sell outs as a whole band. Now they have a show in September at the more-massive-than-massive Auditorium theater, and it sold out so quickly they added another date, which also sold out, I believe. So they keep it real for their local fans, and I'm sure The Features will too.

Will

I think a factor in this show was that they hadn't played in so long. People from Memphis and Knoxville were driving up (I knew examples of both).

As for "on the verge," it's still a long way off. Wait till they release a record, then see what happens. If nothing else, they'll graduate to larger venues (12th definitely isn't the end-all in Nashville). Exit/In can still hold them. If/when 328 comes back, the Features will be a long way off from filling that place. There are other chances as well (i.e. Uptown Mix). I still think there will still be a few smaller shows in town still.

Joey, take a chill pill, man. The Features will always play Nashville. We have bigger venues than 12th & Porter, when the need arises.

yes yes, you're right. its just that I had gotten used to seeing them almost every other week there for a while. it's been over 2 months now- and part of that was my fault, anyway, i'm relatively new to the music scene in nashville and really just the music scene in general. Thank you guys for explaining things. with all this london stuff , a new record out, and the features talent, i can see them getting huge relatively fast...perhaps i overexaggerated the amount of time it takes to get that big.

I don't think this first album will make them huge.

There...I said it.

I'm not thinking about that right now, all I'm hoping for is a few shows this fall when I get back to MTSU! It doesn't have to be every other week but at least once a month! I would still be freakin' out a little if I only saw the features once a month though.. lol

Yeah I remember seeing the features about 10 times my first semester at mtsu (spring 2002). Those days are gone, I guess.

But bands grow up. They are moving beyond the "constant regional shows" stage, and good for them. I'm sure it must be nice to have someone else paying for you to play music. I'm sure they won't give up the local shows, especially when they have such a great crowd in middle Tennessee. Ben Folds Five still did huge extravagant special local shows in Chapel Hill. Superdrag's Knoxville shows are supposed to be big events. Cracker never had a draw here in Richmond, so they don't do local homecoming shows. They just sneak in in the middle of the night and the next morning nobody knows who they are. Of course, who really knows who Cracker is at all now?
Anyways, I am rambling. The point is, I wouldn't worry about the Features giving up the local shows. The Red Rose might not hold them in the future, but there will always be someplace for them to play in Nashville.

I don't think these guys would try to sever themselves from their roots. If anything they can say, "Nashville isn't just about country music." And after all, it is this loyal fan base that has helped spread the word about the band which has enabled them to get to where they are today. Yes, it is a tradeoff for a band to "grow up" and step out of the local playpen, but it would be completely selfish to want them to keep playing small local shows for the sake of the "original fans." I'm sure the first loyal fans of Nirvana or Pearl Jam or whomever were kind of miffed when those bands made it, but then again, the loyal fans who have been there from the beginning aren't just another face in the crowd. If they do make it big, they need to have a kickass fanclub ticketing system though and I think member # would be a good way of designating "seniority" in that regard (ala Pearl Jam's Ten Club....older members get better dibs on seats).