Author Archives: Brian LaRue

About Brian LaRue

Writer, Editor, Guitarist, and So On

Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 4: Is Music PR a Waste of Money?

Today, we’re going to get into this bit of not-so great advice: Paying for PR doesn’t work, and it’s a waste of money. You hear some wildly contradictory POVs about music PR, depending on who you ask. Some people will … Continue reading

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Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 3: Can a PR Rep Fast-Track You to Fame?

Today, we’re going to get into this not-so-great piece of advice: If you hire a PR rep, you’ll fast-track your band’s rise through the ranks. When I was about 21, I asked an acquaintance of mine who was already in … Continue reading

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The Collected Brian LaRue New Yorker Caption Contest Submissions

For reasons I can no longer remember, but that probably had something to do with needing another vector through which I could scream my frustrations and disappointments in being forced to exist as a human being in the physical world, … Continue reading

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The Thing About the Mountain Analogy

I spent my late teens and half of my 20s as a serial monomaniac. I wanted to be a professional musician. I wanted to publish books of fiction and poetry. Basically, I wanted to be an “artist,” and I really … Continue reading

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Why I Don’t Click Article Links on Facebook (or Post Them Either)

As easy as it would be to start this post with “Facebook is in the news…,” it wouldn’t be a terribly helpful intro. Facebook is always in the news. And almost everything Facebook is in the news for is bad. … Continue reading

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Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 2: Start Your Own Music Scene

In the second installment of the Bad Advice Musicians Hear series, we’re going to get into one of the more daunting pieces of “advice” young musicians will hear as they’re coming up and trying to gain a foothold in their … Continue reading

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The Fifth Universal New Yorker Caption: “Almost Positive You’re in the Wrong Panel, My Guy”

As a society, we’ve accepted there is such a thing as a universal New Yorker cartoon caption — a gag line that can work with any New Yorker cartoon. It’s an elusive thing. I’d be willing to wager the dream … Continue reading

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I Ran a DIY Space for Like Six Years, AMA

Last week, the DIY performance space I started back in 2013 opened its doors to the public for the first time since before the Covid pandemic. I haven’t been directly involved in managing the space in quite some time — … Continue reading

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Introducing: Bad Advice Musicians Hear (The Series)

I’ve been playing in rock bands since I was a teenager, and while the realities of being a gigging musician have taken loads of wild turns over that time, one truism has held throughout: When you’re a young musician, you … Continue reading

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Cryptonet Theory: Where the “Advanced” People Hang Out, When They Can

One afternoon some years back, I was texting with my friend Andrew about our reliance on social media for informing our IRL social and cultural lives. Neither of us was thrilled about it. “There must be this set of people … Continue reading

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