They’re Rockin’ and Rollin’ Inside Austin City Limits : The Real Music City, U.S.A., Isn’t Where You Think It Is

Hey rock fans--let’s go wild for a moment. Let’s suppose that the gentle genie of rock ‘n’ roll is in a wish-granting mood and we, magically, can get anything we ask for to make the Orange County music scene better.

What would it be?

One comfortable, well-appointed club that regularly books and promotes struggling original-music bands?

One city councilman somewhere who doesn’t number rock music among the seven deadly sins?

Small-potatoes wastes of a good wish, I say.

Don’t worry about feeling silly. Go for broke. How about wishing for a civic environment that actually welcomes music into the community--maybe even helps it flourish?

Sure, Don Quixote-breath, I hear you grumbling. And this is where we all break into a chorus of “The Impossible Dream,” right?

Not so fast. Unlikely as it sounds, it turns out that just such a state of affairs exists. Just not in this particular state.

This week, the City Council in Austin, Tex., appointed members to a new Music Commission created expressly to find ways to make the city’s thriving music scene thrive even more. The commission will advise the city on music issues and supervise the establishment of a district in which music-related businesses would receive special tax breaks and other financial incentives.

Want to hear the words of the city councilman who made the motion?

“The purpose of this group is to find any way it can for the city to help Austin musicians,” Councilman Max Nofziger said.

I know it’s hard for us to believe, given the way city councils in Orange County usually open their arms to a new rock music club the way they would for a toxic waste dump.

Actually, they’d probably prefer a toxic waste dump as long is it generated enough revenue for the city.

But if you’re an aspiring musician who believes that all city officials take an oath upon election to uphold the Constitution, to enforce their city charter and to ride rock music out of town on a fret board, listen to the way enlightened Austin views its pop culture:

“We’ve realized that we’ve got a good thing going here musically, and that (music) plays an important part in our economic foundation, not to mention adding to the flavor of life here,” Nofziger said. “This (music scene) just sort of happened on its own, so we thought maybe if we pay a little attention and help it along, it could play an even more important part in our economic foundation.”

Shell-shocked? Can’t blame you. “To me that would be a state of nirvana,” said Ken Phebus, booking agent at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. The Coach House hasn’t had problems with city officials, but Phebus is a lifetime Orange County resident who has seen dozens of clubs come and--inevitably--go for non-support, or active antipathy, from local governments.

“I’ve never seen any city or county government ever contribute anything to pop music here. They’ve always done their best to run people out of the business instead of encouraging them,” Phebus said. “In all likelihood, something like that won’t occur in Orange County in my lifetime . . . but it’s just what this county needs if it ever wants to have an identity like Austin.”

How good a thing do they have in Austin?

“Live music clubs generate a minimum of $6 million in direct benefits” to the city each year, said Ernie Gammage of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. He added that the figure is “probably closer to $20 million” because the survey that produced those numbers drew responses from only 30% of live music clubs.

Gammage also said (you’d better sit down) that “on any given night, there are between 65 and 95 live music clubs going.”

Speaking of thinking big, Nofziger’s hopes for the growth of the Austin music scene go well beyond its economic impact.

“I grew up in the ‘60s, and during that time I saw the revolutionary power of music,” Nofziger said. “We’d like to send some (more Austin musicians) to Russia, like we did 2 years ago. I believe music does have the power to bring the world together.

“We have clubs here that specialize in bringing in musicians from Africa, from the Caribbean, from South America. . . . The potential to make this a world music center is really terrific.”

Like other communities, Austin (with a population of 500,000--about one-fourth that of Orange County), certainly has gone through the stage where live music existed despite, not because of, help from the city. And clubs there have had the same kind of problems that have shuttered many in Orange County--complaints from neighbors about noise and condemnations to make way for redevelopment.

But by creating a Music Commission, Austin civic leaders are formally recognizing that the city’s music scene, warts and all, provides tangible benefits for the community at large.

What a concept. Still have trouble believing it? Do what I did--give yourself a pinch.

Or better yet, pack your bags.

Not content for Austin simply to be home to thousands of musicians, another goal of the Music Commission is to stem the talent drain of those who start careers there but must move to Los Angeles, New York or Nashville to reach the big time.

“There is probably (another) $15 million a year that we lose that could be kept here if we had an infrastructure that supported the talent that lives here,” Gammage said. “There’s no reason for this city, which births so many important acts, to just sit around and grow the oats while somebody else makes the Cheerios.

“Down here we know we’re in the backwoods and that we’ve got to educate ourselves and make a serious commitment to develop this industry . . . to educate bankers and financial people that the music industry is a bankable, solid enterprise.”

All together now, Orange County: “To dream, the impossible dr ea m.”