By
Adam Pugh
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Annual music event features larger lineup, more diverse acts than last year
The fifth annual TAMMIES Club Crawl creeps into town Saturday night with its biggest lineup yet.
The Tucson Area Music Awards, better known as the TAMMIES, celebration began eight years ago to recognize local artists who continuously play the club circuit. Organizers hope that by recognizing the local groups others will take notice.
Featuring 100 bands performing on more than 20 stages, Club Crawl is the biggest music event in Tucson each year. Starting at 8 p.m. tomorrow and running until 1 a.m. Sunday, each stage will offer up to five bands for the evening.
Increased numbers in bands and attendees have forced the Crawl to find other venues, such as The Here and There, 312 E. Congress St., in the downtown area to accomodate the large group.
The exposure for local bands is on the rise with more people flocking to the event each year.
"It's probably (live music's) biggest night of the year," said Jeb Schoonover, organizer for Club Crawl. "It wasn't just the clubs - it was the clubs and the bands. Both feel it's their best show of the year."
Among the bands scheduled to play is the Quadratics, a self proclaimed "indie cock-rock band" which will appear at 10 p.m. at Mac Daddy's, 400 N. Fourth Ave.
"Club Crawl is invaluable for musicians," said Matt Lewon, lead singer and guitarist of the Quadratics. "Normally a lot of these bands only play for about 20 or 30 people on a given night, so the event gives bands more exposure."
Although people attending the event must be 21 years old, more than 10,000 people are expected at this year's Crawl. This means bands should have no problem finding listeners.
"The response has gotten bigger by about 20 percent every year," Jeb Schoonover
Last year's event gathered 15,000 people to the downtown area, which closed streets and made getting from each club a bit harder than expected. With the increased number of bands and people expected, more precautions are being taken for this year's show. Because the limited space inside clubs makes it hard for people to get in and out, this year the event will feature stages that are more accessible to concert-goers.
"We're anticipating more street closures and outdoor stages," Schoonover said.
Club Crawl has made small changes with the bands it selects every year, Schoonover said. Originally the event was done thematically so rock bands would play with other rock bands. But, this frustrated owners of the venues because of the lack of diversity among the performers, Schoonover said. The lineups were changed, providing clubs with a wider variety of music.
"At one stage, you may have a ska band playing with a blues band and a punk band headlining - there are no rules," Schoonover said.
However, the event is not just about having fun and listening to music - there is a defined business aspect to the event. Schoonover said the festival will promote live music and hopefully motivate people to get involved in the activities.
"The goal of the event is to really increase the awareness of live music in Tucson and to help on the business side," he said. "We hope that more people come downtown and maybe open up a club."
But business aside, Club Crawl will help bring popular and struggline artists into the limelight.
"A lot of people do not go to shows in Tucson - college kids don't even go," Lewon said. "With Club Crawl everyone comes, and people get exposed to music they normally would not listen to.
"There is just an excitement about the event," he added. "People are everywhere. It's the sheer number of people that is so exciting for the bands."
Club Crawl incorporates 100 bands, 20 stages and begins tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Wristbands for the event can be purchased in advance at all the Zia Record Exchange stores for $5.
