by Mark E. Waterbury

The first edition of Playgrounds Magazine hit the streets of Columbus in December of 1994. The first few issues ran more pictures than copy while they searched for more writers and of course advertisers, not only to flesh out the subject matter, but to at least keep the zine afloat. "In the early days, money was a definite factor and we weren't even really thinking of turning a profit yet," Vickie recalls. "We collected rate sheets from papers in other cities and would add up the value of their ads and it would come to tens of thousands of dollars, and we thought at first, if they are making it, then we can. With Playgrounds, it turned out to be a bit more difficult." Vickie, David and their staff kept at it, providing a diverse magazine that covered not only music but other entertainment in the Columbus area as well, expanding the base of potential advertisers they could draw from. They managed to keep Playgrounds afloat, and eventually, the paper stood on its own. Although it didn't make a huge profit, they were not necessarily in the business to make a lot of money off of it anyhow. "There was really a need for this kind of publication here," Vickie affirms. "Just the relationships we have developed over the years have made this special. Whenever I get frustrated and think this is going to be my last issue and threaten to quit doing it, there is such an outpouring of love and support for me and the magazine that helps sustain me and keep it going. It's tough to do one of these papers unless you are independently wealthy. You have to believe in what you are doing and put a lot of time into it and not expect a lot from others most of the time."

About the same time that Playgrounds was launched, Vickie's husband David became involved in a partnership that bought a watering hole called Victoria's on Columbus' northeast side, whose name they changed to Soho. For most of its existence, Soho did "cheesy" entertainment and was not doing much in the way of live music other than cover bands. In 2003, Vickie decided it was time for a change in Soho's approach to live music, skewing more in the direction of original bands. She had a ready-made avenue to promote the new direction with Playgrounds and music writer Brad Barnes at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer was also very supportive of what they were doing. Since none of the radio stations in Columbus would play music by local or regional bands, they started advertising on the stations instead. It was ultimately more of a grassroots effort that helped gain notice for the club as a viable original music venue. "What worked best for us when we started doing more original music was word of mouth. A recent example was when people were coming up here from Florida to escape the hurricanes and wanted to know where to go to see live music. Hotel desk clerks and clerks in stores recommended Soho. That sort of promotion is the best thing that has happened to us. We've even seen a change in our regular customers, who, at first, turned their noses up at original music, but are now some of the biggest supporters." With a staff that is very supportive to the live music in their dealings with both the bands and the customers, the word about Soho continues to grow even though it is not located in Columbus' downtown entertainment district. National artists such as Seven Mary Three, Kelly Keeling, and Eden have performed there, and an upcoming show features Element 80. "We have to keep bringing in national acts as well as well as working hard to maintain a consistent product in all areas. It can be tough here because people are not as open-minded or metropolitan-minded as they would be in places like Atlanta. One advantage we do have in a smaller town is (unlike Atlanta where there are so many choices) we are the only outlet in town to see heavy rock."

With Playgrounds, Vickie is keeping the fires burning, perhaps turning a bit more politically correct in order to attract more potential advertisers. Beyond her work with Playgrounds and Soho she would like to organize the other clubs in town to create a music festival, and perhaps produce a Christmas compilation CD. Vickie does not make the distinction of having a greater passion for booking bands or writing about them. The different hats she wears work towards the same purpose as far as she is concerned. "I love being able to promote original music through both of my ventures. It is very meaningful to me when I get calls from bands who tell me that even though they may not have made as much at Soho as they do at some clubs they had an enjoyable experience that was worth the time for them to do it. It is nice when you work with musicians who make you feel good."

Vickie Carson's advice for musicians: "Unless you are making it big, don't burn any bridges. You need to be respectful of the places you play at and be easy to work with. If a band is as good as any other one but they have a bad attitude, I am not going to work with them again."