Nobody likes playing to a crowd that doesn’t care…especially after you’ve driven 4 hours to get to your show. It can be a huge waste of time, gas, and energy. It’s important to remember that the type of audience you play to depends largely on the type of space you’re in. If you’re in a [...]
Given the unmatched popularity of a recent post we published, ”AN OPEN LETTER TO VENUES THAT EXPLOIT THEIR MUSICIANS“, I thought it would be worth posting some observations from playing in venues that don’t charge cover. This blog may be more applicable to singer/songwriters and bands that play to “listening audiences” in theaters, galleries, and intimate [...]
Nelson Emokpae of Nelly’s Echo has a reputation for being one of the few singer-songwriters, along with Micah, who “cleans up real good” at the NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) conferences. In fact, almost all of his gigs through the year are at colleges. And when he talks about hitting the road (below), he’s [...]
Have you ever wanted to start a music series – a Coffeehouse series up the street from your house, a regular singer-songwriter night residency with your favorite venue, or maybe a ticketed house show that’s known for quality music, good food and company? Fall is a really good time to do this. I recently had [...]
The saying goes like this: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. Occasionally, when I’m at a show, or shortly after a show, I notice how various audience members respond to my merchandise table. Here’s what I’ve observed… Type A Listener This individual likes what they hear. They buy the album immediately, sign [...]
My old college professor, Lloyd Corder (check out his marketing site), says “the best writing in the world is on the back of a DVD cover.” Why? Because the writer basically has 1 paragraph to convince you that the DVD is worth renting or buying. This is so true! If you can’t be accurately and [...]
Having just played a couple shows in the last week where thing didn’t go 100% as expected, I thought I’d write this post. Here are some ways to make the best of a bad situation: When there are only 5 people in the audience Obviously your promoting did not pay off. This has happened [...]
