I suppose I should have put two-and-two together and figured out that the term "barbershop quartet" probably linked music and barbershops in some fashion. But barbershop quartets didn't have any cachet when I was growing up so I never paid any attention to them.
This article isn't about those a cappella groups, but it is about a long tradition, in at least one Appalachian town, of having morning live music in a barbershop. Maybe it is time to get back to this in more places.
KnoxNews, 1/31/07 - Barbershop offers southern musical heritage along with clean shave: "Each Thursday, for the past half-century, musicians of various stripe and age have arrived at 8 a.m. at the barbershop on West State and 10th Street to pick and sing for three hours. Then, they pack up and leave, just as leisurely as they arrived.
If you go there, make it by 8 a.m., or you might not get in. Some Thursday mornings, Boyd's barbershop is so jammed with jamming musicians that finding a seat is all but impossible. One side of a wooden partition separates those waiting for a haircut and those playing music. There is only one barber chair used for cutting hair....
[Bill] Bowman says that Thursdays are not the only events in Bristol where musicians gather. It all began, he says, in the 1920s outside the Hickory Tree Grocery. Today, several other places around Bristol provide venues for musicians to pick and sing, but Star Barber Shop is probably the most popular because of Boyd and tradition.
'Music just seems to be handed down through families here,' says Bowman. 'It is just part of our lifestyle. You grow up with it. I think music is something you are born with.
About 80 percent of all musicians who have made big names hail from within 100 miles of here, he says.
'At one time, we had live radio shows out of here,' he says. 'That was the only entertainment there was.'"
third places
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
How to communicate with your audience
The author of this blog entry wrote this after visiting ttweak, "a marketing, communications and design firm that shares our belief that authentic, original voices are the best way to convey a message."
Since I know the folks at ttweak, I thought I would pass this along.
houston | Social Signal:
* Let participants speak for themselves. Don't drown out original voices with heavy-handed narration or moderation.
* Remain tool agnostic. If your goal is to convey a message, you'll need to choose a different medium depending on the message you're delivering.
* Production values matter. Don't kid yourself into thinking that people will see past your barebones interface to appreciate the depth or brilliant of your feature set. Appearance counts.
* Invest in your local community. Even if your business has a national or international reach, a solid reputation with clients in your own city provides a bedrock for growth.
* Build relationships with your client's entire team. During one client visit, we saw how ttweak's introduction counted with the CEO -- but we also saw Dave on hugging terms with the parking valet. We got a warm reception in the boardroom -- and a warm car waiting outside when we were done.
* Client service is the surest way to grow a business. Resist the temptation to cash in by focusing on a single hot product, or cash out by selling your company to the highest bidder.
* Do what you're great at. Over-reaching is the surest way to burn your client -- and your brand.
internet marketing
Since I know the folks at ttweak, I thought I would pass this along.
houston | Social Signal:
* Let participants speak for themselves. Don't drown out original voices with heavy-handed narration or moderation.
* Remain tool agnostic. If your goal is to convey a message, you'll need to choose a different medium depending on the message you're delivering.
* Production values matter. Don't kid yourself into thinking that people will see past your barebones interface to appreciate the depth or brilliant of your feature set. Appearance counts.
* Invest in your local community. Even if your business has a national or international reach, a solid reputation with clients in your own city provides a bedrock for growth.
* Build relationships with your client's entire team. During one client visit, we saw how ttweak's introduction counted with the CEO -- but we also saw Dave on hugging terms with the parking valet. We got a warm reception in the boardroom -- and a warm car waiting outside when we were done.
* Client service is the surest way to grow a business. Resist the temptation to cash in by focusing on a single hot product, or cash out by selling your company to the highest bidder.
* Do what you're great at. Over-reaching is the surest way to burn your client -- and your brand.
internet marketing
Local support launches and funds a film
How Jay Craven made and promoted his film, "Disappearances," by focusing on local resources.
The same idea is where bands should start. Find support from your friends and neighbors before dreaming of the rest of the world.
'This will happen come hell or high water.' - The Boston Globe, 1/28/07: "Part of Craven's credo is to build on local talent and local investors. His films' fates are also inextricably stitched to local audiences. In the age of Netflix and Blockbuster, and cineplexes booked solid with, as Craven puts it, 'cars, pirates, supermen, and snakes on a plane,' Craven's solution to reaching Vermonters was to bypass typical venues and present directly to the farmers, loggers, and factory workers who wouldn't normally be exposed to an independent film.
His '100 Town Tour' last summer screened 'Disappearances' in town halls, church basements, high school gymnasiums, and opera houses. Students at Marlboro College, where Craven teaches film, dragged a portable AV system up and down the state, from Derby Line to Brattleboro. The tour grossed $170,000 and reached 18,500 people. Best of all, Craven's Kingdom County Productions reaped most of the financial rewards.
'The idea [is] to act on a populist impulse and be inclusive but go beyond what [the audience] is used to,' Craven says. 'Filmmaking for me is about community and family.'
The former arts center director-turned filmmaker is adept at leveraging connections and getting people fired up about his projects. On the phone, he freely switches among roles as filmmaker, fund-raiser, and cheerleader.
'What's the possibility of 'Disappearances' in West Newton?' Craven, 56, says to a Boston-based theater booking agent. Wearing a headset, his gray mane tucked under a baseball cap, Craven mans the helm of his hilltop production office -- a modest house hundreds of miles from the centers of mainstream filmmaking. He reminds the booker of his past successes. '['Where the Rivers Flow North'] played for eight weeks. We're about to do a mailing to 3,000 people [in Boston].'"
The same idea is where bands should start. Find support from your friends and neighbors before dreaming of the rest of the world.
'This will happen come hell or high water.' - The Boston Globe, 1/28/07: "Part of Craven's credo is to build on local talent and local investors. His films' fates are also inextricably stitched to local audiences. In the age of Netflix and Blockbuster, and cineplexes booked solid with, as Craven puts it, 'cars, pirates, supermen, and snakes on a plane,' Craven's solution to reaching Vermonters was to bypass typical venues and present directly to the farmers, loggers, and factory workers who wouldn't normally be exposed to an independent film.
His '100 Town Tour' last summer screened 'Disappearances' in town halls, church basements, high school gymnasiums, and opera houses. Students at Marlboro College, where Craven teaches film, dragged a portable AV system up and down the state, from Derby Line to Brattleboro. The tour grossed $170,000 and reached 18,500 people. Best of all, Craven's Kingdom County Productions reaped most of the financial rewards.
'The idea [is] to act on a populist impulse and be inclusive but go beyond what [the audience] is used to,' Craven says. 'Filmmaking for me is about community and family.'
The former arts center director-turned filmmaker is adept at leveraging connections and getting people fired up about his projects. On the phone, he freely switches among roles as filmmaker, fund-raiser, and cheerleader.
'What's the possibility of 'Disappearances' in West Newton?' Craven, 56, says to a Boston-based theater booking agent. Wearing a headset, his gray mane tucked under a baseball cap, Craven mans the helm of his hilltop production office -- a modest house hundreds of miles from the centers of mainstream filmmaking. He reminds the booker of his past successes. '['Where the Rivers Flow North'] played for eight weeks. We're about to do a mailing to 3,000 people [in Boston].'"
How to kill a music scene
This article talks about why live music venues are to be found outside Naples, Florida rather than within the city limits.
What it really addresses is the challenge of a mixed use neighborhood (the new trend in urban design) where people live among the businesses. So they don't want loud music after they have gone to bed.
A dance studio in Boulder ran into the same problem recently because it located in a new development where there are apartments above the studio and the residents complained about the noise.
Along somewhat similar lines, the neighborhood right next to the University of Colorado, the Hill, has been having trouble getting any new music venues because local residents (the ones who own the expensive houses in the neighborhood -- not the students who also live in the neighborhood, but in rentals) don't like the noise and the drunken students that such places attract.
naplesnews.com, 1/28/07 - Fight for your right: "But there’s something conspicuously lacking in what Neapolitans have labeled the nightlife hot spot: good live music.
“There’s nowhere to go to see something new and original and live,” said 26-year-old music promoter and bartender Adam D’Zurilla. “As far as music at bars goes there’s nothing but DJs and Jimmy Buffett and Jack Johnson covers.”
If the city of Naples’ elected officials have anything to say about it, things will stay this way. Though not explicitly stated, the general rule of live entertainment in the City of Naples is fairly clear: only solo musicians, and only before 11:30 p.m. If you want to hear a band or DJ play past midnight, you’ll just have to go somewhere else. You’ll have to go north or east."
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
University of Colorado
Boulder
mixed use
What it really addresses is the challenge of a mixed use neighborhood (the new trend in urban design) where people live among the businesses. So they don't want loud music after they have gone to bed.
A dance studio in Boulder ran into the same problem recently because it located in a new development where there are apartments above the studio and the residents complained about the noise.
Along somewhat similar lines, the neighborhood right next to the University of Colorado, the Hill, has been having trouble getting any new music venues because local residents (the ones who own the expensive houses in the neighborhood -- not the students who also live in the neighborhood, but in rentals) don't like the noise and the drunken students that such places attract.
naplesnews.com, 1/28/07 - Fight for your right: "But there’s something conspicuously lacking in what Neapolitans have labeled the nightlife hot spot: good live music.
“There’s nowhere to go to see something new and original and live,” said 26-year-old music promoter and bartender Adam D’Zurilla. “As far as music at bars goes there’s nothing but DJs and Jimmy Buffett and Jack Johnson covers.”
If the city of Naples’ elected officials have anything to say about it, things will stay this way. Though not explicitly stated, the general rule of live entertainment in the City of Naples is fairly clear: only solo musicians, and only before 11:30 p.m. If you want to hear a band or DJ play past midnight, you’ll just have to go somewhere else. You’ll have to go north or east."
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
University of Colorado
Boulder
mixed use
Miami's New Performing Arts Center
This article has quite a bit of information on what has worked and hasn't worked in the first three months of the new performing arts center in Miami.
Miami Herald, 1/28/07 - Before the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opened in October...: "Before the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opened in October, culminating nearly a quarter century of civic dreams, few in South Florida knew what to expect from the $446.3 million center's inaugural season."
Miami Herald, 1/28/07 - Before the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opened in October...: "Before the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opened in October, culminating nearly a quarter century of civic dreams, few in South Florida knew what to expect from the $446.3 million center's inaugural season."
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A long-time successful mid-sized venue in Kansas
A good article on a 2000-capacity venue in Wichita and how it has managed to survive. Check out the rest of the article to read have they have handled some of the unexpected problems that have come up.
Wichita Eagle, 1/28/07 - Big nights at the Cotillion: "The late Dick Leslie was one of the original investors in the Cotillion when it opened in 1960 and eventually bought out the other partners in the business. With his son, he shepherded the ballroom on West Kellogg in its transition from a Las Vegas-style showroom to a multiuse hall that accommodates dances, weddings and corporate events -- enough stable bookings to offset the risky concert business.
As venues go, the Cotillion still feels like a throwback. Even when it's filled with young rock fans with their piercings and tattoos, it's easy to imagine well-dressed couples twirling under a silver chandelier while a big band plays love songs on the half-moon stage....
'It's trial and error,' [Richard Leslie] jokes. 'We discover everything out here the hard way.'
Ask others, though, and they'll say his method is far from accidental. He studies music industry magazines and radio airplay charts, looks at how certain artists are selling in markets similar to Wichita, and builds relationships with national talent agencies.
'The natural tendency is to book shows that you like personally, but that's a terrible business model,' says Barney Byard, a local promoter who this year booked Margaret Cho and several other acts at the Cotillion. '(Richard's) willingness to try new things serves him well.'
Like others who've done business with the Cotillion, Byard describes its owner as a fair businessman who scrupulously watches his expenses. 'He's of the mind that you can turn pennies into dollars if you take that kind of approach.' Two other factors work to the Cotillion's advantage, says Greg 'The Hitman' Williams, program director at KDGS Power 93.9 FM.
First, it's the only 2,000-seat venue in the area, and that size has increased in popularity recently, as the demand for arena-size venues has decreased.
Second, as the building owner, Richard has the freedom to broker deals on his own terms."
live music
clubs
Wichita Eagle, 1/28/07 - Big nights at the Cotillion: "The late Dick Leslie was one of the original investors in the Cotillion when it opened in 1960 and eventually bought out the other partners in the business. With his son, he shepherded the ballroom on West Kellogg in its transition from a Las Vegas-style showroom to a multiuse hall that accommodates dances, weddings and corporate events -- enough stable bookings to offset the risky concert business.
As venues go, the Cotillion still feels like a throwback. Even when it's filled with young rock fans with their piercings and tattoos, it's easy to imagine well-dressed couples twirling under a silver chandelier while a big band plays love songs on the half-moon stage....
'It's trial and error,' [Richard Leslie] jokes. 'We discover everything out here the hard way.'
Ask others, though, and they'll say his method is far from accidental. He studies music industry magazines and radio airplay charts, looks at how certain artists are selling in markets similar to Wichita, and builds relationships with national talent agencies.
'The natural tendency is to book shows that you like personally, but that's a terrible business model,' says Barney Byard, a local promoter who this year booked Margaret Cho and several other acts at the Cotillion. '(Richard's) willingness to try new things serves him well.'
Like others who've done business with the Cotillion, Byard describes its owner as a fair businessman who scrupulously watches his expenses. 'He's of the mind that you can turn pennies into dollars if you take that kind of approach.' Two other factors work to the Cotillion's advantage, says Greg 'The Hitman' Williams, program director at KDGS Power 93.9 FM.
First, it's the only 2,000-seat venue in the area, and that size has increased in popularity recently, as the demand for arena-size venues has decreased.
Second, as the building owner, Richard has the freedom to broker deals on his own terms."
live music
clubs
Food is the new swag
Now that giveaways are common and the IRS is starting to keep track of them, some folks at Sundance have decided the way to reach celebrities is to feed them very well.
This might be a new trend in event marketing and could filter down to the live music scene as well.
After Sundance's Screenings, They Spread the Swag With a Spatula - washingtonpost.com, 1/28/07: "In the old days, it was hard to get a decent meal at the annual pop culture/corporate tie-in swag heap known as the Sundance Film Festival. Now? Food is the new edible swag. Forget those infamous (now taxable -- booo, IRS!) goodie bags from Fred Segal, still very popular but also very yawn. Today's hot giveaway comes on a platter with cave-aged Gruyère....
You've heard of food and wine pairings? It's celebrity pairings at Chefdance, where for 10 nights, a different celebrity chef lays out a four-course celebrity spread for an invitation-only seating of 250 directors, moguls, socialites, and the hosts of 'Access Hollywood.' ...
The whole shebang is underwritten, naturally, by corporate sponsors (Golden Door spa, Citigroup, MySpace.com, etc.), which get to invite about 100 of their own special guests."
This might be a new trend in event marketing and could filter down to the live music scene as well.
After Sundance's Screenings, They Spread the Swag With a Spatula - washingtonpost.com, 1/28/07: "In the old days, it was hard to get a decent meal at the annual pop culture/corporate tie-in swag heap known as the Sundance Film Festival. Now? Food is the new edible swag. Forget those infamous (now taxable -- booo, IRS!) goodie bags from Fred Segal, still very popular but also very yawn. Today's hot giveaway comes on a platter with cave-aged Gruyère....
You've heard of food and wine pairings? It's celebrity pairings at Chefdance, where for 10 nights, a different celebrity chef lays out a four-course celebrity spread for an invitation-only seating of 250 directors, moguls, socialites, and the hosts of 'Access Hollywood.' ...
The whole shebang is underwritten, naturally, by corporate sponsors (Golden Door spa, Citigroup, MySpace.com, etc.), which get to invite about 100 of their own special guests."
Washington DC and the All-Ages culture
After a teenager was shot in DC at a club which serves alcohol, there has been talk of going to a 21+ rule for clubs with alcohol. Most in the local music scene there say it won't protect teenagers and will hurt the local live music scene. Here's an article talking about the history of all-ages clubs in DC and their importance.
Mark Andersen - D.C.'s All-Ages Treasure - washingtonpost.com, 1/28/07: "The D.C. scene not only embraced the all-ages show as an article of faith, but it gave birth to life-affirming phenomena such as the anti-drug philosophy 'straight edge'; the sociopolitical engagement of Positive Force DC, an organization I co-founded that uses music to motivate young people; and the feminist empowerment of Riot Grrrl. Benefit concerts for community groups and issues became standard. While the anti-corporate stance of bands such as Fugazi, Bikini Kill and Nation of Ulysses kept them from cracking the Billboard Top Ten, the word was out: Washington was the real deal, an inspiration to alienated and creative kids anywhere."
music scene
live music
clubs
all ages
DC
Mark Andersen - D.C.'s All-Ages Treasure - washingtonpost.com, 1/28/07: "The D.C. scene not only embraced the all-ages show as an article of faith, but it gave birth to life-affirming phenomena such as the anti-drug philosophy 'straight edge'; the sociopolitical engagement of Positive Force DC, an organization I co-founded that uses music to motivate young people; and the feminist empowerment of Riot Grrrl. Benefit concerts for community groups and issues became standard. While the anti-corporate stance of bands such as Fugazi, Bikini Kill and Nation of Ulysses kept them from cracking the Billboard Top Ten, the word was out: Washington was the real deal, an inspiration to alienated and creative kids anywhere."
music scene
live music
clubs
all ages
DC
Memphis markets its musical history
Memphis 50 Years of Soul - Memphis, Tennessee: "In 2007 the sweet sounds of soul music will take center stage as 'Memphis Celebrates 50 Years of Soul.' Long known as the 'Home of the Blues' and the 'Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll,' Memphis is proud to once again bring its great soul heritage to the forefront. For 50 years, soul music, with its incredible energy and engaging sense of funk, has been an international sensation. It all began in a neighborhood that would gain the moniker 'Soulsville, USA,' right in the heart of a city that is an international music mecca."
tourism
Memphis
tourism
Memphis
An alternative for touring musicians
Branson, Missouri overs over 100 show, most of them playing six days a week, 50 weeks of the year. A musician is able to work full-time without having to tour.
News-Leader.com, 1/28/07 - The call of the stage: "Some of the most critical pieces of the Branson puzzle are the musicians who've come from all over to live there, says Dan Lennon, vice president of marketing for the Branson-Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and a longtime performer himself.
'There's not a lot of places in the country where you can make a living as a musician, live there, and have your kids go to school and have a relatively normal life,' Lennon says."
live music
News-Leader.com, 1/28/07 - The call of the stage: "Some of the most critical pieces of the Branson puzzle are the musicians who've come from all over to live there, says Dan Lennon, vice president of marketing for the Branson-Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and a longtime performer himself.
'There's not a lot of places in the country where you can make a living as a musician, live there, and have your kids go to school and have a relatively normal life,' Lennon says."
live music
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Technology to market the arts
Cultural historian Siva Vaidhyanathan talks about using technology to reach new audiences for opera. Here's an excerpt, but read the whole article to see what he says about whether opera and other cultural offerings should receive government support or be at the mercy of the marketplace.
1/27/07, Playbill Features: The [New] Rules of Engagement: "EP: The Met is actively using technology to move the operatic art form forward. What are the challenges?
SV: The challenge is to empower your potential audience to engage in conversation. Delivery is no longer enough. It's important to have web sites with commentary so people can engage in conversations, sites that keep people apprised of new events and trends. No matter where you're sitting in the world, you should feel a part of the Metropolitan Opera.
The big challenge with connecting to new audiences all over the world is to make them feel part of the process, and not that they are merely passive recipients. That might mean encouraging people to remix materials. Or to release video clips in a format that might allow this technological remixing.
Culture is conversation. It is an argument over time. And sometimes you can get heated, and sometimes people just break into song and dance, and that's the beauty of it. But those are the risks you take, and as more and more cultural institutions realize that that is how culture works — in a circle rather than in a line — the more relevant they will remain."
internet marketing
classical music
1/27/07, Playbill Features: The [New] Rules of Engagement: "EP: The Met is actively using technology to move the operatic art form forward. What are the challenges?
SV: The challenge is to empower your potential audience to engage in conversation. Delivery is no longer enough. It's important to have web sites with commentary so people can engage in conversations, sites that keep people apprised of new events and trends. No matter where you're sitting in the world, you should feel a part of the Metropolitan Opera.
The big challenge with connecting to new audiences all over the world is to make them feel part of the process, and not that they are merely passive recipients. That might mean encouraging people to remix materials. Or to release video clips in a format that might allow this technological remixing.
Culture is conversation. It is an argument over time. And sometimes you can get heated, and sometimes people just break into song and dance, and that's the beauty of it. But those are the risks you take, and as more and more cultural institutions realize that that is how culture works — in a circle rather than in a line — the more relevant they will remain."
internet marketing
classical music
Friday, January 26, 2007
The experimental music scene in Brooklyn
1/27/07, The Brooklyn Paper: Take a hike: Experimental music, popular but tough to get to: "Venues for noise rock are constantly changing and expanding throughout Brooklyn, but one of the drawbacks is that getting to some of these spacious locales requires a lot of effort.
'They’re aesthetically pleasing, but off the beaten path,' said Brad Truax, who plays in two local bands, Home and Soldier of Fortune.
When Giffoni throws his 'No Fun Fest,' a four-day festival where musicians come together at the Hook to mesh sounds and instruments, he typically has to hire a shuttle to run back and forth between the Red Hook club and the nearest subway stop a mile away.
Promoters are complicit in keeping electronic music 'out there.'
Todd Patrick, who goes by the moniker Todd P. and is hailed as an essential force in Brooklyn’s experimental scene, tends to keep his venues on the fringes.
'Todd finds places that are sort of far out,' said Truax. 'I had to work to get to [his venues].”'
But the venues have to be isolated, Patrick said.
'Noise is noisy,’ he said. 'It’s hard to find a locale in New York where you can make a ton of noise without someone calling the police.'"
music scene
Brooklyn
'They’re aesthetically pleasing, but off the beaten path,' said Brad Truax, who plays in two local bands, Home and Soldier of Fortune.
When Giffoni throws his 'No Fun Fest,' a four-day festival where musicians come together at the Hook to mesh sounds and instruments, he typically has to hire a shuttle to run back and forth between the Red Hook club and the nearest subway stop a mile away.
Promoters are complicit in keeping electronic music 'out there.'
Todd Patrick, who goes by the moniker Todd P. and is hailed as an essential force in Brooklyn’s experimental scene, tends to keep his venues on the fringes.
'Todd finds places that are sort of far out,' said Truax. 'I had to work to get to [his venues].”'
But the venues have to be isolated, Patrick said.
'Noise is noisy,’ he said. 'It’s hard to find a locale in New York where you can make a ton of noise without someone calling the police.'"
music scene
Brooklyn
A church-funded arts center
More on Deep Ellum Live in Dallas.
Dallas Morning News, 1/26/07 - Deep Ellum is getting a sonic boost, too: "Onstage opened last Saturday in a drab-green 26,000-square-foot warehouse space at 2803 Taylor St., just south of Canton Street (about a block south of the now-closed Deep Ellum Live building). The music venue is part of Life in Deep Ellum, a $3 million community project funded by Deep Ellum Church that also includes a coffee shop, adult learning center, child-care facility and art gallery.
It's well-funded as an arm of the nonprofit, nondenominational church.
The rectangular, low-ceilinged hall can hold 1,100 people and boasts an all-new, 25,000-watt sound system and industrial-grade air conditioning. Bookings are solid through mid-March and feature young emo-rock bands and local indie standouts such as Salim Nourallah and Nate Bolling.
Yes, Christian acts such as John Reuben are part of the schedule, and some people are automatically skeptical of the quality and nature of music acts that would be booked at a place with a spiritual foundation. But Ellum: Onstage's approach isn't faith-centered; it's community-centered.
'It's a new idea, and this is a community that needs new ideas,' says artistic director Rocky Presley. 'This is a diverse community, and I want to partner with everything that makes sense for our community.'
Besides, Ellum: Onstage's first major concert event should offer a rebuttal to any naysayers. The Ellum: Music Festival will bring in dozens of national bands on their way to Austin for South by Southwest in March. Big names already on board include the Polyphonic Spree on March 10, Mates of State on March 12 and Snowden on March 13."
Dallas
church
third places
Dallas Morning News, 1/26/07 - Deep Ellum is getting a sonic boost, too: "Onstage opened last Saturday in a drab-green 26,000-square-foot warehouse space at 2803 Taylor St., just south of Canton Street (about a block south of the now-closed Deep Ellum Live building). The music venue is part of Life in Deep Ellum, a $3 million community project funded by Deep Ellum Church that also includes a coffee shop, adult learning center, child-care facility and art gallery.
It's well-funded as an arm of the nonprofit, nondenominational church.
The rectangular, low-ceilinged hall can hold 1,100 people and boasts an all-new, 25,000-watt sound system and industrial-grade air conditioning. Bookings are solid through mid-March and feature young emo-rock bands and local indie standouts such as Salim Nourallah and Nate Bolling.
Yes, Christian acts such as John Reuben are part of the schedule, and some people are automatically skeptical of the quality and nature of music acts that would be booked at a place with a spiritual foundation. But Ellum: Onstage's approach isn't faith-centered; it's community-centered.
'It's a new idea, and this is a community that needs new ideas,' says artistic director Rocky Presley. 'This is a diverse community, and I want to partner with everything that makes sense for our community.'
Besides, Ellum: Onstage's first major concert event should offer a rebuttal to any naysayers. The Ellum: Music Festival will bring in dozens of national bands on their way to Austin for South by Southwest in March. Big names already on board include the Polyphonic Spree on March 10, Mates of State on March 12 and Snowden on March 13."
Dallas
church
third places
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Churches are the new music venues
A report on NAMM, the annual music instrument/equipment industry convention, which just took place last week in Anaheim.
1/24/07, Los Angeles Times: Toys for making noise: "Another growth area for NAMM are churches, driven by an increase in mega congregations with their embrace of contemporary live music, as well as upgrades at smaller established churches trying to compete.
'Until three years ago, we were targeting DJs,' said Brian Martin, a salesman for the Chinese-owned International Audio Group, which markets Audiolab and other lines of speakers. 'Now churches are about 30% of our business.'"
live music
clubs
church
third places
1/24/07, Los Angeles Times: Toys for making noise: "Another growth area for NAMM are churches, driven by an increase in mega congregations with their embrace of contemporary live music, as well as upgrades at smaller established churches trying to compete.
'Until three years ago, we were targeting DJs,' said Brian Martin, a salesman for the Chinese-owned International Audio Group, which markets Audiolab and other lines of speakers. 'Now churches are about 30% of our business.'"
live music
clubs
church
third places
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Local music stores joining together
A group of Northern California music stores created the Norcal Music Coalition to receive discounts which help to keep them competitive against national chains and online retailers.
This is an idea which could be extended to other small music-related ventures -- even to venue operations.
: "The coalition started in the 1990s, initially to fight off the big chains. The stores checked their customer mailing lists and found there was only a tiny fraction of overlap from store to store. That paved the way for joint buying and marketing plans.
'At first, we thought of each other as competitors, but we're really not,' said Rosemary Rodd, president of Leo's Pro Audio in Oakland. 'We talk together now and have a powerful marketing agreement.'
Most stores in the coalition are at least 10 or 15 miles apart and each has its own loyal following. ...
The coalition's 10 locations generate about $50 million in annual sales. That's formidable, but small compared with arch-rival Guitar Center, a major chain, whose 2006 sales rose 14 percent to $2 billion.
Since the coalition formed, store profit margins have improved, Welker said, which allows owners to keep prices lower and challenge Internet sales. The coalition also has a Web site (www.norcalmusiconline.com).
The group's biggest plus may be the marketing strength of the shiny catalog of new musical instruments and accessories the stores collaborate to produce, members say.
Before producing the catalog, 'Our small, independent voice felt like it was getting buried under the noise out there,' Jarvis said."
This is an idea which could be extended to other small music-related ventures -- even to venue operations.
: "The coalition started in the 1990s, initially to fight off the big chains. The stores checked their customer mailing lists and found there was only a tiny fraction of overlap from store to store. That paved the way for joint buying and marketing plans.
'At first, we thought of each other as competitors, but we're really not,' said Rosemary Rodd, president of Leo's Pro Audio in Oakland. 'We talk together now and have a powerful marketing agreement.'
Most stores in the coalition are at least 10 or 15 miles apart and each has its own loyal following. ...
The coalition's 10 locations generate about $50 million in annual sales. That's formidable, but small compared with arch-rival Guitar Center, a major chain, whose 2006 sales rose 14 percent to $2 billion.
Since the coalition formed, store profit margins have improved, Welker said, which allows owners to keep prices lower and challenge Internet sales. The coalition also has a Web site (www.norcalmusiconline.com).
The group's biggest plus may be the marketing strength of the shiny catalog of new musical instruments and accessories the stores collaborate to produce, members say.
Before producing the catalog, 'Our small, independent voice felt like it was getting buried under the noise out there,' Jarvis said."
Monday, January 22, 2007
A thriving sub-genre in the Bay area live music scene
1/14/07, San Francisco Chronice - Hip-hop takes the stage: "Some call it a movement. Others say it's a revival. But there's no denying that the blending of hip-hop with live instrumentation and a variety of other genres -- including funk, jazz, salsa, reggaeton and rock -- is one of the freshest, most happening things going in the Bay Area's multicultural music scene."
music scene
hip hop
live music
clubs
music scene
hip hop
live music
clubs
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Basement venues in Boston
An article by someone who hosts shows in his basement.
My house the music venue - The Phoenix: "Within weeks in either direction of me moving into my house, nearly every small, independent-minded concert venue in the city of Boston was shut down. Art spaces, a record store, other houses, and even a small bar ceased hosting bands. Allston’s Reel Bar, Re: Generation Records, the Lilypad in Cambridge, and a house known as the Cuntree Club were all casualties of the same period of under three months. Necessity, as it turned out, was the mother of five Finnish men as old as my parents playing Discharge-inspired hardcore at my house.
When the dust settled and the information about my basement started to reveal itself, the various operators of some of the venues began to come to us with show proposals. A friend who booked shows at the now-showless record store knew a band called Diswar, who were on tour with Kohu-63. It evokes the sequences in old sitcoms where split-screen telephone conversations would go on and on, with each new person hanging up and calling someone else.
Even when the venue climate is relatively barren, bands from Boston can always get local shows — it’s not so easy for bands from a few states away to keep their finger close enough to the city’s pulse to know who to ask and, for the time being, my roommates and I have no problem hosting them.
The long and the short of it: I like basement shows and I like music — that’s why I’m willing to enter this situation and go to bat for all these people. I think a lot of my friends and a lot of their friends are doing interesting and fun things musically. I’m more than willing to break the law so my friend Brian, his high-pitched voice, and his acoustic guitar can sit on a PA speaker and cover 'I Wanna Be A Homosexual” by Screeching Weasel.'"
He makes reference to an early article that discusses the concept in length.
It came from the basement: "Bloodstains Across Somerville is one of a handful of rental-house basements in the area that moonlight as live-music venues. Some of the rawest rock shows in town are performed in DIY places like this, beside dusty furnaces, cylindrical water heaters, and laundry hampers. They’re accessible only through crawlspaces and creaky back doors, down peeling-paint bulkheads and wobbly wooden staircases. The best, most frenetic, in-your-face shows in town sometimes happen quite literally underground, sometimes only for an audience of 30 — in craggy-walled, cramped, dingy cellars situated in cheap-rent districts like Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, Allston, and Somerville."
live music
clubs
indie
Boston
My house the music venue - The Phoenix: "Within weeks in either direction of me moving into my house, nearly every small, independent-minded concert venue in the city of Boston was shut down. Art spaces, a record store, other houses, and even a small bar ceased hosting bands. Allston’s Reel Bar, Re: Generation Records, the Lilypad in Cambridge, and a house known as the Cuntree Club were all casualties of the same period of under three months. Necessity, as it turned out, was the mother of five Finnish men as old as my parents playing Discharge-inspired hardcore at my house.
When the dust settled and the information about my basement started to reveal itself, the various operators of some of the venues began to come to us with show proposals. A friend who booked shows at the now-showless record store knew a band called Diswar, who were on tour with Kohu-63. It evokes the sequences in old sitcoms where split-screen telephone conversations would go on and on, with each new person hanging up and calling someone else.
Even when the venue climate is relatively barren, bands from Boston can always get local shows — it’s not so easy for bands from a few states away to keep their finger close enough to the city’s pulse to know who to ask and, for the time being, my roommates and I have no problem hosting them.
The long and the short of it: I like basement shows and I like music — that’s why I’m willing to enter this situation and go to bat for all these people. I think a lot of my friends and a lot of their friends are doing interesting and fun things musically. I’m more than willing to break the law so my friend Brian, his high-pitched voice, and his acoustic guitar can sit on a PA speaker and cover 'I Wanna Be A Homosexual” by Screeching Weasel.'"
He makes reference to an early article that discusses the concept in length.
It came from the basement: "Bloodstains Across Somerville is one of a handful of rental-house basements in the area that moonlight as live-music venues. Some of the rawest rock shows in town are performed in DIY places like this, beside dusty furnaces, cylindrical water heaters, and laundry hampers. They’re accessible only through crawlspaces and creaky back doors, down peeling-paint bulkheads and wobbly wooden staircases. The best, most frenetic, in-your-face shows in town sometimes happen quite literally underground, sometimes only for an audience of 30 — in craggy-walled, cramped, dingy cellars situated in cheap-rent districts like Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, Allston, and Somerville."
live music
clubs
indie
Boston
Tips on running a club in the suburbs
I've pulled just some of the highlights. Check out the whole article.
San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 1/22/07 - Valley's Rock Mogul: "Soon after Lance Sterling opened The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills he bought a limo. Not so much to show off his new stature as perhaps the only impresario in the West San Fernando Valley but because he was pretty much the only one.
Soon after Lance Sterling opened The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills he bought a limo. Not so much to show off his new stature as perhaps the only impresario in the West San Fernando Valley but because he was pretty much the only one.
Visitors to his new club sometimes left after having one too many, and, with so sparse a nightlife landscape, there wasn’t a cab to be found in Agoura Hills. So Sterling offered to drive them home in the limo.
Question: What made you think a rock and roll club would fly in a city like Agoura Hills?
Answer: When I was at House of Blues and I booked the Doobie Brothers and it didn’t sell out, I realized the demographic I was trying to get lived in Agoura Hills. I saw there was an entire community of 40,000 or 50,000 people that were all demographically the same. And driving into Hollywood is a miserable experience. And most of the people who live out here work there and they don’t want to drive back there. And I was trying to drag these people out of their homes on a Tuesday night to drive to Hollywood and spend two hours on the road there and two hours back, and I always believed that if House of Blues was located in the Valley it would be a huge success. ...
Q: Did you have trouble convincing the bands to come to Agoura Hills to perform?
A: When I first opened up this place there were people who showed Pat Benatar the venue and she loved it. Then I could go to the Doobie Brothers and say Pat Benatar liked it. And they all know each other. Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon is probably one of the greatest fans of the venue, so because the manager of Styx is friends with Kevin, Kevin talked Styx into coming. If you look at our roster and the Hollywood Bowl roster, we share a lot but I like to believe the bands love this place because it’s built by somebody who cares about music as opposed to somebody who wants to make money. There are a lot of bands that play Canyon Club that deserve and can play at bigger venues.
Q: Obviously though, you have to make money to stay open. How do you do that?
A: The majority of our bands, we have a rule. We don’t make money off the bands. Our job is to make money off food and drinks. The majority of my business is private events. The majority of profit comes from corporate events. We do Guitar Center and THQ’s meetings. We’ve been doing that for seven years.
Q: How do you decide what bands would be successful here?
A: I always like to say I want bands that we don’t deserve. We demographically go 30 to 50. Your area dictates the draw. If your fan base isn’t here you can’t do it. Linkin Park wanted to do a benefit here and we were just terrified. Hoobastank, which is a 17-year-old demographic, did a benefit here and we were surprised. There were at least 3,000 people who showed up for a concert that could only accommodate 1,300. When we have Pink Floyd or those bands, it’s all a bunch of 18 year olds (who have rediscovered 60s and 70s rock bands), and the whole family comes in. The only thing I can’t make work is R&B and rap and hip hop is not huge here. We’re known for large concerts, so bands that track don’t do well here. When people come here, they want to see the whole band. ...
Q: The club regularly features Boogie Knights and Spasmatics in addition to the name acts that appear. Why have two shows a night?
A: They’re here because I guarantee that you’ll have entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We book them permanently. On Thursday its Spasmatics, on Friday it’s Boogie Knights and on Saturday there’s a tribute band. So if I don’t have anything, at least they will be there. And a lot of people who live in Agoura, let’s say they have friends in town and they want to show them the place. And their friend is 24, and they don’t want to see Wayne Newton, so they can come to the second show."
live music
clubs
all ages
San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 1/22/07 - Valley's Rock Mogul: "Soon after Lance Sterling opened The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills he bought a limo. Not so much to show off his new stature as perhaps the only impresario in the West San Fernando Valley but because he was pretty much the only one.
Soon after Lance Sterling opened The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills he bought a limo. Not so much to show off his new stature as perhaps the only impresario in the West San Fernando Valley but because he was pretty much the only one.
Visitors to his new club sometimes left after having one too many, and, with so sparse a nightlife landscape, there wasn’t a cab to be found in Agoura Hills. So Sterling offered to drive them home in the limo.
Question: What made you think a rock and roll club would fly in a city like Agoura Hills?
Answer: When I was at House of Blues and I booked the Doobie Brothers and it didn’t sell out, I realized the demographic I was trying to get lived in Agoura Hills. I saw there was an entire community of 40,000 or 50,000 people that were all demographically the same. And driving into Hollywood is a miserable experience. And most of the people who live out here work there and they don’t want to drive back there. And I was trying to drag these people out of their homes on a Tuesday night to drive to Hollywood and spend two hours on the road there and two hours back, and I always believed that if House of Blues was located in the Valley it would be a huge success. ...
Q: Did you have trouble convincing the bands to come to Agoura Hills to perform?
A: When I first opened up this place there were people who showed Pat Benatar the venue and she loved it. Then I could go to the Doobie Brothers and say Pat Benatar liked it. And they all know each other. Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon is probably one of the greatest fans of the venue, so because the manager of Styx is friends with Kevin, Kevin talked Styx into coming. If you look at our roster and the Hollywood Bowl roster, we share a lot but I like to believe the bands love this place because it’s built by somebody who cares about music as opposed to somebody who wants to make money. There are a lot of bands that play Canyon Club that deserve and can play at bigger venues.
Q: Obviously though, you have to make money to stay open. How do you do that?
A: The majority of our bands, we have a rule. We don’t make money off the bands. Our job is to make money off food and drinks. The majority of my business is private events. The majority of profit comes from corporate events. We do Guitar Center and THQ’s meetings. We’ve been doing that for seven years.
Q: How do you decide what bands would be successful here?
A: I always like to say I want bands that we don’t deserve. We demographically go 30 to 50. Your area dictates the draw. If your fan base isn’t here you can’t do it. Linkin Park wanted to do a benefit here and we were just terrified. Hoobastank, which is a 17-year-old demographic, did a benefit here and we were surprised. There were at least 3,000 people who showed up for a concert that could only accommodate 1,300. When we have Pink Floyd or those bands, it’s all a bunch of 18 year olds (who have rediscovered 60s and 70s rock bands), and the whole family comes in. The only thing I can’t make work is R&B and rap and hip hop is not huge here. We’re known for large concerts, so bands that track don’t do well here. When people come here, they want to see the whole band. ...
Q: The club regularly features Boogie Knights and Spasmatics in addition to the name acts that appear. Why have two shows a night?
A: They’re here because I guarantee that you’ll have entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We book them permanently. On Thursday its Spasmatics, on Friday it’s Boogie Knights and on Saturday there’s a tribute band. So if I don’t have anything, at least they will be there. And a lot of people who live in Agoura, let’s say they have friends in town and they want to show them the place. And their friend is 24, and they don’t want to see Wayne Newton, so they can come to the second show."
live music
clubs
all ages
More on the explosion of music for kids and their parents.
Rockers now play to sippy cup set - Nashville, Tennessee - Saturday, 01/20/07 - Tennessean.com: "[Dan] Zanes figures that parents search for cool children's music because, while Beatles and Shins records score melodically, as kids start to talk and understand words, there's a lyrical disconnect.
'The one thing that I think doesn't work or doesn't mean anything, particularly to kids, are themes of romantic love or sexual love — that's gonna be a stretch for any 3-year-old,' he says. 'So that rules out a lot of pop music right there.'
Kids music is throwback
To Zanes, it's not so much that intelligent children's music is a new trend; Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and others were making it more than a half-century back. The recent proliferation is more akin to a return.
'The idea of all ages participating in the music and enjoying the music, it's a fairly ancient concept,' Zanes says. 'I think the thing that's recent is that segregation — 'There are things that are for children, and then there's things that are for grown-ups.' We're just trying to get back into, 'What can you do that includes everybody? What's the most inclusive thing we could possibly do?'"
live music
clubs
all ages
Nashville
'The one thing that I think doesn't work or doesn't mean anything, particularly to kids, are themes of romantic love or sexual love — that's gonna be a stretch for any 3-year-old,' he says. 'So that rules out a lot of pop music right there.'
Kids music is throwback
To Zanes, it's not so much that intelligent children's music is a new trend; Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and others were making it more than a half-century back. The recent proliferation is more akin to a return.
'The idea of all ages participating in the music and enjoying the music, it's a fairly ancient concept,' Zanes says. 'I think the thing that's recent is that segregation — 'There are things that are for children, and then there's things that are for grown-ups.' We're just trying to get back into, 'What can you do that includes everybody? What's the most inclusive thing we could possibly do?'"
live music
clubs
all ages
Nashville
Dallas sees new venues opening
Four new, middle-sized venues will open in Dallas. I thought this one in particular looked interesting.
Club revival: "1. Ellum: Onstage
Phone: 214-651-0633
Web site: www.lifeindeepellum.com
Opening: Saturday night
Capacity: Variable, between 600 and 1,100
What's the deal: This all-ages venue is part of a nonprofit cultural center that also includes a coffeehouse, clothing store and art gallery. Although it's affiliated with Deep Ellum Church and doesn't serve alcohol, artistic director Rocky Presley says it's not specifically a Christian facility and will be showcasing various types of performers. Expect to see a mixture of touring and local acts.
'We want it to be a Deep Ellum cultural center, and not the center for one culture,' he says. 'We're partnering with other people to maintain that diversity. We do plan on bringing in some hip-hop shows, and we also have a group of people who will be concentrating on Hispanic culture....But we'll still be doing shows that appeal to the Uptown crowd and the Deep Ellum crowd.'"
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
third places
Dallas
Club revival: "1. Ellum: Onstage
Phone: 214-651-0633
Web site: www.lifeindeepellum.com
Opening: Saturday night
Capacity: Variable, between 600 and 1,100
What's the deal: This all-ages venue is part of a nonprofit cultural center that also includes a coffeehouse, clothing store and art gallery. Although it's affiliated with Deep Ellum Church and doesn't serve alcohol, artistic director Rocky Presley says it's not specifically a Christian facility and will be showcasing various types of performers. Expect to see a mixture of touring and local acts.
'We want it to be a Deep Ellum cultural center, and not the center for one culture,' he says. 'We're partnering with other people to maintain that diversity. We do plan on bringing in some hip-hop shows, and we also have a group of people who will be concentrating on Hispanic culture....But we'll still be doing shows that appeal to the Uptown crowd and the Deep Ellum crowd.'"
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
third places
Dallas
Friday, January 19, 2007
More churches as music venues
These are in Arizona.
Arizona Republic, /19/07 - Valley churches double as concert venues: "Bars, concert halls and amphitheaters aren't the only places to catch live music these days. Churches are getting into the swing - or rock, or folk - providing music lovers with a low-key place to enjoy acts.
Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ and New Hope Covenant Church in Peoria are two with regular concerts, and Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Chandler is the latest to kick off a series."
Arizona Republic, /19/07 - Valley churches double as concert venues: "Bars, concert halls and amphitheaters aren't the only places to catch live music these days. Churches are getting into the swing - or rock, or folk - providing music lovers with a low-key place to enjoy acts.
Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ and New Hope Covenant Church in Peoria are two with regular concerts, and Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Chandler is the latest to kick off a series."
Monday, January 15, 2007
Hyperlocalization and finding advertisers
Here's an article about the struggles of Backfence, a company going after local markets with citizen journalism. The company raised $3 million, which, if doled out very carefully, should sustain them for awhile.
Any website that depends on advertising income will have a tough go of it. There are way too many websites competing for too few ad dollars.
Hyperlocal websites as a way to attract support for live music makes sense because it reinforces the idea that music venues, if done right, can enhance neighborhoods.
But a traditional advertising pricing system, based on cost per thousands, is not likely to be appealing because numbers for hyperlocal sites will be relatively low. More creative integrated marketing plans are a better approach.
For Local News Site, Model Just Didn't Click - washingtonpost.com, 1/15/07: "Most community news sites like Backfence, which rely on reader-generated content to draw advertising dollars, are still trying to make a profit off 'hyperlocal' Internet publishing. Strings of neighborhood sites haven't been able to attract enough users to persuade advertisers to bank on such targeted media outlets, analysts said...
Media analysts agree that many readers are looking for hyperlocal content, but they say most citizen-journalism sites aren't mature enough to tap into the lucrative local advertising markets.
'Realistically, it's going to take close to 10 years for the business models to be there and for there to be enough advertisers willing to give money to hyperlocal start-ups,' said Vin Crosbie, managing partner of Digital Deliverance, a Connecticut media consulting firm. 'Backfence's problem is that it was too early.'"
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
internet marketing
Any website that depends on advertising income will have a tough go of it. There are way too many websites competing for too few ad dollars.
Hyperlocal websites as a way to attract support for live music makes sense because it reinforces the idea that music venues, if done right, can enhance neighborhoods.
But a traditional advertising pricing system, based on cost per thousands, is not likely to be appealing because numbers for hyperlocal sites will be relatively low. More creative integrated marketing plans are a better approach.
For Local News Site, Model Just Didn't Click - washingtonpost.com, 1/15/07: "Most community news sites like Backfence, which rely on reader-generated content to draw advertising dollars, are still trying to make a profit off 'hyperlocal' Internet publishing. Strings of neighborhood sites haven't been able to attract enough users to persuade advertisers to bank on such targeted media outlets, analysts said...
Media analysts agree that many readers are looking for hyperlocal content, but they say most citizen-journalism sites aren't mature enough to tap into the lucrative local advertising markets.
'Realistically, it's going to take close to 10 years for the business models to be there and for there to be enough advertisers willing to give money to hyperlocal start-ups,' said Vin Crosbie, managing partner of Digital Deliverance, a Connecticut media consulting firm. 'Backfence's problem is that it was too early.'"
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
internet marketing
Sunday, January 14, 2007
More on hyperlocalization
More on the hyperlocalization trend. This article about the company, AmericanTowns, which creates local news websites.
I can envision a day when music venues are promoted this way. Get your neighbors out to support local bands at local venues. To hell with who some kid blogger in another state thinks is the cool band of the moment.
Anytown, Online - New York Times, 1/14/07: "Across the United States, citizen bloggers and deep-pocketed entrepreneurs are creating town-specific, and even neighborhood-specific, Web sites where the public can read and contribute items too small or too fleeting for weekly newspapers. Suburban towns across the greater New York area are joining in, giving residents a new way to avoid traffic snags, find a lost dog or just vent about a local hot-button issue."
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
creative class
third places
I can envision a day when music venues are promoted this way. Get your neighbors out to support local bands at local venues. To hell with who some kid blogger in another state thinks is the cool band of the moment.
Anytown, Online - New York Times, 1/14/07: "Across the United States, citizen bloggers and deep-pocketed entrepreneurs are creating town-specific, and even neighborhood-specific, Web sites where the public can read and contribute items too small or too fleeting for weekly newspapers. Suburban towns across the greater New York area are joining in, giving residents a new way to avoid traffic snags, find a lost dog or just vent about a local hot-button issue."
music scene
economic development
live music
clubs
creative class
third places
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Local is where it's at
Local may be the next big internet trend. And this bodes well for local music scenes and the media that support them.
People may be interested in what goes on around the world, but day-to-day they still live their lives in their neighborhoods and cities.
Next digital step leads to content near you: "... localization is a wild card of the user relevance that drives the Internet. It is a quiet untapped venue that smart players are beginning to embrace as a way to cater to the unique needs, interests and tastes of consumers where they live and drill down into local places where money can be spent.
After all, what's more important than the grocery list, community services, local movie times, car maintenance, school schedules, home repairs, pet care and children's activities that is the 'local' glue holding together everyone's lives. It's the kind of electronic 'to do' list and personal community-based content that everyone needs, and is not as likely to be replicated or ripped off--making it ripe for digital interactive advertising, commerce and other forms of monetization. ...
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in a CES keynote Sunday night, made the important but woefully overlooked observation that consistent and uniform connected experiences are lacking in this 'digital decade' and in a digital consumer ecosystem that equally values shared personal experiences and communications, and commercial events and entertainment."
music scene
economic development
internet marketing
People may be interested in what goes on around the world, but day-to-day they still live their lives in their neighborhoods and cities.
Next digital step leads to content near you: "... localization is a wild card of the user relevance that drives the Internet. It is a quiet untapped venue that smart players are beginning to embrace as a way to cater to the unique needs, interests and tastes of consumers where they live and drill down into local places where money can be spent.
After all, what's more important than the grocery list, community services, local movie times, car maintenance, school schedules, home repairs, pet care and children's activities that is the 'local' glue holding together everyone's lives. It's the kind of electronic 'to do' list and personal community-based content that everyone needs, and is not as likely to be replicated or ripped off--making it ripe for digital interactive advertising, commerce and other forms of monetization. ...
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in a CES keynote Sunday night, made the important but woefully overlooked observation that consistent and uniform connected experiences are lacking in this 'digital decade' and in a digital consumer ecosystem that equally values shared personal experiences and communications, and commercial events and entertainment."
music scene
economic development
internet marketing
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
A proposal to help struggling musicians
: "With the support of local authorities and perhaps the extravagantly-funded Regional Development Agencies, such schemes could be sponsored by the music business itself, with contributions from the mechanical collection agencies (who have stockpiles of undistributed royalties, much of which is collected on behalf of obscure artists); major record companies (whose enormous profits are partly generated by voracious feeding on talent nurtured by the independent sector); and free download sites such as YouTube and MySpace (whose entire business model is based on exploiting free content generated by its users).
A good example of what can be achieved for relatively little is in Wrexham, north Wales, where an inspired collaboration between the Live Music Forum, the local council, the Welsh Development Agency and the music business (which provided an impressive array of equipment and instruments free of charge) saw the fitting out of two low-cost rehearsal rooms (free to under 18s) that, in under a year, have already been used by close to 20,000 young musicians.
The economics of the live scene could be transformed by a cut in rates for small venues that put on music combined with an outlawing of the extortionate practice by which many venues charge bands for use of their in-house amplification system."
music scene
economic development
A good example of what can be achieved for relatively little is in Wrexham, north Wales, where an inspired collaboration between the Live Music Forum, the local council, the Welsh Development Agency and the music business (which provided an impressive array of equipment and instruments free of charge) saw the fitting out of two low-cost rehearsal rooms (free to under 18s) that, in under a year, have already been used by close to 20,000 young musicians.
The economics of the live scene could be transformed by a cut in rates for small venues that put on music combined with an outlawing of the extortionate practice by which many venues charge bands for use of their in-house amplification system."
music scene
economic development
More church examples
A New Jersey church doubling as a concert venue.
northjersey.com - Montclair Times Community: "Launching their 20th year at a new location, Outpost in the Burbs not only sold out tickets at the 250-seat-capacity sanctuary of the Unitarian Church of Montclair, but the nonprofit organization also managed to usher hundreds of American folk music fans to their current home."
A Virginia church doing the same.
Byrd song: "A familiar face to the local folk music circuit, Byrd will bring his talents to Unity Church in Frederick during its monthly concert series at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The series, held the second Saturday of each month, showcases new musical talent from across the region.
This is the fourth year the church has welcomed singer-songwriters through a program that was first started as a way to raise funds for a new building, said church administrator Jessica Batten.
Now, the series is just an avenue to bring musicians into the building while offering a new way for people to enjoy a Saturday night.
'This is an affordable way to see new musicians and another venue for the musicians, as well,' Batten said."
An Annapolis, Maryland church as a youth music venue.
Teen music lives on - Top Stories: "For more than a year, Cedar Grove has hosted teen nights that feature local bands. The church has never had any complaints or problems with the teens, who range from 6th- to- 12th-graders.
'There's a little trash every now and then, but nothing more,' Mr. Heinrichs said. 'We do have a couple houses around and there have been no problems.'
The church is known for its open sound system - something venues like the Eastport Democratic Club and local fire halls lack, said Janet Phillips, whose 17-year-old son is a member of teen band Cyrcadian Rhythm."
northjersey.com - Montclair Times Community: "Launching their 20th year at a new location, Outpost in the Burbs not only sold out tickets at the 250-seat-capacity sanctuary of the Unitarian Church of Montclair, but the nonprofit organization also managed to usher hundreds of American folk music fans to their current home."
A Virginia church doing the same.
Byrd song: "A familiar face to the local folk music circuit, Byrd will bring his talents to Unity Church in Frederick during its monthly concert series at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The series, held the second Saturday of each month, showcases new musical talent from across the region.
This is the fourth year the church has welcomed singer-songwriters through a program that was first started as a way to raise funds for a new building, said church administrator Jessica Batten.
Now, the series is just an avenue to bring musicians into the building while offering a new way for people to enjoy a Saturday night.
'This is an affordable way to see new musicians and another venue for the musicians, as well,' Batten said."
An Annapolis, Maryland church as a youth music venue.
Teen music lives on - Top Stories: "For more than a year, Cedar Grove has hosted teen nights that feature local bands. The church has never had any complaints or problems with the teens, who range from 6th- to- 12th-graders.
'There's a little trash every now and then, but nothing more,' Mr. Heinrichs said. 'We do have a couple houses around and there have been no problems.'
The church is known for its open sound system - something venues like the Eastport Democratic Club and local fire halls lack, said Janet Phillips, whose 17-year-old son is a member of teen band Cyrcadian Rhythm."
A successful multi-purpose arena
Richmond.com - Feature Story: 'Jack of All Trades ' for: "It was built to lure hot-rod basketball recruits to the University of Virginia, in the hope of restoring Cavalier basketball to the glory days it knew a quarter century ago, when Ralph Sampson walked The Lawn and the odds of reaching the Final Four every March weren't all that long.
But the John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville's $130-million, 15,000-seat state-of-the-art facility, also serves as one of the finest live concert venues in the state.
Just ask the building's general manager, Larry Wilson. In its first five months of operation, JPJ has sold out (or nearly sold out) shows for Eric Clapton, the Dave Matthews Band (twice), Kenny Chesney and James Taylor.
Wilson believes if they keep selling tickets, they'll keep drawing great acts.
'You can build a beautiful building in any city,' he said. 'If you can't sell tickets, the shows are not going to come. But if you can sell tickets, they're going to come and they're going to continue to come.'"
virginia
But the John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville's $130-million, 15,000-seat state-of-the-art facility, also serves as one of the finest live concert venues in the state.
Just ask the building's general manager, Larry Wilson. In its first five months of operation, JPJ has sold out (or nearly sold out) shows for Eric Clapton, the Dave Matthews Band (twice), Kenny Chesney and James Taylor.
Wilson believes if they keep selling tickets, they'll keep drawing great acts.
'You can build a beautiful building in any city,' he said. 'If you can't sell tickets, the shows are not going to come. But if you can sell tickets, they're going to come and they're going to continue to come.'"
virginia
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Advertising to promote your music venue, festival, or local music scene
This may not seem relevant to local music scenes, but it is, directly or indirectly.
You may have noticed that this blog has advertising from AdSense. I decided to try it because it was a hassle-free way to generate some revenue. I haven't gotten a check from Google yet, so it hasn't done much for me so far.
The linked article below suggests that some companies are losing interest in placing ads via Google. Their costs are going up and their results are going down.
What does this mean to you? Perhaps that you will want or be forced to get advertisers the old-fashioned way, by cutting deals directly with those companies who will most benefit from being associated with your site.
If, for example, your website promotes a local festival, consider approaching businesses who want to reach your demographic (e.g., nearby hotels and motels, restaurants that might want to offer special deals during the festival).
Rather than depending on Google to do your advertising for you, keep an eye out for your own sponsors/advertisers -- particularly those who aren't using Google or who have, but are losing interest.
A major selling point for Google advertising was that companies didn't have to pay unless a reader clicked on the ad. But when readers click, but do not buy, advertisers still have to pay, even though they receive no benefit.
If you offer advertisers a reasonably-priced flat rate, or one baeed on ad views (the way it used to be done), and they get results, you may find that you have a competitive advantage compared to Google. Don't discount the fact that you, as a local business, may appeal to and have something to offer other local businesses.
Google advertisers cutting spending as keyword costs rise - MarketWatch: "Frustrated by the soaring price of Internet-search advertising and diminishing returns from the ads they buy, mid-sized advertisers say they plan to reduce how much business they do with Google this year -- in some cases, significantly."
internet marketing
economic development
You may have noticed that this blog has advertising from AdSense. I decided to try it because it was a hassle-free way to generate some revenue. I haven't gotten a check from Google yet, so it hasn't done much for me so far.
The linked article below suggests that some companies are losing interest in placing ads via Google. Their costs are going up and their results are going down.
What does this mean to you? Perhaps that you will want or be forced to get advertisers the old-fashioned way, by cutting deals directly with those companies who will most benefit from being associated with your site.
If, for example, your website promotes a local festival, consider approaching businesses who want to reach your demographic (e.g., nearby hotels and motels, restaurants that might want to offer special deals during the festival).
Rather than depending on Google to do your advertising for you, keep an eye out for your own sponsors/advertisers -- particularly those who aren't using Google or who have, but are losing interest.
A major selling point for Google advertising was that companies didn't have to pay unless a reader clicked on the ad. But when readers click, but do not buy, advertisers still have to pay, even though they receive no benefit.
If you offer advertisers a reasonably-priced flat rate, or one baeed on ad views (the way it used to be done), and they get results, you may find that you have a competitive advantage compared to Google. Don't discount the fact that you, as a local business, may appeal to and have something to offer other local businesses.
Google advertisers cutting spending as keyword costs rise - MarketWatch: "Frustrated by the soaring price of Internet-search advertising and diminishing returns from the ads they buy, mid-sized advertisers say they plan to reduce how much business they do with Google this year -- in some cases, significantly."
internet marketing
economic development
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Happiness and Music Fans
Today's NY Times Magazine has a long article on the study of happiness. This particular comment struck home.
Happiness 101 - New York Times, 1/7/07: "The focus of Kashdan’s class that day was the distinction between feeling good, which according to positive psychologists only creates a hunger for more pleasure — they call this syndrome the hedonic treadmill — and doing good, which can lead to lasting happiness."
Some live music shows are really just about grooving to the music and maybe getting drunk, stoned, or finding a potential sex partner.
So do experiences like these create lasting fans?
Or is it possible that coupling music with a sense that it is part of a meaningful experience in life result in a better bond with fans?
live music
Happiness 101 - New York Times, 1/7/07: "The focus of Kashdan’s class that day was the distinction between feeling good, which according to positive psychologists only creates a hunger for more pleasure — they call this syndrome the hedonic treadmill — and doing good, which can lead to lasting happiness."
Some live music shows are really just about grooving to the music and maybe getting drunk, stoned, or finding a potential sex partner.
So do experiences like these create lasting fans?
Or is it possible that coupling music with a sense that it is part of a meaningful experience in life result in a better bond with fans?
live music
A floating festival
Tod Elmore is a partner in Sixthman, which produces music cruises. Here is some useful info if you want to do it yourself
Charlotte Observer | 01/07/2007 | He joins bands with fans, then sets sail:
Q. With megaships, can you do megabands?
The business model doesn't lend itself to superstar acts. There are only so many beds on a boat.
If Dave Matthews played Charlotte's Verizon Amphitheater, they'd probably gross $700,000 to $900,000 and net half a million.
On a ship, for a band to net that kind of money, we'd have to charge $3,000 a head.
Also, a cruise takes three to six days off their working calendars plus travel days to get to the ship and back. All that time, they could be elsewhere making money.
Q. On the ship, are the musicians your employees?
They're hired talent.
...
Q. What's the hardest aspect of pulling this off?
"We like to work a year in advance: It takes 14 to 16 months to pull this off right. We're already three months into January 2008 -- we picked the ship, looked at destinations and so on.
"The one thing we haven't done is secure artists: Most simply can't do that 14 months in advance.
...
Q. Who exactly goes on these cruises?
We know the Rock Boat audience well; when we get home from the cruise we survey them, and get a 70 percent response rate.
The average dude is 34 and single and in some regards is white collar. The "dudette" is 29 and single and in middle management -- an administrative assistant or a schoolteacher; there aren't a lot of Donald Trumps in this crowd.
music festival
live music
cruise
Charlotte Observer | 01/07/2007 | He joins bands with fans, then sets sail:
Q. With megaships, can you do megabands?
The business model doesn't lend itself to superstar acts. There are only so many beds on a boat.
If Dave Matthews played Charlotte's Verizon Amphitheater, they'd probably gross $700,000 to $900,000 and net half a million.
On a ship, for a band to net that kind of money, we'd have to charge $3,000 a head.
Also, a cruise takes three to six days off their working calendars plus travel days to get to the ship and back. All that time, they could be elsewhere making money.
Q. On the ship, are the musicians your employees?
They're hired talent.
...
Q. What's the hardest aspect of pulling this off?
"We like to work a year in advance: It takes 14 to 16 months to pull this off right. We're already three months into January 2008 -- we picked the ship, looked at destinations and so on.
"The one thing we haven't done is secure artists: Most simply can't do that 14 months in advance.
...
Q. Who exactly goes on these cruises?
We know the Rock Boat audience well; when we get home from the cruise we survey them, and get a 70 percent response rate.
The average dude is 34 and single and in some regards is white collar. The "dudette" is 29 and single and in middle management -- an administrative assistant or a schoolteacher; there aren't a lot of Donald Trumps in this crowd.
music festival
live music
cruise
Teaching bluegrass in schools to promote tourism
Printer-Friendly Version: The Rocky Mount Town Council "is urging local colleges to include bluegrass and traditional mountain music in their music-department curriculum, alongside jazz and classical music.
"The council sent its suggestion in a letter mailed to nearby Ferrum College, Patrick Henry Community College in neighboring Henry County, and Southwest Virginia Community College in Roanoke....
[Mayor Steve] Angle acknowledged the council also has ulterior motives: Rocky Mount is the easternmost point on Virginia's increasingly popular Crooked Road, a 250-mile driving trail through Southwest Virginia that links sundry bluegrass venues under one marketing campaign. The council, Angle said, hopes to increase knowledge of the Crooked Road by enlisting the colleges to spur interest in bluegrass."
Virginia
crooked road
tourism
bluegrass
economic development
"The council sent its suggestion in a letter mailed to nearby Ferrum College, Patrick Henry Community College in neighboring Henry County, and Southwest Virginia Community College in Roanoke....
[Mayor Steve] Angle acknowledged the council also has ulterior motives: Rocky Mount is the easternmost point on Virginia's increasingly popular Crooked Road, a 250-mile driving trail through Southwest Virginia that links sundry bluegrass venues under one marketing campaign. The council, Angle said, hopes to increase knowledge of the Crooked Road by enlisting the colleges to spur interest in bluegrass."
Virginia
crooked road
tourism
bluegrass
economic development
Friday, January 05, 2007
Bonnaroo buying its site
Most festival promoters don't try to own the venues they use, but Bonnaroo plans to.
Billboard, 1/4/07 - Bonnaroo Organizers Purchasing Festival Site: "Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment, producers of the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival, are finalizing the purchase of the bulk of the festival site land near Manchester in Coffee County, Tenn.
"The festival will end up owning about 530 acres alongside Interstate 24 purchased from landowner Sam McAlister. Bonnaroo has long-term leases with owners of 300 additional acres at the site. ...
"'We always felt the land would be a good long term investment for us,' [Superfly president Jonathan] Mayers says. 'It's a big investment for us, but we believe in the long term of the festival and other events we can create on the property, and the fact that we're going to be able to put permanent infrastructure there. We're really excited about that.' ...
"'A lot of the infrastructure that we've brought in temporarily, whether it's power, water throughout the facility, permanent bathrooms, roads, even some of the actual staging, we're definitely planning to put in permanently,' he says. 'We're going to plan it very carefully to give us the flexibility to host several events out there. We want to make it one of the premier venues in the world.'
"Mayers says the rural Bonnaroo site would work for a wide range of events, large and small, 'whether it's a country event or a Christian music festival, or just a stand-alone concert out there, with us producing it, someone else, or us partnering with someone. We're totally open-minded.'
"Bonnaroo is the top-grossing event of its kind in the world, capturing the Top Festival award at the Billboard Touring Awards for three consecutive years. Last year's event grossed $14.7 million ..."
music festival
live music
Bonnaroo
Billboard, 1/4/07 - Bonnaroo Organizers Purchasing Festival Site: "Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment, producers of the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival, are finalizing the purchase of the bulk of the festival site land near Manchester in Coffee County, Tenn.
"The festival will end up owning about 530 acres alongside Interstate 24 purchased from landowner Sam McAlister. Bonnaroo has long-term leases with owners of 300 additional acres at the site. ...
"'We always felt the land would be a good long term investment for us,' [Superfly president Jonathan] Mayers says. 'It's a big investment for us, but we believe in the long term of the festival and other events we can create on the property, and the fact that we're going to be able to put permanent infrastructure there. We're really excited about that.' ...
"'A lot of the infrastructure that we've brought in temporarily, whether it's power, water throughout the facility, permanent bathrooms, roads, even some of the actual staging, we're definitely planning to put in permanently,' he says. 'We're going to plan it very carefully to give us the flexibility to host several events out there. We want to make it one of the premier venues in the world.'
"Mayers says the rural Bonnaroo site would work for a wide range of events, large and small, 'whether it's a country event or a Christian music festival, or just a stand-alone concert out there, with us producing it, someone else, or us partnering with someone. We're totally open-minded.'
"Bonnaroo is the top-grossing event of its kind in the world, capturing the Top Festival award at the Billboard Touring Awards for three consecutive years. Last year's event grossed $14.7 million ..."
music festival
live music
Bonnaroo
The long-term value in all-ages shows
Chicago Reader: Sharp Darts -- Doing It for the Kids: There are lots of reasons for a venue like Subterranean to host all-ages shows, and money isn't all of them.: "Clubs that will hold all-ages shows are hard to come by. To sell alcohol at shows with underagers in attendance, a venue needs a 'Consumption on Premises -- Incidental Activity' license, which requires it to provide some attraction other than alcohol. (In Subterranean's case this means the kitchen must be open.) And even for clubs that can secure the right license, all-ages shows may not be a viable proposition. Subterranean has had its license since it began operating as a live-music venue in 1995. But you need extra security to keep kids from sneaking drinks, and then every kid not drinking equals lost revenue at the bar. When your club holds fewer than 400 people and regularly hosts shows that won't draw anywhere near capacity, alcohol sales can save your bottom line.
"Larger rooms don't have to sweat this so much, since door money and a cut of the bands' merch sales make up a bigger share of their total. According to House of Blues talent buyer Michael Yerke, his venue -- which holds more than 1,000 people -- hosts all-ages shows to get in on the ground floor with bands on their way up, many of which have younger crowds. The potential for future sold-out shows with those bands at bigger HOB venues like the Congress Theater is worth the sacrifice. 'We don't offset it,' Yerke says. 'We're trying to build relationships and careers with our artists. Of course there are less liquor sales at a Dashboard Confessional show. Is it tougher at the Beat Kitchen's level, whether to sacrifice a Friday night for an all-ages show? Probably.'
"[Derron Swan, who runs House Call Entertainment] also describes all-ages shows as an investment, but he's more interested in building relationships with the kids who might have their first experiences with live music at one of his venues. Ask any legal Chicago punk about the Fireside today and you'll get your proof that Swan's on to something -- the stories people tell about it add up to something like a mythology. And contrary to Yerke's assumption, the Beat Kitchen doesn't usually sacrifice its nights for all-ages shows -- whenever possible, the club doubles up. 'If it's going to be a show where there's nothing but kids,' Swan explains, 'we will likely book that all-ages show early so we can do a late show to compensate.'
"But working twice as long to bring in the same amount of cash doesn't make much financial sense either. Swan's decision to add all-ages shows at Subterranean seems to arise at least in part from old-fashioned idealism. ... he believes [some all ages shows] not only makes new concertgoers but sometimes inspires them to start their own bands. Down the road they might end up playing their own shows at one of Swan's clubs. 'Hopefully you get that into them,' he says, 'and they pick up a guitar, or want to play a violin, or just sing.'"
live music
clubs
all ages
Chicago
"Larger rooms don't have to sweat this so much, since door money and a cut of the bands' merch sales make up a bigger share of their total. According to House of Blues talent buyer Michael Yerke, his venue -- which holds more than 1,000 people -- hosts all-ages shows to get in on the ground floor with bands on their way up, many of which have younger crowds. The potential for future sold-out shows with those bands at bigger HOB venues like the Congress Theater is worth the sacrifice. 'We don't offset it,' Yerke says. 'We're trying to build relationships and careers with our artists. Of course there are less liquor sales at a Dashboard Confessional show. Is it tougher at the Beat Kitchen's level, whether to sacrifice a Friday night for an all-ages show? Probably.'
"[Derron Swan, who runs House Call Entertainment] also describes all-ages shows as an investment, but he's more interested in building relationships with the kids who might have their first experiences with live music at one of his venues. Ask any legal Chicago punk about the Fireside today and you'll get your proof that Swan's on to something -- the stories people tell about it add up to something like a mythology. And contrary to Yerke's assumption, the Beat Kitchen doesn't usually sacrifice its nights for all-ages shows -- whenever possible, the club doubles up. 'If it's going to be a show where there's nothing but kids,' Swan explains, 'we will likely book that all-ages show early so we can do a late show to compensate.'
"But working twice as long to bring in the same amount of cash doesn't make much financial sense either. Swan's decision to add all-ages shows at Subterranean seems to arise at least in part from old-fashioned idealism. ... he believes [some all ages shows] not only makes new concertgoers but sometimes inspires them to start their own bands. Down the road they might end up playing their own shows at one of Swan's clubs. 'Hopefully you get that into them,' he says, 'and they pick up a guitar, or want to play a violin, or just sing.'"
live music
clubs
all ages
Chicago
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Booking is the key for a performing arts center
This article has some useful info on how to run a successful performing arts center.
MyWestTexas.com, 12/31/06 - Right manager crucial to performing arts center success: "Between the four resident companies,[Paul Beard, managing director of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth] said the hall has 10 weeks of Broadway shows and the hall itself presents about 40 concerts that tend to be more commercial. Space is rented to the four resident companies and outside groups, plus the hall hosts music education for children.
"'For all that, the key concept is high occupancy. Our belief is a busy building is a happy building. That enhances our financial situation and gives us a viable base of amortization. Most costs are recovered by earned income,' Beard said....
"'What you quickly learn in this business is it's not the gross that matters, it's the net. It's not what the show costs, it's the return you get on the show that matters. You could conceivably make more money by spending more money,' Beard said....
"Mesa (Ariz.) Arts Center, which opened in 2005-06, hosted more than 600 shows from September through May with a couple of rentals in June, Executive Director Gerry Fathauer said. Some of the performers included Michael Crawford, Olivia Newton-John and Trisha Yearwood, along with plays and other events....
"The Mesa facility serves the Phoenix metro area with four theaters -- a 99-seat black box, and venues with 200, 550 and 1,600 seats. The set-up gives the center 'a lot of flexibility.'"
MyWestTexas.com, 12/31/06 - Right manager crucial to performing arts center success: "Between the four resident companies,[Paul Beard, managing director of the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth] said the hall has 10 weeks of Broadway shows and the hall itself presents about 40 concerts that tend to be more commercial. Space is rented to the four resident companies and outside groups, plus the hall hosts music education for children.
"'For all that, the key concept is high occupancy. Our belief is a busy building is a happy building. That enhances our financial situation and gives us a viable base of amortization. Most costs are recovered by earned income,' Beard said....
"'What you quickly learn in this business is it's not the gross that matters, it's the net. It's not what the show costs, it's the return you get on the show that matters. You could conceivably make more money by spending more money,' Beard said....
"Mesa (Ariz.) Arts Center, which opened in 2005-06, hosted more than 600 shows from September through May with a couple of rentals in June, Executive Director Gerry Fathauer said. Some of the performers included Michael Crawford, Olivia Newton-John and Trisha Yearwood, along with plays and other events....
"The Mesa facility serves the Phoenix metro area with four theaters -- a 99-seat black box, and venues with 200, 550 and 1,600 seats. The set-up gives the center 'a lot of flexibility.'"
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