It shouldn't come as too much of a shock that DFW has an ever-growing, ever-awesome, music scene; we've sort of been shouting that for a while now. From Denton to Arlington, it seems to be a region of Texas supersaturated with talented musicians, dedicated fans, and supportive venues.
But why then, with legitimately talented musicians, do so few really make it into the stardom mainstream? Or to the level of "anti-mainstream" mainstream that they may be more comfortable with?
With a cozy self-sustaining ecosystem here in the Metroplex and the great expenses and efforts it takes to tour, it's not really necessary or easy to venture off into the big ol' world out there. Or so some will have you believe. Which is crazy, because, well, that's a crucial part of broadening one's fan-base and notoriety.
Well, folks: Chelsea Callahan and Justin Bowers are here to help.
Callahan, who you may recognize as DOMAXXII's winner for "Best Music Advocate" for her work at The Double-Wide and Renfield's Corner, and Bowers have just announced the creation of Manhandler Booking, a booking agency for local bands from here in north Texas. Their main mission? Getting North Texas musicians out of North Texas.
"We certainly want to help our clients locally," Callahan says in the press release announcing the company's launch. "But our biggest motive
for starting this agency is that we believe in the high level of talent
here for bands and musicians and we want to help push it out further
than locally. It seems like now is the perfect time to start something
here to help bands in this way."
And the two are off to a nice start: With clientele including Dead
Twins, Bravo Max!, Cocky Americans and Slider Pines, the dying-to-help
duo should have no trouble finding alien audiences.
"For us," Bowers adds in the presser, "being a part of the 'Manhandler Family' will mean so much more
than just a simple business relationship. Both of us 'Co-Handlers' are,
first and foremost, massive fans of the music and talent in this area
and we are really hoping to be able to provide opportunities and
exposure that has not existed previously."
The infantile agency is currently accepting a limited number of clients
but hopes to be the bridge between those acts and the national circuit.
