Midland & ‘Washington Post’ Criticized For Editing Iconic Sign
This story has been updated (see below).
Despite attaining solid commercial success with a decidedly more classic country sound, Big Machine Record’s-signed throwback country band Midland have received ample amounts of criticism since appearing on the mainstream country music scene for attempting to portray themselves as a genuine Austin-based honky tonk band, while in truth being a trio of affluent and well-connected individuals from California, Oregon, and Arizona who moved to Austin to craft a manufactured narrative of authenticity.
On many occasions the band has touted their Austin authenticity with the help of the media, and even after receiving criticism for embellishing their backstory, they continue to drive home this idea.
On Wednesday, July 15th, The Washington Post published an in-depth article about Midland with writer Carlo Rotella tagging along to a Midland show at Schroeder Hall in Texas, and checking in with Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta for selected quotes. The article also appeared as a centerpiece spread for Washington Post Magazine‘s Sunday edition on July 19th. But it’s not the puff piece content of the article that has many in Austin and beyond angered. It’s that an iconic, locally and black-owned business integral to the east Austin community was whitewashed in the featured image of the article in a bit of Midland marketing.
The picture at the top of the Washington Post article shows Midland’s Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, and Cameron Duddy hanging outside of a BBQ shack around a Cadillac with steer horns on the front. Many from Austin and beyond immediately noticed the storefront as that of the legendary Sam’s BBQ on on E 12th Street in Austin. But instead of the sign out front saying “Sam’s BBQ”—a sign many make a point to get a picture in front of whenever they make their way to that part of Austin—the name of the establishment is portrayed as “Playboys,” which is the name of one of the songs on Midland’s 2019 record, Let It Roll.
Perhaps for some who don’t understand the history of the Sam’s BBQ landmark, this may not seem like a big deal. But many in the Austin, TX community are up in arms over the photoshopped image. The switch was not disclosed anywhere in the article, and the name of the establishment is never given.
“The fact that a country band poses outside of a local black owned business (that has not only been affected by years of gentrification and now a pandemic ON TOP a period in our history of the most extreme civil unrest) AND photoshops the businesses name to a title of one of their songs…truly shows how out of touch they are,” once commenter said on Instagram. “There’s not enough auto tune in the world that could fix this level of being TONE DEAF.”
First established in 1957 by Sam Campbell, Sam’s BBQ was purchased by the Mays family in 1976, and has been a fixture of the east Austin neighborhood ever since. It is one of the last remaining landmarks from back when Austin’s black residents were segregated on the east side of the city. In 2018, the owners were offered $3.5 million, and then $5 million to sell the property to condominium developers, but refused both offers if the residents promised to continue to support the business, which they have loyally.
For many, Sam’s BBQ and its sign is a symbol of resistance to the rabid gentrification in the area, forcing many minorities out of their traditional neighborhoods in east Austin. That’s why the changing of the sign is seen as so offensive, especially at the hands of Midland and a major newspaper. Like many independently-owned restaurants, Sam’s BBQ has also been suffering though the COVID-19 crisis, and is currently only open for takeout.
“I didn’t give them permission to do what they did,” Sam’s BBQ owner Brian Mays tells Saving Country Music, who’s been hearing from angry customers over the image since it appeared online. “I remember they came and took pictures. They changed the sign on the computer. They had no business doing that. They didn’t play, they never paid me to do nothing, they just wanted to take pictures. It happened about a year, or year-and-a-half ago. Everybody takes pictures out here, but I didn’t know they were going to change my sign. It would have been alright, but they changed the sign, and I know they’re making money with it.”
The photos of Midland at Sam’s BBQ are attributed to Harper Smith. Dudley M. Brooks is credited for “photo editing” in the article, and the article was designed by Michael Johnson of The Washington Post. Saving Country Music reached out to The Washington Post for comment and clarification on who might have edited the image or if the paper knew about it, but has not heard back.
UPDATE: On Tuesday (7-21), The Washington Post changed the image and offered this statement on the article: “Correction: Portrait photographs of Midland were distributed to The Washington Post Magazine by Big Machine Label Group for use with this article. An authentic version of the opening photograph at top replaces the original promotional image the Magazine received from Big Machine.”
The incident is similar to criticisms Midland received promoting a show at the former location of The Palomino Club in Los Angeles. On October 8th, 2018, the original Palomino Club location was opened for a “one night only” event to benefit the Valley Relics Museum. Organized in part by Rebelle Road Presents, it featured Jim Lauderdale, Rosie Flores, James Intveld, and others performing at the once iconic country music club in North Hollywood, with promoters painstakingly working to present the Palomino like it appeared during its heyday.
A year later in October of 2019, Midland used the same basic concept to promote their own Palomino concert, with some locals noticing that they took photos from the original Palomino event to without permission to promote their concert. The band later released a live album of their Palomino set.
It’s not just the photoshopping of an image that ended up in The Washington Post that has many up in arms over the issue. It’s a prolonged pattern by the members of Midland to want to profiteer off the specter of authenticity that Austin and its institutions can provide. But when it comes to actually paying dues and paying tribute, it’s more about their personal image and marketing. Changing the sign of an iconic black-owned Austin institution to the name of one of their songs is just a typical Midland, and this time at the expense of a business that could have used the promotion during this difficult period.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:34 am
Not a good look at all for Midland & I’m disappointed that someone at the Post didn’t at least question the submitted image.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:46 am
It’s the job of Midland to market themselves. It’s the job of “The Washington Post” to vet all elements of the story and make sure something like this doesn’t happen. Most of the ire is going towards Midland, but we’re seeing way to many of these kinds of mistakes being made by massive periodicals lately, and their position tends to be “We’re The Washington Post” or “We’re The New York Times” like they’re above criticism as opposed to addressing issues, and making corrections. We all make mistakes. Lord knows I do. But you fix them. So far, WaPo has failed to address the issue at all.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:56 am
Quick update: The Washington Post right about the time I was finishing this story finally did change the header image and offered a correction at the bottom of the story—six days after it was originally posted. They are blaming Big Machine. The story has been updated.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:00 am
Glad to hear the header image was changed and a correction issued.
The update’s much appreciated, Trigger.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:49 am
I guess the Post were unaware of any shenanigans. But at the very least they should answer Triggers questions. The Post is very quick to accuse others of wrongdoing. I would pass this article to the Trump election campaign. Let them make hay at the false news.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:38 am
Just pulled up the link to the story; it’s behind a paywall, but you can see the picture. The sign has been changed back to the original.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:40 am
At least the online version was changed back; not sure if this was also released in print.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:59 am
It was one of the centerpiece articles in the Washington Post Magazine on Sunday. That is where the article originated from, though they posted it online on Wednesday, July 15th as well.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:42 am
Just did a quick websearch and found this; WP is fingering Big Machine as the culprit:
“Correction: Portrait photographs of Midland were distributed to The Washington Post Magazine by Big Machine Label Group for use with this article. An authentic version of the opening photograph at top replaces the original promotional image the Magazine received from Big Machine.”
https://www.austin360.com/entertainment/20200720/central-texas-band-midland-criticized-for-altering-photo-of-east-austin-spot-samrsquos-bbq
July 21, 2020 @ 8:58 am
Yes, the story has been updated. They must have made the change and posted the correction right as I was going to print with this.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:43 am
did people get upset when deep purple put out “deep purple in rock”? an english rock band with their faces on mount rushmore?
it’s just photoshop. the restaurant is still there.
July 21, 2020 @ 8:58 am
What????? We can agree twice, not possible.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:01 am
????
July 21, 2020 @ 9:04 am
No, because people obviously knew where the image was from, and it was a goof. Nobody is going to forget about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
I completely understand that people outside of the Austin mindset or the continuing narrative behind Midland’s authenticity would look at this and wonder what the big deal is. But if you know Sam’s BBQ, if you’re an Austin resident and are emotionally tied to what is happening to the city and independent business like this, it is the seat of insult to change that sign. The owners were offered 5 MILLION DOLLARS to close their establishment down and walk away. They chose to stay open and make pennies through a pandemic to continue to serve their local community. If you don’t think that loyalty will be returned from their community, you don’t know Austin.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:19 am
if u2 came to my town and took a picture outside of my favorite restaurant and called it “achtung baby’s supper club” it wouldn’t impact my ability to financially or emotionally support it at all. in fact, a famous band did come to my town and their album art for one album is them at a local restaurant. it doesn’t feature the name of the restaurant at all. no one cares. those that know, know.
no one reading the washington post (who isn’t already in austin) was going to be ordering takeout.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:32 am
If your mother dies, it will affect you more than if someone else’s mother who you don’t know dies. You are not in a position as someone living outside of Austin to judge people for their emotional response to this sign being changed. Local residents were up in arms over it. Local media covered it as a relevant story to the community. You can make all the apples to oranges comparisons you want. Austin residents were angered over this. Midland has illustrated a repeated pattern of pulling off ruses very similar to this. It’s a relevant story on a country music website based in Austin.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:42 am
your comparison of ‘band+restaurant’ to ‘dead mother’ is more apples to oranges than mine. band+restaurant compared to band+restaurant is a pretty apt comparison.
how does this instance of photoshop stop people from being able to support a local business?
July 21, 2020 @ 9:44 am
To keep it in Austin, I remember when the band Honky used a photo of the Austin Motel but changed the name to Balls Out Inn. Who gave a shite about that? This is beyond ludicrous and in your heart you know it. But as stated before, it stirs controversy and (hopefully) garners clicks.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:58 am
Did Honky have a repeated pattern of co-opting Austin institutions and misleading the public by trying to claim Austin authenticity? No. That’s why people didn’t care. People cared in this instance because what the business was, and who Midland are and their incessant behavior of gaming the public with their marketing. This did not happen in a vacuum. Midland are repeat offenders. THAT is why this issue went viral before I ever reported on it. As someone who has reported on Midland fabricating their authentic Austin back story, it was very relevant to broach here.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:22 am
Are you seriously comparing Midland with U2? Get a grip.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:52 am
obviously, i am not and is not the point i am making.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:24 am
Turns down $5 mil but complains about not being paid for a photoshoot involving his generic storefront that looks like dozens of others I’ve seen. How much should one pay for that privilege, exactly?
July 21, 2020 @ 9:35 am
If a guy turned down $5 million to never work again, he clearly is not motivated by money. It’s the principle. As he told me and others, he had no problem with them using his storefront as a backdrop, and didn’t want any money from it. The injury came when they changed the sign. That was, and is bullshit.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:38 am
The injury.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:55 am
Remember when Sam’s was shuttered for buying stolen meat? I ‘member.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:50 am
What about movie crews filming on location & changing name of a diner, theater, etc. of a town. It’s pretend. Gees.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:35 am
It isn’t about equal compensation, it’s about offering and acknowledgment – which Midland are clearly guilty of not doing their due diligence. It’s gross appropriation and profiting off of community institutions that mean a great deal to the culture it is apart of. It’s just like when white suburban kids go and pose in front of Notorious BIG street art in south Brooklyn and post it on their instagrams. It’s gross and offensive.
Country music already faces it’s own version of appropriation – specifically off of a culture of working class Americans. And this is just another example of Midland perpetuating it and making it harder for real people to break into the scene. Does anyone have the same story that Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, or Johnny Cash have? No because people like Midland made it about money and not soul.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:00 pm
Right. White people who take pictures in front of a black artist mural are gross and offensive. There should be sign that say “BIPOC only.” Problem solved. Nothing like fighting discrimination with discrimination. Like an ice cold Colt 45…works every time.
Taking a picture outside a building that 99% of people would see as a generic storefront is appropriation. For sure…also, like so totally gross and offensive. Even Elizabeth Warren would agree! The hurt. The drama. The injury. Starting to see how this works here. I’ve got some thinking to do, and some letters to WAPO to write.
July 21, 2020 @ 6:05 pm
Oh I’m sorry did I hurt your little snowflake feelings with calling out blatant ignorance around what the conditions that have lead to the creation of certain forms of art and commerce were? And the profiteering off those conditions by those who created them? Oh I’m so sorry Jake yes if you’re feelings are hurt then it’s ok for you to ignore history so long as it makes a good Facebook photo. That’s how we move forward. One cute little white Jake boy photo at a time.
July 21, 2020 @ 6:45 pm
Nah, no hard or hurt feelings. Just got a problem with your call for discrimination, no “biggie.”
July 21, 2020 @ 8:46 am
I understand your points, but this still feels a bit sensationalist and bandwagony to me. Of course they’re phonies, and of course photoshoots, marketing, and chummy media relationships are usually bullshit and tone deaf. Especially involving bands like this. But is this really a big story? Was the one random Instagram comment the worst of it? Oh….but wait….there’s an opportunity to talk about a racial injustice here, intentional or not. My bad, they must apologize…go get em!
July 21, 2020 @ 9:21 am
I’m not declaring this a “big story.” I’m not trying to cancel Midland. I’m not even necessarily making a point that it’s about race, though the fact that Sam’s BBQ happens to be an independently-owned and black-owned business in the midst of a period when these types of businesses are under extreme financial pressure and are closing left and right is an important point to underscore.
For years I have taken the point in saying this band is co-opting authentic Austin culture to market themselves. I think it would be conspicuous and irresponsible to NOT report on this story. The reason this band continues to do these ethically questionable things is because nobody holds their feet to the fire. I want there to be a record that Midland and Big Machine did this, and that The Washington Post allowed it. Thankfully, they have now changed it, six days later. But forevermore, this instance will be yet another example of how Midland is gaming the country music consumer at the expense of others.
The whole knock on Midland from the beginning has been that they’re shading out the actual authentic elements of Austin culture with their image and marketing. I can’t think of a better instance that illustrates this.
Now, back to the music.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:37 am
“I’m not even necessarily making a point that it’s about race….”
Uhhhhh….yeah….you mentioned it multiple times, even in your reply here, but ok. Maybe we should start a petition to have all photoshoots involving white people be shot in Europe. Otherwise….
July 21, 2020 @ 9:53 am
People are whining about race in the comments way more than I ever did in the story. Commenters are also probably making way more about this story than the story does itself. It’s something that happened and fits a serial pattern of disrespectful and misleading marketing from Midland, and was worth highlighting. A correction was made. The story is over. If you think too much is being made of it, move on.
July 21, 2020 @ 10:13 am
A bit strange to shift the blame to the comments after encouraging the comments in the first place. It’s like saying “stop talking about the color red after making a statement that the color red was misogynist – which would naturally prompt some questions. “Oh look, you’re the ones that want to talk about red and misogyny!”
As you say in a comment above Trigger, it’s not just one instance of Midland being phony, it’s the pattern. Your story here, in context, is part of a pattern…we both know that.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:15 pm
Jake,
I appreciate your comments and everyone else’s. And I’m glad there are people here offering their perspectives on this matter. All I’m saying is it appears some commenters are acting like I am making a massive deal out of this story and was trying to make it all about race, when in reality it’s just something that happened that I felt was worthy of reporting on. As someone who lives in Austin, has eaten at Sam BBQ before and am familiar with the establishment and its importance, as well as having a long history of covering Midland’s efforts to hoodwink the public about their Austin backstory, media outlets not properly vetting content, and the issues facing Austin music due to gentrification, I think it would be incredibly conspicuous if I did not cover this story, which has also been covered by numerous other media outlets with less history and relevance with the subject matter.
I agree there are many in media looking to exploit any opportunity to bring up race and hot button issues for clicks. But this has also resulted in sometimes reactionary opinions upon stories that are worthy to bring to the public. Again, if the residents in Austin and in the neighborhood were angry, the owner was angry, and local media outlets deemed it worthy for coverage, I’m not sure why it would be considered out-of-bounds to cover here on an Austin-based country music website.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:38 pm
Ok Trigger, I get it, you have justification. Gentrification bad. Phonies bad. I understand your point. I think you also understand my point: Using this racial “injury,” repeatedly, in the context of what is going on in America right now, as further ammunition against phonies and gentrification, still may not be worth it. I think you get that too, but thought that dabbling in it just a bit wouldn’t hurt. You’re overall a very good journalist, a critical thinker, actually have way more backbone than most, and are an awesome introducer of actual good music. I just don’t agree with you in this case. Is what it is.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:12 am
Yeah dont get what the guy being black has to do with anything. If he had been white would trigger still have written this article, or mentioned his whiteness? If not, I would scream racism if I was a snowflake.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:59 am
If Midland had done this to to another business that was considered an iconic landmark and the symbol of the resistance to the gentrification of a neighborhood, but it happened to be owned by a white guy, I would still have posted this story. Race is relevant in this instance because this restaurant is located in an area where blacks were forcefully moved to, and are now being forcefully moved out of.
The simple fact is it’s a story. That is why multiple other outlets have covered it. However you feel about the story, whether you find it troubling or too much is being made of it, it is a big issue down in Austin that involves a prominent country music band who happens to have been criticized here multiple times for misleading the public.
July 21, 2020 @ 3:49 pm
Talk about snowflakes, Trig mentions race in an article where it is relevant and people come crying out that he’s mentioning race in an article. After reading the article, the main story is that Midland is once again using Austin in a phony way for credibility. The black-owned business is part of the story and relevant to what is going on. I never thought I would read comments calling out the race aspect of the story, but I forget how big of snowflakes people like Jake ,thegentile, and apparently Rusty are.
July 21, 2020 @ 5:07 pm
Right Travis… that’s it. We’re total snowflakes. Such a powerfully epic takedown…I’d write more, and even beg for forgiveness, but I’m melting.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:30 am
Hey, what about replacing Midland with the Chicks.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:11 am
If I had the time and money I would take the week off and drive to Austin to try their bbq. Nothing better than a small mom and pop bbq
July 21, 2020 @ 9:19 am
Much adieu about nothing. And we have to mention race, repeatedly. That couldn’t be less relevant.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:27 am
This story is not a race issue. Midland and Big Machine did not do this because they are racists. But since independently-owned business, and black independently-owned businesses specifically are facing extremely tough financial times at the moment, it’s worth mentioning as part of the story. If they changed the sign to a corporate-owned Burger King, it would not be as big of a deal. This particular restaurant is an institution.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:29 am
And again. I wonder when *most* of America can go back to not caring about skin color.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:35 am
You mean White America, because People of Color have to care about skin color everyday, and have always had to.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:37 am
Oh, okay. Most of America used to be white. I get it now.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:24 pm
Trigger,
Why was my reply deleted? I’ve seen you say the exact same thing I said, on multiple occasions.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:44 am
A fuss about nothing. No he, done at all to anyone. Who really cares? I like Midland. Good music and entertaining live.
July 21, 2020 @ 9:58 am
Surely no one seriously believes The Washington Post is a credible journalistic publication.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:20 am
Well, many seriously do, and stop calling them Shirley.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:29 am
Wondered how long that was going to take …
: D
July 21, 2020 @ 10:10 am
This hurts nothing with respect to Austin or its businesses. Why? Because Austin was once a great little city. Now, however, it has degenerated into nothing more than Berkeley East, predominately populated by left-wing idiots who have contaminated Travis County, and, by extension, the rest of Texas. In other words, there is nothing one can do to harm the reputation of Austin or its businesses more than they have already been harmed due to its self-inflicted wounds.
July 21, 2020 @ 10:53 am
Maybe Midland’s co-opting of Austin culture is itself an ongoing piece of performance art…
July 21, 2020 @ 11:16 am
That would be quite funny actually, if they were doing some sort of meta trolling.
July 21, 2020 @ 2:57 pm
I figure in this case it’s a matter of their record company not quite having a handle on the local situation. But, on a larger scale, the band’s marketing schtick is to be douchey, so how could they pass up glomming onto “Serving Austin’s original hot sausage”? Even comes with built in irony. The band is all about carpetbagging (with a wink), so why not?
July 21, 2020 @ 11:08 am
I mean, these guys are CLEARLY proponents of slavery. Why didn’t they just wear their Klan suits in the picture? We ALL KNOW THEY WANTED TOO!
July 21, 2020 @ 11:28 am
Everybody should be contacting Washington Post and complaining. They carried the story. It is up to them to ensure everything was above board. Their attempt to shove the blame back on Midland is why journalism in USA has got out of order. These major media outlets are only leaving themselves open to the derision of others. BTW, I have already complained to The Washington Post. I expect no answer.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:36 am
why would they vet a promotional picture provided to them for accuracy? many promotional photos of bands are not accurate. in this promotional photo of the beatles, for example, it is not actually raining https://www.snapgalleries.com/product/bob-whitaker-beatles-help-promo/
July 21, 2020 @ 12:20 pm
Because they used the photo as part of an article they published.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:50 pm
for argument’s sake, let’s say they should have. how would they have vetted this photo exactly? drive to every rustic location and compare?
July 21, 2020 @ 1:15 pm
No need to. Their journalist should have known.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:20 pm
should have known what? lol.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:44 pm
They didn’t need to know about Sam’s to vet the photo. They just needed to know about Midland. They changed the sign to one of their song titles. They have a history of doing such things, which is why I brought up the Palomino Club incident (which everyone seems to be glossing over). This is one of the reasons I’ve said over and over, if WaPo or The New York Times want to cover country music, I’m all for it. But get people who actually know the music and where it’s from, instead of looking at it from the outside looking in, and often down their noses.
And the reason this situation is different from a album cover, promo photo, poster copy, or what have you, is because it was in an independent periodical as a news story. ANY image posted to a major periodical should be vetted for potential photoshopping.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:49 pm
do you vet all of the photos you use here? you personally verify them and have a graphic designer check to see if they have been photoshopped in some way? as someone who consistently touts their own journalistic integrity, i bet you don’t.
July 21, 2020 @ 4:36 pm
Do I vet the photos here? Of course I do. I HAVE to. It is my responsibility to make sure every photo posted here is free to use or I have permission for it, or I will get sued, and lose. You have no fucking idea the war going on behind-the-scenes when it comes to images and the internet. Often I spend a hour writing an article, and two hours trying to procure an image for it. You can’t just take an image off the internet and post it when you’re in professional publishing like some people think happens. And if I see something funny, I don’t use it.
But again, I’m a one-man operation. The Washington Post literally has an entire staff of people whose entire job is to vet images and information. It’s their profession. It’s why they get up everyday. They made a mistake. Finally, they corrected it. The criticism was warranted.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:21 pm
I’d love for us all to start vetting celebrity photoshopped promotional images for accuracy. Can you imagine? And how about unnatural lighting? It’s a tragedy.
People don’t seem to have the basic critical reasoning skills to think these things through, beyond some tokenized talking points.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:48 pm
The Washington Post has an army of copy editors and designers whose very specific job is to vet content, including photos, for accuracy. That’s quite literally all they do. This wasn’t a blog posting a label-supplied promo image. It was a centerpiece feature in WaPo’s weekly magazine. It should have been caught. That said, they have changed the image and offered a correction. It took them long enough, but we all make mistakes.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:54 pm
Fair enough…but is that license plate “accurate.” We neeeeed to know.
July 21, 2020 @ 2:17 pm
Seems it’s not. They blur the real plate out in their music videos, which I guess they have to….still, may not be real. And who knows, perhaps the real plate has the number combo of 1619. Might be a big scoop there….
July 21, 2020 @ 11:29 am
Country music has a new boy band- models and stage clothes. That is literally the history of country music in performance and marketing- the sales figures have come in/the calculations have long been done . With some extremely notable exceptions, stars don’t write their own stuff. At least this project has some good material and isn’t afraid of a minor 3 chord – it’s mining IMHO a much better era of country and music than we currently have, and they play it great. There’s nothing new about capitalizing on a scene or it’s associations, historic or current, or making up your origin myth. My neighbor in east Nashville had a rusty truck broke down outside his place – a few times a week I’d see young women in makeup and old dresses / guys putting on cowboy hats and holding acoustics- screwing up traffic and posing for pictures on the thing, before driving away in a really nice car. Notions of authenticity seem culturally irrelevant. However, acting in good faith seems to demand you at least talk to the owners. One aspect that does annoy the shit out of me is the class aspect- wealthy people dusting up their clothes and literally posing beside images of ‘authenticity’. In America, a class issue almost always means race as well.
In defense of the Post- they’re covering what’s been presented by the management company- when an error was brought to their attention, they corrected it. That’s what real journalists do. We don’t need 15 more fly by night on-line articles about social media response to someones social media response with zero accountability. In the same vein, I do appreciate this article- valid and informative.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:03 pm
What so many are missing about this story is that Midland has a long, repeated history of co-opting culture that is decidedly not their own, and using it solely for marketing purposes. That is why so many people in Austin found this offensive. It wasn’t just the “what,” but the “who.”
July 21, 2020 @ 12:35 pm
Vintage and retro is a huge deal right now. People want that aesthetic and its everywhere. That’s why American Pickers is such a popular show. The HG tv shows so many watch are full of designers incorporating salvaged architectural items in upscale homes.People are often paying a fortune to get that authentic old look. Vintage stores are the thing. Vintage looking album covers are all the rage as well. Look at the album covers from John Anderson, Whitney Rose, Charley Crockett and so many others. Its the hot look. Midland isn’t the only band doing this. Its the hot trend everywhere. As more old and worn gets bulldozed to the ground, people seem to crave it all the more. George Strait put The Broken Spoke on his album cover, as did Dale Watson. The current Dale Watson album cover shot all the pictures inside Ernest and Hazels, a dilapidated bar and former red light house in Memphis. This concept is a big deal and ain’t going away anytime soon. See my other comment.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:41 pm
The difference here is Cameron Duddy had four VMA Awards and was a millionaire before he even joined the band, Mark Wystrach was a soap opera actor and underwear model. They saw what all the cool kids were doing in Austin and east Nashville, and co-opted an aesthetic to coproratized it with mainstream songwriters like Shane McAnally.
Look, if you read my review of their last record, I buried the hatchet with all this stuff. I agree Midland’s music is better than most, and that’s where our focus should be. But if we continue to turn a blind eye to their overshadowing of actual bands and institutions that put in their dues, they will continue to the detriment of the artists who didn’t start off with a million-dollar vintage store budget and deep connections to the industry.
July 21, 2020 @ 3:24 pm
Ha ha you buried the hatchet… and then you pulled it right back out and here you are chopping away with it. Austin isn’t “up in arms” about this. Some people are offended, sure, but there are significantly more pressing issues that Austin is angry about. The attempt to blame a band for the gentrifying of East Austin is laughable. The only “long and repeated” history of Midland’s “authenticity problem” is the one you created here on this website, amplified and repeated by your fan boys in the comments. Oh yeah, and those Drip kids that got so offended, yet have spent their entire adult lives also claiming to be from Austin while not making it in music! Thank The Lord Ye Annointed Saviour Of Country Music for fanning the flames! My favorite part is your quote of “an instagram commenter said ‘whah whah whah CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL!!!’ “ Ha ha quoting instagram comments to stir up some shit like TMZ!!! Here I’ll quote the other 99% of the instagram comments for you, since that’s our new authority “man I like their old-school sound and their live show is fun!”
July 21, 2020 @ 4:31 pm
Never attempted to blame Midland for Austin’s gentrification problem. But since they moved to Austin from California, Oregon, and Arizona, hypothetically, they are not helping, though their individual impact is likely negligible.
“My favorite part is your quote of “an instagram commenter said ‘whah whah whah CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL!!!’
Not seeing anyone calling for the cancellation of Midland. I specifically went out of my way to say that shouldn’t be called for.
How about the quote from the owner of the business? How did you like that part of the story?
Again, the people who seem to be blowing this story out of proportion are some of the commenters. Not calling for a cancellation. I didn’t even call for an apology. Was simply calling for a correction from The Washington Post, which they subsequently supplied. Let’s move on.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:15 pm
I don’t think your point is lost on a lot of people- my argument is that it is very common, and folks simply don’t care.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:35 am
Seems kind of much ado about nothing to me.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:47 am
What a dumb thing to get mad over. But then again so is worrying more about Midland’s image and background than whether their music is good.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:04 pm
Many are overlooking the fair concern for this issue based on their favorable perspective on their music. It’s understandable, but the media can’t engage in this practice. That’s bias.
July 21, 2020 @ 12:32 pm
Nah. Image and character plays a huge role for many of us who grew up listening to traditional country music. Why would I listen to fake, boy band inspired, GQ posing Midland when I can listen to an AUTHENTIC honky tonk band like Mike and the Moonpies?
July 21, 2020 @ 5:04 pm
…because you’ve listened to every Mike song 50 times, and feel like listening to something different, but with a similar style?
That’s just for personal listening. Now, if I were genuinely interested in trying to “Save Country Music,” the fact that Midland have consistently been able to chart nationally, while playing high quality music would definitely give me second thoughts about whether waging a lengthy vendetta against them for not being MM was the best use of my time, or in the interests of improving the genre.
They’re a pop country act on Big Machine. No one who cares about the difference will ever mistake them for being “authentic.”
The ABSOLUTE MOST impact their schtick will have on “AUTHENTIC TX honky tonk bands” is inspiring country radio listeners to look for music like Midland’s – their first “Similar Artist” listed on Spotify is Randall King.
July 22, 2020 @ 4:49 pm
Exactly right.
One thing I would point out, though, is that Midland is traditional country, not pop country. Generally, the term pop-country refers to the rock-infused music that dominated country from the mid 90s to the early 2010s. Midland’s sound hearkens back to the neotraditional era of the 80s and early 90s instead.
July 22, 2020 @ 4:59 pm
I’m not using pop country as a pejorative, haha – just as a catchall for “Not Johnny Cash trad-country, but not Steve Earle/Tom Petty rock-country/country-rock.”
July 22, 2020 @ 5:23 pm
In some ways, Johnny Cash and Midland represent two distinct styles of traditional country. Cash embodies the stripped-down, acoustic, “folkish” side, while Midland’s style is classic Texas-style honky-tonk music.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:56 am
I agree with the other non-austin residents here that its just not as horrible as some think. Tv commercials, movies, photoshoots everywhere remove signs, change names etc, for various reasons. In fact, many businesses prefer not to have their name affixed to some ad that’s not for them or their product. Its done all the time.
But, knowing the history of this little business, it might have been nice to throw a little money their way as a thanks for using the building in a publicity spot. And it would have been good to mention the intent to remove the sign to all involved. Just a polite thing to do. Lesson learned hopefully.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:05 pm
The irony is this hullabaloo probably will generate more publicity for Sam’s than if the correct sign had been published in the first place. And I’m all for it.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:10 pm
Midland is one of the greatest country bands of the last decade, and “On the Rocks” might just be the best mainstream country album of the 2010s. Stunts like this, however, just damage their reputation for no good reason.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:28 pm
“Despite attaining solid commercial success with a decidedly more classic country sound, Big Machine Record’s-signed throwback country band Midland have received ample amounts of criticism since appearing on the mainstream country music scene for attempting to portray themselves as a genuine Austin-based honky tonk band, while in truth being a trio of affluent and well-connected individuals from California, Oregon, and Arizona who moved to Austin to craft a manufactured narrative of authenticity.”
Seems like the word is “authenticity”. However, this is missing from many artists. Kind of like some climate change activists who jet around in private planes. Or the recent story about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban using celebrity privilege in skipping Australia’s mandatory hotel quarantine. Typical “Do as I say, not as I do.” Reminds me of, well, I better not say.
John Mellencamp is from my neck of the woods. You know him. Sings about the little guy, the disenfranchised, etc. I personally know people who have worked for him. They say he is a douche, extremely hard to work for, and just an all-around dick. But of course, one can sit in their ivory tower and mandate to the rest of us how we should act and feel. But they are exempt. Heck, they would make great politicians! Oh, wait, we have those already.
Having said that, it would have been the ethical thing to pay “Sam’s BBQ” a nice sum of money AFTER asking permission. It is just good ethics.
As far as Midland goes, if they make good music that I like, that is what matters. Authenticity is in scarce supply today among many artists. I have given up on that. If that is the main criteria for supporting an act, then the cupboard would be rather bare.
July 21, 2020 @ 1:36 pm
Why am I not surprised? These guys all probably took off their Fall Out Boy t-shirts and black skinny jeans just prior to the photo shoot. The most overrated band in country right now.
July 21, 2020 @ 2:34 pm
Totally with you on this one Trig
My area also has developers and they are the devil.
Anyone who holds out should be given all the help they need AND to hell with the damn middle class people who wantd a photo with this cute way of life you dedicated yourself to saving.
To further change the sign shows absolutely no respect. Screw Midland. I wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire.
And if I’m in Austin, I’ll find Sam’s and try to support them.
July 21, 2020 @ 4:23 pm
Legitimate newspapers are not supposed to run publicity photos furnished by publicists for the subjects of their articles. They’re supposed to shoot their own photos, or hire a stringer to shoot them. (Unless a publicity photo is, itself, newsworthy, and the newspaper runs it for that reason and identifies it as such.) This one seems relatively trivial, in the scheme of things, but it’s actually a serious journalistic breech. The Washington Post was rightly called out for it and rightly apologized.
July 22, 2020 @ 12:00 am
The Post did not apologize, they said it wasn’t their fault and changed the photo after being pressured to do so.
July 21, 2020 @ 5:59 pm
As far as I can tell, the worst thing Midland’s schtick has done is inspire pop country listeners to check out actual “Authentic TX Country” folks – the first guy on their “Similar Artists” page is Randall King, and Flatland Cavalry are also above the fold.
Hell – “Let it Roll” has fewer McAnally cowrites than Pageant Material or Same Trailer, Different Park.
Seriously, man – unless Wystrach kicked your dog or something, the whole vendetta against them just reads like some authenticity war between camps of Austin hipsters.
July 21, 2020 @ 6:43 pm
I don’t even like them, and their shtick is a little much…but shit…they’re playing something a lot closer to actual country music than most of Nashville…and somehow that’s such a terrible thing. Also, what is authentic? Wearing a cowboy hat and boots indoors and on stage in 2020? Some of my favorite bands, also favorites around here do that often. At one point there was an authentic, utilitarian reason for it. Now? Isn’t it a little poserish? If we’re really going to shine a light on authenticity, we may not like what we see.
July 22, 2020 @ 4:14 pm
It’s literally the exact same thing he (correctly) complains about people doing with Stapleton (who didn’t wear that long beard and cowboy hat until Traveller).
July 22, 2020 @ 5:20 pm
It seems highly selective and flexible. We’re all guilty of double standards to some degree.
July 22, 2020 @ 7:14 pm
The funny part of this is that everyone’s issue with Midland literally boils down to being offended by cultural appropriation.
July 22, 2020 @ 7:29 pm
By a former underwear model no less. The funnier part is, since this article, I’ve listened to them a bit more and they’re pretty damn good. Might even slip them in to some rotation in my digital appropriating sound device.
July 21, 2020 @ 6:41 pm
Midland is the last band on country radio that we should be going on a witch hunt after. Sure they are phony, but they’ve done a lot more good than bad and make fine music.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:22 pm
Trig, I love ya man, but you have an absolute vendetta against Midland. They are 100% full of shit and phony but lord, you never mention them unless it’s you foaming at the mouth to get on them about something while half-heartedly acknowledging their damn good mainstream music.
July 22, 2020 @ 9:54 am
Check my last review of them:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-midlands-let-it-roll/
July 22, 2020 @ 4:50 pm
I mean…that review largely consists of axe-grinding about them being “phonies” and spuriously accusing them of not writing their own music (despite Jess Carson having sole credit on multiple songs, including the best one on the record)…”while half-heartedly acknowledging their damn good mainstream music,” haha.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:31 pm
They’re not sitting inside Sam’s in the article. They’re sitting inside Nau’s Enfield Drug over on West Lynn. They’ve also parked their ridiculous car in front of it and used the image from that photoshoot, in both unaltered and altered forms, all over their social media as well as for the WaPo mag article and the cover of last years album. They erased the drug store’s name and added fake neon trim to the building. They’ve been blocking folks on Instagram who simply wondered why they would change Sam’s sign and whether they asked his permission, and of course what the hell it was doing in a publication like the Washington Post magazine. Mark himself claimed that they had paid a “shoot fee” and said they “shot there a few times over the years”, calling the photo “album artwork”. We now know that the owner disputes that.
Nau’s has been around since 1951 and owned by the same family since the 70s. They had to shut down the soda fountain in 2019 and have struggled quite a bit as that area has obviously changed immensely as well. They managed to reopen the fountain in a limited capacity this spring, shortly before the threat of Covid put the town in limbo.
These places are not props for Midland to pretend their “out on the road” giving the author an “all access pass” as they claimed. But the used them like they are. And they’ve done it intentionally and refused to address the people who live here and are truly invested in this place.
July 21, 2020 @ 11:35 pm
Okay the neon may be real. I’ve never seen it lit up in person.
July 22, 2020 @ 2:01 pm
It’s easier to complain than to propose solutions for a better tomorrow. Let’s come up with some:
How should they adequately “address” this?
Who should be allowed to shoot inside Nau’s without outrage?
Who manages that list?
What’s the criteria?
What’s the penalty for compliance failure?
I’m all ears.
July 22, 2020 @ 5:11 pm
They could start by acknowledging any of it. They haven’t. And the penalty for intellectual property theft is usually money in this country. If you cares about the answers to those questions go ahead and answer yourself. I replied to an article with some inaccuracies, and you replied to me with nonsense. If you actually meant that you like that they steal other businesses’ images and alter them then pass them to the Post while pretending they’re not fabricated, just say so. It’s actually even easier not to be an asshole most of the time. But it’s also fun to make weird lists and pretend things are overreactions just because you don’t personally care.
July 22, 2020 @ 5:33 pm
Wouldn’t call this fun, I’m generally curious about your solutions, specifically. What does “acknowledging” it mean, exactly…. an apology for “stealing?” If one can’t specifically propose how one SHOULD behave, It seems a bit odd to criticize them for not doing it. Just tying to help out here.
July 22, 2020 @ 6:50 am
I’m moving on. I can’t believe the amount of time that has been wasted on this nonsense..
July 22, 2020 @ 10:21 am
Snowflakes can make anything into a huge issue.
Texas should deport Austin and its denizens back to California for the sake of the great state. It deserves better.
July 22, 2020 @ 8:34 pm
I see a lot of snowflakes bending over backwards to defend a poser band trying to be something they aren’t.
That great state ain’t looking so great right now, that’s for sure. I think Trump had a name for those kind of places.
July 22, 2020 @ 10:05 pm
For the record, the Austin area only makes up about 6% of Texas’s population. That is a pretty low figure for a city that serves as both the state capital and the flagship college town. Logically, it would seem that most Austinites are from other parts of Texas, not from California. Trigger, for example, moved to the Austin area from the Dallas area.
July 24, 2020 @ 7:51 am
Majority of Californians that moved to Austin are not native Californians. They might have moved from California but I put good money they are from elsewhere.
July 23, 2020 @ 8:52 am
Barf. Who gives a shit. They’re a band that made a marketing photo. Give me a break with the hand wringing over whitewashing or whatever other such nonsense.