Q&A with Nicholas Harris

In response to my article “No Money for Music”, I received an email from Nicholas Harris, an Evergreen alumnus. After graduating from TESC in 2006, Nicholas has gone on to be a concert promoter, putting together festivals such as the Soul’d Out Festival held in Portland, Oregon that has featured hip-hop artists such as Mos Def and Ice Cube. Recently he coordinated a show on Halloween weekend at the Eastside Club Tavern in Olympia featuring Rubblebucket and High Ceiling.

Given his history at TESC and current position in the music industry, I asked him to reflect upon his experience at TESC and Olympia’s music scene. 

What is your background at Evergreen? I.e. What years did you attend? What did you study that led to your career choice? How was your experience at TESC?

I moved to Olympia in 2003 and began attending TESC in late 2004 and graduated with a BA in 2006. I studied "Social & Political Thought"-----Political Economy, Sociology and the elements necessary to bring about positive/progressive social change. Keep in mind, these were the heady early-aughts.....the anti-Bush/anti-Iraq war fervor was at a high and the campus was very much alive with an energy based on collective responsibility and aimed at direct action. I first started promoting concerts as a way of providing cultural outlets for our community that we were not seeing at that time, never really intending for it to become a career. My overall experience at Evergreen ranks as one of the highlights of my life----scholastic adventurism mixed with a celebration of primal animism (aka, spent a lot of time in the woods): a combination that led me to make connections and friendships that I still rely on and treasure to this day.

What was the music scene like at Evergreen when you attended? What bands visited?

Well, to my crew and myself, it was inadequate----which is what led to our hosting of more and different kinds of events. Even still, shows that I recall during my time there include KRS-One, Rebirth Brass Band, Albino, Andrew Tosh, Saul Williams, Blue Scholars, Groundation, Del tha Funky Homospaien, Shiftless Rounders, etc....largely, world and hip-hop music with a conscious, or politically-aware, approach. But also, of course, the post-grunge/pre-indie scene propped up by Calvin Johnson / K-Records that included Sleater Kinney, Kimya Dawson, etc.

Where were the main spots to find live music when you were in Olympia?

Same as today, I would suspect----Capitol Theatre, Eastside Tavern, Voyeur, Clipper. Back then, Barcode was ran by the cats promoting shows now at Royale and hosted a lot of the hip-hop acts and The Vault served as a multi-genre spot, though I think it has now gone Country-Western.

Why do you think the amount of live shows at Evergreen has declined?

I cannot speak directly as to whether or not there are less shows now at Evergreen than before, but from what I hear this is the case. My number one reason that sticks out is the Dead Prez show that occurred a few years back that made national headlines for the "riot" that happened after the police tried to arrest a concert-goer. I think the indisputable fact about Evergreen is that it has consciously attempted to "clean up its image" following the hard partying / laissez-faire attitude and approach the administration took in the early-00's. And hosting heavily attended concerts that lead to major disruptions with local authorities was probably the first thing they wanted to avoid in this "purging" of Evergreen culture. Although there is an over-abundance of romanticized reminiscing-----"back in my day, the kids were cooler, they cared more for each other and the world around them, were more adventurous, etc"-----I think in this case it rings true, to a certain degree. The Evergreen State College, of 8-10 years ago, was a much different place than it is today. Depending on who you ask, that is either a good thing or a bad thing.

As a music promoter, what do you find is key to ensuring a good show? How do you draw people to attend concerts?

Those two questions are answerable with the same response: positive energy. When there is a group of people in attendance who are amped up and excited for a concert, that gets picked up by the musicians who are also, literally, electrified to be there. This creates a feedback loop where an energy greater than the sum of its parts is literally created and passed around the room. When it happens there is nothing like it in humanity's bag of tricks, so much so that it can become as addictive as the drugs often times associated with such rituals. That said, the most effective way to get people excited about the show in the first place is direct communication, or word of mouth. Seeing a poster on the street, or reading an article about a band coming to town, or even hearing it on your local non-commercial radio station (looking at you KAOS - did he say this?) are all well and good, but none compare to a friend or colleague clearly excited about a pending event that says, "You cannot miss this show." So, at the risk of sounding too reductionist, its all about energy.

With so much free video online of live performances, how can you keep attendance up at shows?

For the same reasons listed above. Maybe it's somewhat of a generational divide, but the idea of sedentary or in-active participation in an event or concert from the discomfort of your own home taking the place of the real, raw experience happening in person is something I simply cannot compute. If people would rather watch on their screens at home, then the battle is already lost. I guess this is the root of the often uttered complaint I hear these days about "kids who stand at the show with their arms crossed, self-consciously swaying to the music, trying not to bump in to anyone." Real music breeds real experiences that attract real people together in order to create real memories. If that desire goes away, this society is in a lot more trouble than I had previously suspected.

What do you think is needed to bring back more live music at Evergreen/Olympia?

That is simple----people making it happen. All it takes, like anything else you want to see change in your lives, is thoughtful, community-driven introspection (what do we want? when do we want it?) combined with direct action (who can we get on board to make it a reality? who else in my community has these same desires?).

Any final comments?

In my discussions with other Evergreen alumni over the years, it seems a common thread has been established to describe our time there-----Olympia generally, and Evergreen in particular, is what you make of it. For some, it will be a cake-walk that they can glide through without ever having to really challenge or apply themselves (underwater basket weaving, anyone?), while for others it will be a place that provides the basic elements necessary (like-minded people, time, space, resources and natural wonder) for seismic shifts to occur in their own lives and their communities at large----where progressive and ground-breaking music/art/culture is incubated and revolutions are born. I, for one, look forward to seeing what Olympia and The Evergreen State College still has yet to offer...