January 29: Burglar
I haven’t seen these guys live, but they promise to put on a good show. Channeling the days of dark cabarets and burlesque shows, and with some real local talent, I’m really excited to finally catch them!

February 9: Jemina Pearl
I wasn’t a fan until I saw her live, but wow was she fun. I may not ever listen to her in my car, but the girl knows how to rock. I’m guessing that this will be great to see in one of my favorite dive bars.

February 20: St. Vincent

St. Vincent is one of those artist that I just can’t help but like. Even if I didn’t like her, I would still probably try. Maybe it’s the whole vintage style, or maybe it’s just her eclectic style in general. She’ll be playing at a local goth bar, so even if the show disappoints, the venue will not.

March 4: Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s

I was devastated to learn that this band had been in town only one day before I found their music. I fell for them immediately and now, a year later, I can’t wait to see them live. Check out their single A Children’s Crusade on Acid and you will understand completely. Or just watch the clip above and swoon.

March 26: Temper Trap
Temper Trap is on regular rotation (once a day, at least) in our studio and it never seems to get old. Just announced today, the group will swing by Columbus for a CD101 Low Dough Show ($5!). This makes me, once again, thankful for a station that brings such awesome music our way!

March 29: Joanna Newsom

The high ticket price for this show (after Ticketmaster robs you with fees, about $50/ticket) has me doubting I’ll be there, but I’m sure it’s going to be great. While this is one artist that not everyone can appreciate, I find that her lyrics more than make up for her unusual voice. And hey, kudos for making it big by playing a harp.

March 30: Tegan + Sara
They were on the list, then off the list, and now they’re back on the list again. It’s taken a while, but I think I’ve finally come to terms with the new sound on their latest album. Plus, I’ve always wanted to see them live and I’ve missed the last three or four shows they played in town.

March 30 – Thursday, April 1:
Cincinnati’s MusicNOW Festival
Okay, Cincinnati: who has a music festival in the middle of the week?! I would absolutely hand over the the mere $50 to see St. Vincent, Joanna Newsom AND Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) but alas, I am normal and work during the week. To top off the awesomeness of this event, all of the shows will be held in the historic Memorial Hall. So, if you’re closer to Cincinnati than I am or have the freedom to just not work, please go and enjoy this for me.

March 31: Passion Pit

The song Sleepyhead was probably somewhere in my favorite songs of 2009 list. While I passed on their last stop in town, I’m really looking forward to seeing these guys this time around. There were talks of glow sticks and frenzy, and who doesn’t like that?

April 5: The XX

One of my favorite new bands of 2009, I was more than happy to find out that The XX would be stopping in Columbus. There might have even been a shriek of joy involved. While I’m not expecting a thrilling show (just watch the video), there is something undeniably addicting about their music that will still give me a concert buzz.

What shows are you most excited to see?

*READER ADDITIONS*
I have it on good authority that Langhorne Slim will be at The Summit on February 13. I have been informed that I will be there.

Also, Cracker will be performing an acoustic set at The Basement on February 12. It’s worth going for the song Low alone.

Cage the Elephant have had quite a bit of airtime this past year and will be playing at Newport on March 14.

I was one of these people. Having just started my own freelance company, there were areas that I wanted to learn more about. A few unpaid weeks later, I realized that this was a mistake. I met some great people, but my time could have been spent networking on my own terms or focusing on projects. There are some great opportunities out there if you’re in an “in-between” position, but make sure you know what you’re looking to get out of it and then make sure you get it. I know a lot of people in the this position and I come to you now with a few words of wisdom:

1.0 If you’re going to make a mistake, at least get paid for it
At one point, I took an unpaid internship and hoped to learn more about a relatively new way of interacting with others online. The internship promised real world experience, conferences, networking opportunities, and a case study that I could show to potential employers. The opportunities seemed to make up for the few unpaid hours I would be putting in each week and I happily accepted. One thing after another fell through and not only did I have nothing to show, I had done some design work for free.

If you’re going to take an unpaid internship or position, make sure that there is a payoff of some kind. Are they paying your way into events? Will you be involved in projects that you would otherwise be unable to do? What do you gain? Make sure they follow through on their promises.

If you are doing specialty work (design, for example) for the organization, set up a system where you will get paid for the extra work. The work you do as part of the internship should be clearly defined and any work outside of that should be discussed ahead of time.

Research the company or person you are talking to and see if they can help you add valuable experience to your resume. One easy way to do this is to check out the Better Business Bureau.  Too many people get by with getting “free work” while you waste your time and energy with nothing to show in the end.  In my case, I at least learned what not to do.

2.0 Be social
Don’t be shy about keeping in touch with the people you meet. These people are potentially great resources that could help you in the future. You never know where you will be or what situations will arise and it never hurts to know as many people as possible – especially in the field you want to be in.

If  you do follow up with contacts, you want to keep things positive. Things didn’t work out with the position? Those details don’t need to be shared unless they directly effect things moving forward. It’s important to keep your personal life and business life separate to some degree.

Also, you should never “steal” contacts. Make an effort to meet people on your own and form your own relationships with them.

3.0 Don’t ignore opportunities
It’s easy to become attached to a position and team – especially in the unique environment of a start-up. You’ll be working hard and closely with your new colleagues and you’ll all be putting more of yourselves into your work. While I am a huge supporter of staying dedicated to your team, I am also aware that there are always great opportunities out there. Any team will understand your desire to take a chance on what could be an exciting new turn in your career – especially one that pays.

4.0 Soak it in
In an internship, you should be learning. Getting coffee or running errands, while a part of any job, doesn’t ultimately prepare you to move on. You want to work with and for a leader who will guide you. You will make mistakes – that’s part of an internship, too. Ask questions and use this time to learn as much as possible.

5.0 Be good
Be a good worker. Even if the gig is a bust, you will most likely have worked hard enough to learn something or have something to show for your time. Be a good person. Don’t just get to know people because they might be able to help you in the future – actually get to know people just to know them. At the same time, be someone worth getting to know. Help other people along the way. The biggest gain from any situation I’ve been in has been the friendships I’ve walked away with.

* Image found via ffffound

I remember one particularly brutal round of critiques. Some people had been awake for two straight days. We tiredly placed our boards on the wall and the professor stood back, silently observing. Then, just as silently, he walked down the row and knocked boards off the wall onto the floor. Three remained standing, and mine was not one of them. We got a long lecture about how horrible our work was that day. Some people left crying. This would happen several times in the years to come. Some people would always cry, some would leave the program, and some of us would stay. We would hate our professors sometimes. Other times, we would love them. It was not for the weak.

Years later, at one of my first jobs, I found myself standing at the end of a long conference room table. Sitting in front me was a table of older design professionals, all men, all wearing suits. They were not known for their kindness in critiques, and they were about to review my designs for their company. I felt like I was in front of a firing squad and focused to keep my voice and hands from shaking. If they were going to take me down, they weren’t going to do it before the review started.

The review went well that day. They did not rip me apart, but they weren’t always kind with their comments, either. I realized that those painful years in school had prepared me to take the heat that came with working in my field. If you want to be a designer, you’re going to need some thick skin. No one can teach you this, and there isn’t a technique to conquering that sickening feeling in your stomach when your work is being torn apart. There are, however, a few ways to ease the pain:

:: Have others critique your work first.
I have some amazing friends that I regularly turn to when I hit a wall or need a fresh pair of eyes. Over the years we’ve built up a beautifully brutal system of total honesty, so if something is horrible, we tell one another that it is horrible and why. It’s important to find people who have a strong design sense and who you can trust to be honest. It’s also good to critique others’ work, pick up on their design tendencies, and become aware of your own.

:: Be able to explain your work
There is a big difference between explaining what you do and defending what you do. While defending your work isn’t a bad thing, you shouldn’t defend without being able to explain. If your client wants to know why you chose the colors you did, or why you added certain elements, you should be able to explain why you did it and how it helps the piece. Saying, “because I liked how it looked” isn’t good enough. Be smart about your work.

:: Hide your hands
You might not be able to keep your hands from shaking, but you can keep everyone from noticing. You want to appear confident when you present your work. Take a deep breath, speak clearly, and look at the people you are talking to. Appearing confident (not arrogant) says that you stand behind your design and your skills, and they should, too. If you need to take a another breath after a harsh comment, take it. I’ve seen too many designers go down after becoming overly nervous and emotional about their work.

:: Take it in, shake it off.
There are going to be bad days and good days. People are going to love your work, but some people are going to hate your work. If someone hates your work, it doesn’t mean they hate you. Accept the criticism and try to learn something new. Shake it off and approach the next project knowing more than you did on the last one.

Like with other aspects of being a designer, you’ll either get it or you won’t. Hang in there, keep designing, and keep learning from experience.

*Photo found via this isn’t happiness.