Small towns can have great performance arts centers

Some good information on how a small (but wealthy) ski town was able to build a state-of-the-art performance center.

Jackson Hole Guide News & Guide, 2/28/07 - Jackson Hole center for the arts opens: "Off Square Theatre Company, one of the Center for the Arts’ 17 resident organizations, will rent the pavilion’s rehearsal hall, adjacent to the lobby, as its own space for classes, auditions, rehearsals and more. It currently pays $16,000 a year for its offices in the Arts and Education Pavilion, and will pay $15,000 a year for the rehearsal hall. Charges for nonprofit use of the Center Theater for ticketed events amount to $500 a night for rehearsals and technical run-throughs and $1,000 a night for performances. The center charges slightly more for non-ticketed events as it will lose revenue if not handling ticket sales, for which it charges a 10 percent surcharge. For ticketed events, the facility provides box office and marketing services, concessions and ushers.

Commercial renters of the Center Theater will pay $2,500 a night. ...

The Center for the Arts’ capital campaign to raise $35 million completely paid for the Arts and Education Pavilion and for the design, engineering, construction and equipment in the Performing Arts Pavilion – 'everything down to the piano,' Berry said proudly of the newly acquired 9-foot Steinway grand. ...

The Center for the Arts’ project started as an ad hoc collection of Jackson Hole arts organizations in 1991. Following several years of feasibility studies, the center incorporated in 1995 and embarked on the design and fundraising process. A dedicated board and staff were assembled and, through a public/private partnership, the center was funded by its $35 million, seven-year private capital campaign. In total, the Center for the Arts encompasses 15 studios, 21 administrative offices, three classrooms, three conference rooms, two galleries, five outdoor public spaces, two lobbies, six theater support rooms, one darkroom lab and one theater."

economic development
creative class
third places
Jackson Hole

High school nights at local clubs

An article about a group of promoters who host events at clubs for high school age students in the Bethesda and DC areas.

blackandwhiteonline.net, 2/12/07 - Can I borrow your club? Local venues host teenager nights

all ages
clubs
DC

Bringing younger audiences to the arts

This article has a number of excellent ideas about how to reach young adults.

Arts groups creating ways to lure young audiences - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 2/25/07

Here are some of the ideas mentioned:

1. Gallery crawls, which are pitched to 20-to-40-year -olds and offer hors d'oeuvres and music in addition to art.

2. Making sure people know you don't have to dress up to attend the theater and classical music concerts.

3. Bringing in young professionals as volunteers to help various arts organizations.

4. Offering affordable tickets.

5. Combining theater events with a pre-show cocktail party.

6. Promoting events via email, websites, radio, and word-of-mouth, not just through more traditional methods like newspapers, billboards, and posters.

creative class
classical music
Pittsburgh

A festival showcasing Brooklyn music

Brooklyn Brings The Beat - February 16, 2007 - The New York Sun: "Brooklyn Academy of Music is adopting as its presents its first borough-wide music festival, Brooklyn Next.

The festival features performances by either Brooklyn-born or based artists during the next two weeks, ...14 venues across the borough will feature showcases by local artists, including indie rock acts like the French Kicks and Les Sans Culottes, the afro-jazz group the Arturo O'Farill Quartet, and a 75th birthday bash for the late Johnny Cash presented by Brooklyn Country Music...

[The executive producer of BAM, Joseph Melillo] decided that BAM needed to chase after a bigger goal, namely surveying the wider music spectrum in Brooklyn beyond R&B. "I started to do my own research of the music scene in Brooklyn, and I felt we could, with integrity, create a multiple-year musical initiative that celebrated the amazing spectrum of music that can be found in Brooklyn," he said.

Almost immediately, Mr. Melillo thought to take an unorthodox approach to organizing the festival: Typically, organizers decide the artist lineup of large-scale music festivals. But Mr. Melillo opted to hire an independent producer, Chris Wangro, to contact venues throughout the borough, who then decided what local artists to book for the festival. "Once we agreed that our attack would be not to re cruit artists [but spaces], it was a major decision," Mr. Wangro said. "We as the creators of the festival are not curatorial. We decided to say to the booking guys, it's your venue, it's your community, it's what are you bringing to the table."

Brooklyn
music festival
live music
clubs

Family friendly venues may be the future of live music

Just as megachurches have expanded beyond church services. Rocketown is leading the way toward family entertainment. What makes this an interesting business model is that it isn't tied to a particular demonination, which may make the concept more inviting than venues located at specific churches.

STLtoday.com, 2/24/07 - Old mall to house Christian music club: "The 40,000-square-foot entertainment center has an indoor skate park, coffee bar and three stages. It is the brainchild of Christian music star Michael W. Smith.

Since opening in downtown Nashville about four years ago, Rocketown has attracted 100,000 to 125,000 visitors each year, development director Audra Davis said. Although the club's target age group is 12- to 20-year-olds, the venue hosts shows for all ages that are smoke- and alcohol-free, she said.

At first, Rocketown had a difficult time attracting bands because some groups feared they wouldn't sell as many tickets with smoking and alcohol restrictions, Davis said. But after booking a few big names for successful concerts, the venue and its staff built a good reputation with musicians, she said.

Now, Rocketown staffers enjoy lending their knowledge and experience as their venue becomes a model to developers such as the Atkinsons.

Davis said: 'We've had, literally, hundreds of folks contact us who wanted to do something similar in their community. It's been fun to share our experience and kind of create a network of organizations trying to do this and make an impact for teens. For adults, I think it's great that there's a place where you don't have to worry about drunk folks being around while you are trying to enjoy a concert.'"

third places
church
Nashville
all ages
live music
clubs

Rock bands in a building that also serves as a church

Another example of a church, this one in Hanover, PA, that doubles as a music venue.

Evening Sun, 2/18/07 - Center transforms for music: "Bombshelter events feature Christian hardcore bands, independent groups, acoustic artists, open mic nights and other happenings. Some of the acts are Christian, but not all....

And Freedom Valley, an Assemblies of God church, is often the place where that stigma is broken. The same room that usually holds about 90 churchgoers during Sunday morning services is turned into a completely different environment when The Bombshelter fills up. ...

Organizers understand that not all Bombshelter patrons are active Christians. So they try not to force religion down patrons' throats.

Aside from a few wall posters, the venue doesn't have much religious iconography.

A black sheet hangs behind the bands, and the event sometimes features acts who aren't much different than those found at a non-Christian rock show. Patrons pay to get in, then go crazy as hardcore rock is spewed from speakers on stage.

But Bombshelter Community shows are a different animal altogether.

Admission is free and patrons share a community meal. And concertgoers get to have a question-and-answer session with one of the bands in attendance.

... when Freedom Valley moved into a former restaurant last spring, Bombshelter organizers realized they had another venue to hold shows.

The remnants of the restaurant add to the building's charm. Aside from the bright green booths and kitchen equipment, music fans dance on the same carpet that restaurant patrons once spilled drinks on. The venue also has separate rooms for bands to leave their equipment, something organizers say they didn't have in the past. ...

'We wanted somewhere else where kids can hang out,' Wilson said. 'There wasn't any other place.'"

church
all ages
third places

You can't dance in NYC

As it turns out, you can't dance just anywhere in NYC. Only in certain places.

New York City not ready to cut footloose - Los Angeles Times, 2/26/07: "The 1926 law, which requires bars and restaurants to obtain a cabaret license before three or more patrons can dance, ...

There are about 150 licensed cabarets in New York, according to the city's Department of Consumer Affairs, and 42 pending applications. Dancers say most of those play club and house music, whereas just a handful of venues offer genres such as country and western, salsa, tango, ballroom and swing."

New York
clubs

SXSW as a foreign music marketing showcase

About 25% of the bands playing official SXSW showcases are from foreign countries. And many of the sponsored SXSW parties are being hosted by location-based economic development groups.

Here's a press release from the Canadian organization describing what it does to promote Canadian bands at SXSW.

CNW Telbec "A record number of 108 Canadian artists have been invited to perform at one of North America's largest annual music industry events and some of Canada's hottest buzz acts - from Malajube to K'naan to Mother Mother - are slated to appear. Established acts such as Kid Koala, The Tragically Hip, Ron Sexsmith, Sloan, and The Dears are also confirmed. Terry McBride, the
visionary founder of Nettwerk Music Group, will be featured in a SXSW interview. ...

The Canadian BLAST at SXSW is a comprehensive marketing, network and business development initiative supported by a government-industry partnership that includes CIRPA (Canadian Independent Record Production Association), FACTOR (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records), SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada), and the government of Canada."

economic development
sxsw
Canada

What community does public radio serve?

This Salt Lake City station is wondering if they have to abandon some of their special audiences in order to cultivate a bigger, younger audience.

Salt Lake City Weekly - Nudging the Dial: "For 27 years, KRCL 90.9 FM has been a favorite spot for fans of roots, bluegrass, blues and folk. It’s also the only place on the dial to feature programs in Tongan or broadcast information on the state’s Vietnamese community.

Around 32,000 loyal fans tune in each week. But, in an Ogden-to-Provo radio market with a potential 1.7 million listeners, that isn’t many. KRCL’s audience has stagnated to the point the station risks losing one of its main federal grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), about 11 percent of KRCL’s $900,000 budget. Under CPB guidelines, stations must meet baseline measurements either of listeners or local donations, neither of which KRCL hits, said station manager Donna Land Maldonado."

radio

Cincinnati has a song

Having not heard this song, I don't know if it will capture the world's imagination. New York has a song (several actually), so do Chicago, San Franciscio, and others.

Denver doesn't have a song, but John Denver did "Rocky Mountain High," so that kinda captures it.

My guess is that songs about locations work best when they are written as love songs to the place, and if they capture a widely-agreed-upon image.

I lived in Yellow Springs, Ohio, quite awhile ago and visited Cincinnati a few times. What caught my attention was the Proctor and Gamble factory and the working class neighborhoods that surrounded it. It struck me as a blend of American values and European immigrant influences. There's probably a song in there.

The Cincinnati Post, 2/16/07 - Song sings Cincinnati's praises: "The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is again drawing on the vibrant music community to tout the area's arts and creative features, and take some playful shots at other cities as well.

The advocacy group has commissioned a Cincinnati-centric song, and this week is releasing, mostly through Internet distribution, the tune by local troubadour Jake Speed. 'All Roads Lead to Cincinnati' sings the praises of the region in a way designed to capture the attention of the highly sought young professionals demographic."

Cincinnati
tourism
economic development

Training teens to be music entrepreneurs

The lack of all-ages venues around the country, and the fact that live music is so closely tied to liquor sales, are mistakes. Here's a project that realizes running music events can provide learning experiences for teens.

Seattle Post- Intelligencer, 2/17/07 - Vera Project trains teens for music industry: "But in 2007 Seattle, at the Vera Project, 17 means being around people who let you run the show.

So you run it.

Adults respect you, trust you and collaborate with you to make the music center and organization a place where music belongs to everybody. It also is a training ground for the next generation of the music industry. Someday, you might run the world.

You'll do that from a new home as Vera moves to a 9,000-square-foot, revamped, two-floor Snoqualmie Room at the Seattle Center that will house classrooms, offices, a recording studio and a venue for live all-ages shows. ...

To new board member and attorney Jerry Everard, who co-owns Neumo's, Vera works because of the bonds it forges.

'The emotional and intellectual experience of connecting with others your age is vital to the music industry,' he said. 'I don't think we want kids to be spending all their time at their computers, downloading music. We want kids out in the community, connecting with the community.'

Vera kids, Hong said, are all over the city using the training Vera provided. They are releasing records on their own labels; working at Bumbershoot, Seattle DIY.com, KEXP, the Stranger, Neumo's and OneReel; organizing events such as the Bend-It Fest; starting non-profits such as the Bikery; and teaching and mentoring at teen centers.

'Anywhere you could possibly look, youth are taking the stage and running the show around town,' Hong said."

Seattle
all ages
third places
economic development

Small venues or big?

Arcade Fire has opted to play more nights in smaller venues than to move on to arenas.

TheStar.com. 2/11/07 - The heat begins to rise: "... the five-night, hometown residency that wrapped up last night at the Ukrainian National Federation, a 650-seat community centre located in the city's downtown, was an arrangement of choice rather than a matter of necessity. Arcade Fire is more than plenty big enough in Montreal – and a lot of other places – to have graduated to larger venues. ...

More of the same can be expected this week when Arcade Fire launches another sold-out-in-advance, five-night stand at the 400-seat Judson Memorial Church in New York's Greenwich Village.

The venues are small partly because Arcade Fire views these gigs, along with a previous run of comparatively intimate shows that received rave reviews in the U.K., as a touring equivalent of spring training....

'It's a question of balance,' says Butler ...

'You want to fit as many people in as want to see you, but you also don't want to play the Bell Centre,' he continues. 'It's not the greatest ambience. So you end up playing more nights in a smaller venue like a nice theatre, but then you don't get to as many places. You end up playing three nights in Chicago, instead of one night in Chicago and another in Champlain.'"

Building a music scene in Connecticut

Those of us in the middle of the country tend to assume (or have been led to believe) that music scenes are better in the Northeast. This article suggests that while things may be hot in NYC and Boston, there are other cities which are just starting to promote venues and bands.

courant.com, 2/11/07 - Pumping Up Indie Music: "Bands like The Hold Steady, Aberdeen City and Protokoll are playing Masonic lodges in Hamden, bars in Hartford and American Legion halls in Manchester, booked by music lovers who see no reason the Land of Steady Habits can't shake its somnolent attitude and build a vibrant indie-rock scene.

These budding concert promoters, going by names like Manic Productions, Shag Frenzy and Rock Yer Socks, balance day jobs with learning the intricacies of the live-music industry as they fight to demonstrate competence and reliability to the national booking agencies responsible for securing gigs for many bands."

music scene
music promotion

More on marketing Detroit's music to tourists

Detroit News, 2/11/07 - Detroit's music scene is strong, but too hard to find: "The Convention and Visitors Bureau has divided the region into five districts and is creating maps and Web pages dedicated to highlighting the music venues, restaurants, bars and shopping areas that exist within each. They'll be creating pod casts and short digital films highlighting Detroit's hidden gems with the express purpose of generating a buzz among young people.

'We've been marketing to baby boomers for two generations, and it's not working,' Townsend says of the branding campaign's focus on 18- to 35-year-olds. 'Why not go after the younger groups and get them hooked so they'll come back again and again?'

That's a smart strategy.

If people want to know where the White Stripes, The Dirtbombs or Slum Village got their start, they shouldn't have to struggle to find out. Point them to the Lager House, Saint Andrews Hall and the Attic Bar, to name a few of the above ground undergrounds.

Making it easy to find these places is a good start, but it would be even better if a music district were created around the joints that already exist in the city or those that once did like the Grande Ballroom or the original Hip Hop Shop.

Then we wouldn't even need the maps."

music scene
tourism
Detroit

Memphis music inspires movies

An interesting article about how Memphis music has become the inspiration for a movie director and a composer.

Back to Memphis, This Time Making the City Moan - New York Times, 2/11/07: "'It’s like there’s music in the air in Memphis. You can just grab it. It’s ancient, and it’s just a part of the dirt, [said composer Scott Bomar].

.... 'I’m trying to do a music series for my state,' [director Craig Brewer] said. 'It sort of starts from the music and begins to inspire me with images and stories. I really wanted "Hustle & Flow" to be the rap movie. I tried to write a story that would use it as a soundtrack and capture what I felt was the essence of hip-hop in Memphis. Now I’m doing blues. My next one is outlaw country.'”

Memphis

Local residents can market to tourists

I've put up links to some cities which are using music to brand themselves. Often location-based branding is done by marketing specialists who refine a city's image to pitch to the tourist market.

But this approach begins at the grassroots level. Citizens are being asked what they think makes their hometowns special. It combines oral history with tourism marketing. Certainly the concept could be extended to local music venues and why people should check them out. (A variation that is already being done are the many "Best of" city guides that alternative weeklies put out on an annual basis.)

Commercial Dispatch Online, 2/9/07: "Sharing stories of people and places is what Mississippians do well, and it's what will move this corner of the state into a new wave of cultural tourism, as a whole generation of retired baby-boomers with time on their hands and pension checks in their pockets begin weekend drives looking for life beyond the strip-mall.

The Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance, a tourism cooperative made up of 30 counties in the northeast corner of the state is set to begin gathering data on topics like history, culture, nature outdoor recreation and just about any other topic residents believe is necessary to tell the heritage history of their town.

'Each place has a little bit of a different feel,' said Darienne Wilson Mobley, principal of Creative Solutions, a Baton Rouge, La., tourism consultant.

'I call it your soul - what is your sense of place,' Mobley added, speaking Thursday morning at Mississippi State University, as MHHAA made a series of stops in northeast Mississippi to meet with local tourism leaders, elected officials and others in the industry to introduce MHHAA's new Web site, where soon anyone will be able to get online."

tourism

The cruise as a venue

Here's another article on music cruises. Some info:

Music cruises riding a wave of success - Reuters, 2/9/07

"Sixthman co-founder Tod Elmore says the company rents boats from Carnival Cruise Lines and pays headliners a flat guarantee with a potential for additional revenue.

"One challenge in orchestrating a music cruise is getting acts to commit in advance ... 'We need a 12- to 14-month lead time,' Elmore says. 'It's hard for an artist to commit that much time in advance unless they know that they don't have much else going on.'

"Carnival VP of group sales and administration Cherie Weinstein says the cruise line has seen an increased interest in music-themed cruises during the last four years. But Weinstein cautions acts who are entertaining the idea of chartering ships for live performances.

"'It is a large financial commitment,' she says. 'You're not just putting a concert in a venue. You can't have the "if you build it, they will come" attitude. You've got to market, market, market and push, push, push.'

"The cost of renting a Carnival ship depends on the size of the boat, time of the year and number of days, but Weinstein declines to give a price range, saying only that 'it's very, very large dollars.'"

cruise

Detroit promotes its music to tourists

Soundslam News: "Despite the loss of some of Detroit's hip hop core, it seems that the city's Visitor's Bureau has recently recognized the strength of the Detroit hip-hop scene as a catalyst for new tourism. Last Wednesday, the Bureau released their new advertising campaign entitled, D. Cars, Culture, Gaming, Music, Sports, reflecting several facets of hip hop's influence.

In the press release, the Visitor's Bureau stated, 'Hot cars. Leading-edge music. Vegas-style gaming. Diverse culture. Championship sports. These are the attributes that define metro Detroit and offer the most appeal as a tourism destination.' Larry Alexander, CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB), said that including music, these five categories give Detroit the identity as 'the American city where cool comes from.' The ads' demographics focus on a narrow 21 to 34 year old range. While the older baby boomer generation remembers Detroit for its economic deterioration, the youth, especially hip hoppers, see Detroit as a hot bed for each of the five categories. VisitDetroit.com also explicitly takes advantage of Detroit hip hop by giving updates on hip-hop events and a thorough history of its scene, shouting out Eminem, Kid Rock, Slum Village, J Dilla, and old schoolers such as The Crew Called Open Mic, A.W.O.L., Smilee, and Kaos & Mystro.

The aesthetic of the ad campaign also shows glimpses of hip-hop's influence. The campaign's logo (fig. 2) shows a sleeker version of the old English 'D' found throughout Detroit hip-hop's marketing."

music scene
tourism
Detroit
hip hop

The multi-generational cross-over market

Pollstar, 2/5/07 - Farmer Jason Scorches The Kids: "Jason Ringenberg, the former frontman of cowpunk outfit Jason & the Scorchers is now playing music and talking about the environment to the grade school set as Farmer Jason....

[In addition to playing schools] he's also experimenting with taking the Farmer Jason show to regular rock venues during the day, and doing a singer/songwriter performance for the grownups at night.

'I do libraries, schools and regular performing arts venues with hard tickets. But we also do shows in rock rooms, which is quite fun,' Ringenberg said. 'Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't; but it can be quite interesting to have parents bringing their kids to places where they hang out at night.'...

'You see hard-bitten sound guys and door bouncers who are used to throwing people out at 2 in the morning, and now they're hanging out with 4-year-olds and there are smiles all around. It's a good vibe,' Ringenberg said....

And he also finds himself playing for three generations of fans.

'Some of my fans from the Scorchers days - I hate to say this - are grandparents now, and they're bringing the grandkids to see me. Sometimes they don't know what to make of it but it's all fun.'"

all ages

Reinforcing a sense of community

The music store Amoeba is thriving in LA.

2/5/07, ABC News: Eschewing MP3s for a Modern Music Bazaar: "As owner Marc Weinstein explains, Amoeba's collection is so broad that just about anyone can go there to sell CDs, which drives its reputation as the central music trading post in Los Angeles.

Many of us also go there in search of something new. The store even maintains several unprofitable departments -- like posters and seven-inch records -- simply because no one else does.

Because the music is housed under one very high roof, Amoeba acts like a magnet for die-hard music fans or even casual listeners who want some exposure to coolness.

'There's a huge social event built in. It's the distillation of all the music-loving people around town all in one place shopping for music,' Weinstein said. 'What person from L.A. wouldn't be proud to look out and see all the way-into-music wackos out on the floor of that store?'

'It's like you're in New York,' he said.

What draws people to the store is a kind of network effect. That is, the more people use a certain service, the more useful that service becomes to others. Being around other Amoeba shoppers is desirable on its own."

music scene
third places
Los Angeles

Improving a local music scene

I've never been to Fresno. I've never been to most of the places that have articles about their music scenes. I have no idea which are good scenes and which aren't, other than what the writers say.

I like this guy's style. Seems like he has some good ideas for a place I've never been.

He suggests new events, opening up venues in an under-served part of town, restoring a popular venue now closed, and converting a venue into a 2000-person music hall.

2/2/07, FresnoBee.com: Mike Osegueda: Adding zip to Fresno's music scene: "Attention somebody! Anybody! Steal these ideas. Please.

Sometimes I just wish I had a few million bucks or a magic wand so I could make sweeping changes to Fresno's live music scene.

But that's not me. I just write these words on Fridays. There's gotta be somebody out there who has the money, time and passion to make change happen.

So, that person, if you're reading this, please steal these ideas:"

music scene

Promoting the Crooked Road to tourists

The Crooked Road now has a website to promote its collection of musical venues.

The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail

crooked road
tourism
virginia
music scene
economic development

The upscale venue trend continues

sfgate.com, 2/4/07 - Union Square club Vessel aims for elegance: "But on this night, the subterranean space was filled with an amber glow, pulsing music and about 300 people -- models from Look agency, young professionals from the Financial District, and artistic types from the Mission District -- all drawn by an e-mail invitation touting a private event. ...

The underground party spot, named Vessel, is the latest -- and perhaps one of the most chic -- offerings to hit San Francisco's increasingly grown-up nightclub scene....

In recent years, the local nightlife scene has shifted from large-scale raves for 1,000 in South of Market warehouses to cosmopolitan drinks in quieter, smaller venues as Generation Xers -- those born between the mid-1960s and the mid-1970s -- have matured and turned to intimate bars with individual character....

Among the highlights: a multimillion-dollar sound system, to ensure that the volume can be high without distortion and still allow customers to hear one another talk; cocktail glasses made of crystal and titanium, for durability and sparkle; extra-large ice cubes that won't dilute the drinks; and a reservation system for pricey, but prime seating space ($250 for a table of six, $500 for a table of 12, but unlike clubs with bottle service, no alcohol purchases are required).

There's also a separately ventilated smoking room to eliminate the need to go upstairs and outside (where smokers might disturb guests of the nearby Campton Place Hotel), and a concierge service overseen by the club's marketing director, Tana Samadani. The concierge will help late-afternoon tourist customers by whisking bulky shopping bags back to their hotel rooms, calling taxis for guests or even finding inebriated bar-goers a room for the night (the customer will foot the bill, though)."

clubs
San Francisco

Playing cabarets

Here's an article about a guy with a rock band, Excuses, who takes it into piano bars and cabarets. Just another addition to the "take music to the people" theme of this blog.

North Jersey Media Group, 2/4/07 - Between rock and cabaret - not a hard place: "[Evan] Toth, an English teacher by day (for the last four years at Community High School in Teaneck) got a role in the touring, off-Broadway and Japanese productions of the long-running audience-immersion comedy 'Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding.' ...

By the time he finished his three-year run in that show, in 2001, he was ready to hit the cabaret trail with a vengeance.

'I've spent a long time building a local fan base, and it's been a long road connecting to people along the way, but they do come out,' says Toth, 28.

It helps, in his brave new career as a crossover cabaret star, that Toth can sit at the Steinway and whip out a rendition of 'Strangers in the Night' or 'Cabaret' for the piano bar crowd.

Sometimes, when the club has an outer lounge and an inner theater ... he can serve as his own pitchman, playing sample tunes on the outside to lure customers to the inner sanctum."

clubs
New York

To add to the list of art in small/unusual places

San Diego's sandiego.com: "In the tradition of Isadora Duncan’s parlor performances in the early 20th Century, Eveoke’s 'Luna – Dances of Love' is touring private homes and galleries this month."

Mapping England's rock history

The Guardian, 2/5/07 - Hendrix to Oasis tourist trail: putting England's rock locations on the map | The Guardian: "A new map of England's rock and pop heritage aims to celebrate nearly 200 destinations linked to famous musicians, from Britpop boozer The Good Mixer in Camden to Jimi Hendrix's 1960s London address to Knebworth House, venue for Queen's last concert....

The aim was to be as exhaustive as possible while keeping to the rule that each location had to have something tangible for fans to see, even if only a commemorative plaque. The printed version of the map features 113 locations while the website at www.enjoyengland.com/rocks has 190, along with audio samples. Some of the more offbeat inclusions on the list have prompted raised eyebrows among rock pundits."

tourism
England
music scene
economic development
clubs

Exclusive is "in"

This article talks about NYC clubs that are hard to find and hard to get into, which adds to their cachet.

A club that I visited in NYC years ago operated on that same principle and was great fun to visit because of it.

A friend, who was rich and lived in a penthouse that overlooked Central Park West, decided to we should go out because she was depressed and was about to break up with the boyfriend who owned the penthouse.

We went to Chelsea, where she took me into a small, kind of tacky, gift shop. We went to the back, pushed open a door, and found ourselves inside a tiny piano bar with an androgynous man exuberantly playing sing-along songs like "American Pie." Everyone there appeared to be having a great time. After we hung out for a few minutes, she led me to the back of that room, pushed through the door, and we found ourselves in a tiny charming restaurant overlooking a courtyard with rain streaming down the windows. It was a very romantic setting. We stayed for dinner. When we were finished, we went back to the piano bar, and she led me upstairs where there was yet another room, a darkly lit piano bar with a black guy playing blues, Gerswin, and Cole Porter standards.

With so many rooms, and so many different atmospheres, it was like a minature NYC Disneyland for adults. I picked up a printed matchbook which it said, "Chelsea Place. Tell only your best friends."

I returned a couple of nights later with another friend. And again a couple of nights after that with another friend. Each of them then went back with more friends.

One of the nights I was there, around midnight the limos with tall blonde models were showing up. The piano bar was packed with rich, good-looking professionals. It definitely had a "in place" vibe to it.

Come to Our Club. Or Not. Whatever. - New York Times, 1/14/07: "These cozy bars and clubby restaurants signal a retreat from the night-life largess of the meatpacking district and West Chelsea. Instead of V.I.P. seating, they rely on techniques, some from the speak-easy era, like obscure locations, secret (and oft-changed) reservation numbers and 'soft openings' that cater to insiders, to create the perception of exclusivity. While these are well-worn sleights of hand, a flurry of subtle arrivals suggests that small and quiet is back in vogue."

clubs
New York

The indie scene versus the jamband scene

Bob Lefsetz has something in today's newsletter that echoes my feelings on the subject.

I understand the jamband market and its audience. Once those fans love a band, they stick with them for years.

I don't understand how to market to the indie audience. The fans expect to get their downloads for free; the reviewers (bloggers in many cases) seem forever championing the next "greatest band," only to drop them within months and move on other new bands; and the bands themselves sometimes have little actual playing experience, only have enough material for a short set, and play live infrequently.

______

Lefsetz Letter: "... Billy starts waxing rhapsodic about Widespread Panic. How he sees them every tour....

Billy liked people who could PLAY! Who gave it their all in concert. He wanted them to put in the effort, he wanted it to be about the MUSIC! ...

Oh the history we share. Oh how different it is from that of today’s younger generation. ...

The whole culture has changed. A concert is a special event. Whereas we used to go once a month. Not quite as frequently as seeing a movie, but CLOSE!

It was the music, the vibe. That was the peak experience, the concert experience.

Maybe it still is.

Then again, too many bands play to hard drive. The performance is formulaic. The acts come and go. Careers are a thing of the past. It’s who’s hot NOW!

The live business isn’t like recorded music. It can’t be stolen by the Internet."

_____

Lefsetz goes on to complain that ticket prices are too high, merchandise is too high, radio won't play the music, and labels want you to buy a high priced CD without having heard what is on it.

live music

The true live music business model

Some of the talk coming out of the Music 2.0 conference is that major labels can't afford to do artist development (including tour support) unless they get a percentage of tour and merchandising income.

Major Label Executives Express Continued Frustration, Mood Sours — Digital Music News: "In a previous era, labels gladly financed marketing initiatives for artists – including tour support – without receiving direct returns from areas outside of the CD. That approach is now becoming a critical problem, though a clear plan has not emerged to broaden the business. 'We’re going to have to get good at all of these ancillary revenue streams and see what works,' said Ring, while Ken Bunt of Hollywood Records pointed to a far broader approach that included 'touring, merchandise, mobile, DVDs,' and a large host of other areas. 'We could monetize file-sharing tomorrow, but it would just be one small part of the puzzle,' Bunt said."

Live Nation is planning to create a music venue site to bring together its own venues and competitors to market to concert goers and offering ticketing. Live Nation, in essences, wants to develop a database of live music goers.

Live Nation Concocts MySpace of Concert Websites — Digital Music News: "Live Nation is now tinkering with a new concept online, one that will give consumers more comprehensive live concert information. The company is now inviting competing venues to not only list their events, but also build their own pages within the site. 'It's like MySpace for venues,' said Live Nation executive Scott Fedewa..."


Here are my thoughts on the matter:

1. Marketing to the current group of concert goers is not enough. If Live Nation and other venues want to make money, then need to find ways to expand the number of people who go to see live music.

2. Major labels and even indie bands don't really have significant experience tapping into live music. Major labels and independent labels have been in the recorded music business. Sure, signed artists and indie artists tour, but both have still focused on recorded music.

From my observation, there is only one group of bands that really understands the live music market -- that's jambands. Their business models have always been driven by live music, tape sharing among fans, and relatively little exposure through radio or music reviews. It's been largely driven through word-of-mouth. While the indie/hipster segment of the industry has generated press about the viability of avoiding the major label system, in reality, their business has been more like a junior version of the major label system than the true DIY model that has existed for several decades within the jamband community.

live music
Music 2.0