This venue is closing, a victim of rising real estate and fewer people stopping in, but places like this are still needed.
Singing a Sad Song for Their Piano Bar - New York Times, 7/19/07:There was the story, for example, from about 10 years ago, where a glassy-eyed gentleman wandered in, steadied himself against the bar and with little ceremony unburdened himself with the force of a racehorse.
Kristine Zbornik, a professional singer and actress, was at the microphone at the time. When the gentleman’s stream advanced toward her, she raised her left foot and switched songs midway through and started belting out, “Cry Me a River.”
When news of the closing of Rose’s Turn spread last weekend among the bar’s longtime patrons, many say they felt devastated. Susan Finkelstein McElroy, 50, a regular patron who lives in North Babylon, on Long Island, received a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2004. She credits song-filled nights at Rose’s Turn with helping her endure the rigors of chemotherapy.
When she read the bad news in an e-mail message on Saturday, Ms. Finkelstein McElroy wept.
For 56 years, since it opened during the Truman administration, 55 Grove Street in the West Village has been a piano bar, cabaret and comedy club for the quick-witted and full-throated. First it was Upstairs/Downstairs, then the Duplex (which remains open at another location), and finally it became Rose’s Turn."
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Travel lightly or not at all
This article criticizes Live Earth, and particularly the stars appearing in it, for by hypocritical by wasting so much energy to get to these events. It does mention what some of the venues are doing to offset the carbon emissions and trash, but overall it does not consider this event to be environmentally friendly.
There's something to be said for keeping live music local -- going to see local bands who don't tour, and using public transportation, to see them. Now we just have to get the local music press and the fans on board to give props to bands that refuse to tour.
Live Earth is promoting green to save the planet - what planet are they on? | the Daily Mail, 7/07/07: "A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that far from saving the planet, the extravaganza will generate a huge fuel bill, acres of garbage, thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, and a mileage total equal to the movement of an army.
The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher.
The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists' and spectators' travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, who specialises in such calculations."
There's something to be said for keeping live music local -- going to see local bands who don't tour, and using public transportation, to see them. Now we just have to get the local music press and the fans on board to give props to bands that refuse to tour.
Live Earth is promoting green to save the planet - what planet are they on? | the Daily Mail, 7/07/07: "A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that far from saving the planet, the extravaganza will generate a huge fuel bill, acres of garbage, thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, and a mileage total equal to the movement of an army.
The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher.
The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists' and spectators' travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, who specialises in such calculations."
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Huge arenas no longer is demand as music venues
7/01/07 - The Enquirer - Huge venues are vanishing: "Live Nation, which posted more than $3.5 billion in revenues last year, bills itself as 'the world's largest live music company.' It owns or operates 131 venues. Increasingly, amphitheaters sitting mainly on interstate exits and beltways outside of cities, find themselves in areas that have become prime real estate. Live Nation is selling off amphitheaters where established stars such as Buffett and Chesney may be the only guaranteed sellouts.
Just last week, Live Nation ended a management deal with the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater near Kansas City, Mo., plunging that outdoor venue's future into uncertainty.
While it divests of amphitheaters and other aspects of its business - including its Broadway Across America series that comes to the Aronoff Center for the Arts - Live Nation is beefing up its live music promotion and focusing on smaller venues. The company recently acquired the House of Blues chain of 10 clubs for $350 million.
Smaller performing venues are more attractive to artists as well as presenters, says [Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of the concert trade magazine Pollstar], because all seats are reserved. In 1994, touring groups including the Rolling Stones shifted to 'tiered pricing,' charging a premium for the best seats. But in the amphitheater world, the largest capacity is the lawn, which are the cheapest tickets.
'The artists will tend to demand that the presenters pay them a lot for that lawn capacity, whether they sell it or not,' Bongiovanni says. 'But if you only have 6,000 reserved seats, it's a safer bet. And artists generally like to play venues they can fill. No one likes to play to an empty or half-empty facility.'"
Just last week, Live Nation ended a management deal with the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater near Kansas City, Mo., plunging that outdoor venue's future into uncertainty.
While it divests of amphitheaters and other aspects of its business - including its Broadway Across America series that comes to the Aronoff Center for the Arts - Live Nation is beefing up its live music promotion and focusing on smaller venues. The company recently acquired the House of Blues chain of 10 clubs for $350 million.
Smaller performing venues are more attractive to artists as well as presenters, says [Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of the concert trade magazine Pollstar], because all seats are reserved. In 1994, touring groups including the Rolling Stones shifted to 'tiered pricing,' charging a premium for the best seats. But in the amphitheater world, the largest capacity is the lawn, which are the cheapest tickets.
'The artists will tend to demand that the presenters pay them a lot for that lawn capacity, whether they sell it or not,' Bongiovanni says. 'But if you only have 6,000 reserved seats, it's a safer bet. And artists generally like to play venues they can fill. No one likes to play to an empty or half-empty facility.'"
Do free concerts hurt clubs or build audiences?
This article suggests that while the free jazz concerts in Chicago increase the popularity of jazz, they hurt small club discouraging fans from going to them and by driving up prices for artists.
Chicago Tribune news, 7/01/07: Scatting from clubs to larger concert venues: "Perhaps no one did more to affect that change than Lois Weisberg, commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Richard M. Daley and a cultural advocate in previous administrations. By steadily expanding free concerts in Grant Park and helping to transform the old Chicago Public Library building into the bursting-with-music Chicago Cultural Center, Weisberg put the city's muscle and money behind music.
'There's no other city in the country that does so much free music,' says Weisberg, noting that the city now spends about $2 million a year on various music events, much of it jazz.
Furthermore, by joining forces with organizations such as the Chicago Jazz Partnership -- a collection of blue-chip corporate foundations that committed $1.5 million to Millennium Park's 'Made in Chicago' jazz series and other jazz events -- the city has leveraged additional resources to jazz concert-going."
Chicago Tribune news, 7/01/07: Scatting from clubs to larger concert venues: "Perhaps no one did more to affect that change than Lois Weisberg, commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs under Mayor Richard M. Daley and a cultural advocate in previous administrations. By steadily expanding free concerts in Grant Park and helping to transform the old Chicago Public Library building into the bursting-with-music Chicago Cultural Center, Weisberg put the city's muscle and money behind music.
'There's no other city in the country that does so much free music,' says Weisberg, noting that the city now spends about $2 million a year on various music events, much of it jazz.
Furthermore, by joining forces with organizations such as the Chicago Jazz Partnership -- a collection of blue-chip corporate foundations that committed $1.5 million to Millennium Park's 'Made in Chicago' jazz series and other jazz events -- the city has leveraged additional resources to jazz concert-going."
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Athens GA still a big music town
Macon.com | 06/19/2007 | Years after R.E.M., Athens music scene still hot: "In a town of roughly 100,000 people, Athens - home of the University of Georgia and just south of the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains - has an estimated 500-plus music groups. At that ratio, metro Atlanta would have about 20,000 rock bands and New York City would have more than 40,000....
'In Georgia, probably most of the artistic and eccentric and creative and interesting people gravitate to UGA,' said Fred Schneider of The B-52s, whose group returned to its roots in Athens last month to record their first album in 15 years. 'It's an easy place to live, prices are reasonable and there's a lot to do and see.'"
'In Georgia, probably most of the artistic and eccentric and creative and interesting people gravitate to UGA,' said Fred Schneider of The B-52s, whose group returned to its roots in Athens last month to record their first album in 15 years. 'It's an easy place to live, prices are reasonable and there's a lot to do and see.'"
Turning a barn into a venue
A family of torning bluegrass musicians decided to lease a barn (which already had seating from its previous life as a melodrama theater) in Kansas and turn it into a music venue.
Born in a barn | lawrence.com, 6/24/07: "He lists the things the Bluegrass Barn Theater has going for it:
• There are 1,000 campsites at Perry Lake, with no other entertainment options.
• Topeka and Lawrence are only a half-hour away, with other smaller towns even closer.
• Bluegrass fans traditionally travel a long way for festivals. With gasoline prices increasing, they might look for options closer to home."
Born in a barn | lawrence.com, 6/24/07: "He lists the things the Bluegrass Barn Theater has going for it:
• There are 1,000 campsites at Perry Lake, with no other entertainment options.
• Topeka and Lawrence are only a half-hour away, with other smaller towns even closer.
• Bluegrass fans traditionally travel a long way for festivals. With gasoline prices increasing, they might look for options closer to home."
Friday, June 15, 2007
AEG's Plans for Denver
This article is about promoter Chuch Morris becoming the head of AEG Live's Rocky Mountain office. He left Live Nation to do this and brought several others with him. And before that, he ran his own promotion company.
One of the big local stories has been the venues that Live Nation and AEG have been booking. And the fact that AEG wants to put in yet another venue.
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Other Business: "With a changing concert demographic that is skewing to midsize venues, AEG looks to build a 6,000-seat amphitheater with a retractable roof for year-round use.
'What they're doing is the future of our business,' Morris said. 'We'll only build a building that is mind-blowing and makes sense economically. If that doesn't happen, we won't be building. That's going to be one of my many challenges.'
AEG has built buildings and entertainment districts around the world, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles to the new Wembley Stadium in England.
'If the right location happens and the right finances happen,' Denver will get a new venue, Morris said. 'If I can't create something that's never been done before, we're not going to do it. If I can, I'd love to be part of it.'"
One of the big local stories has been the venues that Live Nation and AEG have been booking. And the fact that AEG wants to put in yet another venue.
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Other Business: "With a changing concert demographic that is skewing to midsize venues, AEG looks to build a 6,000-seat amphitheater with a retractable roof for year-round use.
'What they're doing is the future of our business,' Morris said. 'We'll only build a building that is mind-blowing and makes sense economically. If that doesn't happen, we won't be building. That's going to be one of my many challenges.'
AEG has built buildings and entertainment districts around the world, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles to the new Wembley Stadium in England.
'If the right location happens and the right finances happen,' Denver will get a new venue, Morris said. 'If I can't create something that's never been done before, we're not going to do it. If I can, I'd love to be part of it.'"
Thursday, June 14, 2007
San Antonio Music Venues
San Antonio has several new music venue offerings: a ranch, a cowboy bar, and an amphitheater.
Area's music-venue options grow by three - MySA.com: Music, 6/12/07
Area's music-venue options grow by three - MySA.com: Music, 6/12/07
Monday, June 11, 2007
Concerts in the Apple Music Store
Leaving New York: Goodbye Apple Store And So Long SoHo - Gawker, 6/11/07: "I'd of course heard of the Apple Store having concerts. But since I'm usually only in Manhattan from 9 to 6, Monday through Friday, I never actually happen upon these things. So this was the first time I'd seen a concert at the Apple Store, and it was totally a spectacle. There weren't just bouncers, there were security people there. The people who were there for the concert looked different (younger) than the people who were there to shop. Some hapless dude looking for a laptop bag had made his way upstairs, and the security force was all like making that direct pointing and 'outta-there' thumb motion usually reserved for mosh pits. A security guy at the top of the stairs escorted the hapless geek downstairs.
The clerk returned with my screen cleaner and rung me up from a handheld, wireless register (had not done this before, must say it was pretty cool). While she was doing this, I looked to the front door of the store. Owen Wilson and a friend (or dealer, perhaps) were being shown in and were heading right upstairs to the show.
So when the Apple Store has a concert, not only do they have bouncers and security staff, they've even got a VIP protocol. I was reminded of last summer, when I saw Lansing-Dreiden play at the 'Starbucks Salon' (also in Soho, just down the street from the Apple Store). I remember when I went to shows at venues that didn't sell grande chais and laptop screen cleaners. Surely those kinds of places still exist, and surely that's where new bands play, and where new music fans go to see them. Those are the kinds of places I went seven years ago, when I first moved here, and surely they still exist."
The clerk returned with my screen cleaner and rung me up from a handheld, wireless register (had not done this before, must say it was pretty cool). While she was doing this, I looked to the front door of the store. Owen Wilson and a friend (or dealer, perhaps) were being shown in and were heading right upstairs to the show.
So when the Apple Store has a concert, not only do they have bouncers and security staff, they've even got a VIP protocol. I was reminded of last summer, when I saw Lansing-Dreiden play at the 'Starbucks Salon' (also in Soho, just down the street from the Apple Store). I remember when I went to shows at venues that didn't sell grande chais and laptop screen cleaners. Surely those kinds of places still exist, and surely that's where new bands play, and where new music fans go to see them. Those are the kinds of places I went seven years ago, when I first moved here, and surely they still exist."
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The growth of mid-sized venues in NYC
Here's a bit of an overview of Bowery Presents, a promoter that has grown enough to take on Live Nation and AEG in NYC.
Bowery Presents - Concert Industry - Music - New York Times, 6/7/07: "It started with the 250-capacity Mercury Lounge on East Houston Street, which opened in 1994 for $250,000, some $35,000 of which came from the maxed-out credit cards of Michael Swier, one of the Bowery Presents partners. Four years later came the 575-capacity, $1 million Bowery Ballroom, and in 2004 the company began booking Webster Hall, which fits 1,400. Last year it acquired Northsix in Brooklyn, which will open in September as the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the 3,000-capacity former Exit dance club on West 56th Street, to reopen as a rock hall in October."
Bowery Presents - Concert Industry - Music - New York Times, 6/7/07: "It started with the 250-capacity Mercury Lounge on East Houston Street, which opened in 1994 for $250,000, some $35,000 of which came from the maxed-out credit cards of Michael Swier, one of the Bowery Presents partners. Four years later came the 575-capacity, $1 million Bowery Ballroom, and in 2004 the company began booking Webster Hall, which fits 1,400. Last year it acquired Northsix in Brooklyn, which will open in September as the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the 3,000-capacity former Exit dance club on West 56th Street, to reopen as a rock hall in October."
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Melbourne losing music venues
Live venues hit rock bottom | Herald Sun, 5/31/07: "WITH the number of live venues dwindling fast, Melbourne's music industry is on the verge of a crisis.
Melbourne's live venues seem to be dropping like flies, Melbourne losing two rock rooms last week alone.
The 1880-capacity Palace will close in two weeks to make way for the $300 million redevelopment of the St Kilda triangle site.
And Fitzroy's Spanish Club, which holds about 500, will close on June 23 after a long stoush with residents, council and liquor licensing....
That means Melbourne will be without a 1800-2500 capacity standing-room live venue for the foreseeable future, with the Forum the closest candidate at 1500.
"
Melbourne's live venues seem to be dropping like flies, Melbourne losing two rock rooms last week alone.
The 1880-capacity Palace will close in two weeks to make way for the $300 million redevelopment of the St Kilda triangle site.
And Fitzroy's Spanish Club, which holds about 500, will close on June 23 after a long stoush with residents, council and liquor licensing....
That means Melbourne will be without a 1800-2500 capacity standing-room live venue for the foreseeable future, with the Forum the closest candidate at 1500.
"
America's 40 Best Music Venues
Paste Magazine :: Feature :: America's 40 Best Music Venues: "Sometimes it’s the view—you’re at Denver’s Red Rocks, your eyes darting back and forth from the band to the landscape, and the music seems changed by the surrounding beauty. Sometimes it’s the history—a young band, onstage at The Fillmore, stands on the shoulders of the giants whose music helped reshape the world. Sometimes it’s the sense of discovery—you’re at L.A.’s Hotel Cafe, and you suspect the night’s opening act is headed for stardom. And sometimes, like with The Bowery Ballroom in New York, it’s simply the fact that on any given night, you know they’ve booked another great show.
To help find America’s best music venues, we went to the experts—you. In addition to our many contributors scattered across the country and many of the artists driving from club to club, Paste readers nominated more than 500 different venues at PasteMagazine.com—from hole-in-the-wall rock clubs to elegant theaters, legendary halls to brand new bars, quiet listening rooms to rock extravaganzas.
We weighed history, setting, sound, character, comfort, atmosphere, vibrancy, uniqueness, and their roles in helping launch careers. Among hundreds of worthy choices, these 40 venues rose above their peers. Our picks for the best music venues in America follow in this special section..."
To help find America’s best music venues, we went to the experts—you. In addition to our many contributors scattered across the country and many of the artists driving from club to club, Paste readers nominated more than 500 different venues at PasteMagazine.com—from hole-in-the-wall rock clubs to elegant theaters, legendary halls to brand new bars, quiet listening rooms to rock extravaganzas.
We weighed history, setting, sound, character, comfort, atmosphere, vibrancy, uniqueness, and their roles in helping launch careers. Among hundreds of worthy choices, these 40 venues rose above their peers. Our picks for the best music venues in America follow in this special section..."
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Leisure: How People Spend Their Free Time
Here's a good resource to get you thinking about American society and what we do and don't do with our free time.
Focusing on music, or even entertainment, can often be too limiting. If you are selling these concepts, you need to take into consideration all the various activities competing for a person's time, attention, and financial resources. The academic field of leisure studies gives a broad overview of time/recreation consumption.
In particular you might want to look at the PDF file, "Leisure in America: Searching for the Forest Amongst the Trees." It has culled data from a number of different research studies to give you an overview of American culture and leisure time activities.
The Compleat Leader (Getty Leadership Institute)
Focusing on music, or even entertainment, can often be too limiting. If you are selling these concepts, you need to take into consideration all the various activities competing for a person's time, attention, and financial resources. The academic field of leisure studies gives a broad overview of time/recreation consumption.
In particular you might want to look at the PDF file, "Leisure in America: Searching for the Forest Amongst the Trees." It has culled data from a number of different research studies to give you an overview of American culture and leisure time activities.
The Compleat Leader (Getty Leadership Institute)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The lure of the live music experience
San Francisco Bay Guardian, 5/23/07 - Show me: "Pavlov's e-mail robot knows what gets me salivating — aside from those wolf beach towels on Amazon.com (wintry wolves and hot sand go together about as well as infants and live grenades): namely, live music. Drive blearily into the Mojave for Coachella, jump through hoops to get to Seattle for Bumbershoot, make the red-eye to Austin for South by Southwest, take the midnight train to Tennessee's Bonnaroo, hock yourself for England's All Tomorrow's Parties, hazard reindeer sashimi for Reykjavik's Iceland Airwaves — take note of the chart; I have a history of doing anything for a life-altering show."
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Creating a music promotion business from the ground up
How a college student went from club booker to full-time music promoter.
Promoter helps rock scene thrive - Chico Music Guide, 5/16/07: "Devil Kat Rock Productions founder Katie Perry has always been passionate about music, but it wasn't until she moved from Redding to Chico to attend college that she found her ardor for music promotion.
'I love rock 'n' roll,' Perry said. 'I honestly think I would be entirely lost if I didn't do this.'
Perry is a music promoter who promotes, stage-manages and books various music talents, both local and national, to perform in Chico and Redding. Since starting in 2002, she has had a full calendar of shows. On top of her 40-hour-a-week day job, she pumps out another 30 to 50 hours under her alter ego Devil Kat Rock Productions....
'Having shows is like rolling the dice, I really don't know how many people are going to come,' she said. 'Some people are going to talk shit and critique - telling me how I should do things - these people are generally the ones that don't get off their asses and do something.'"
Promoter helps rock scene thrive - Chico Music Guide, 5/16/07: "Devil Kat Rock Productions founder Katie Perry has always been passionate about music, but it wasn't until she moved from Redding to Chico to attend college that she found her ardor for music promotion.
'I love rock 'n' roll,' Perry said. 'I honestly think I would be entirely lost if I didn't do this.'
Perry is a music promoter who promotes, stage-manages and books various music talents, both local and national, to perform in Chico and Redding. Since starting in 2002, she has had a full calendar of shows. On top of her 40-hour-a-week day job, she pumps out another 30 to 50 hours under her alter ego Devil Kat Rock Productions....
'Having shows is like rolling the dice, I really don't know how many people are going to come,' she said. 'Some people are going to talk shit and critique - telling me how I should do things - these people are generally the ones that don't get off their asses and do something.'"
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Putting jazz clubs into perspective
An interview with Branford Marsalis.
MetroTimes Detroit, 5/16/07 -‘Jazz has never been popular’: "Marsalis: Jazz music has never been popular. I think that we need to get away from that lie. Jazz clubs back in the day, were considered places of counterculture. If you listen to records like John Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard and Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard, what you will hear is a lot of people talking and treating the music with relative indifference. In the '50s, if you wanted to go to a cool place to hang out and have some drinks and talk, you went to a jazz club. Where were you going to go? Lawrence Welk didn't have a club where you could go to. Now they have all kinds of clubs that didn't exist back then. Whoever heard of a cigar bar or a wine bar?"
MT: In those venues the music is secondary to the ambience and the socializing.
Marsalis: The music has always been secondary; that is why you hear people talking. Jazz has never been popular. I think that is just a common thing to say, and I don't know why. Just for research purposes, you should get the Time magazine with Thelonious Monk on the cover [from 1964] and read the entire article. What you'll notice is there's very little in that article about jazz music. It's more focused on the personality and jazz as a lifestyle. The American aesthetic has always viewed all music as a form of entertainment. Any idea of music as an art has always been something that America has rejected since we have had a country.
MetroTimes Detroit, 5/16/07 -‘Jazz has never been popular’: "Marsalis: Jazz music has never been popular. I think that we need to get away from that lie. Jazz clubs back in the day, were considered places of counterculture. If you listen to records like John Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard and Bill Evans Live at the Village Vanguard, what you will hear is a lot of people talking and treating the music with relative indifference. In the '50s, if you wanted to go to a cool place to hang out and have some drinks and talk, you went to a jazz club. Where were you going to go? Lawrence Welk didn't have a club where you could go to. Now they have all kinds of clubs that didn't exist back then. Whoever heard of a cigar bar or a wine bar?"
MT: In those venues the music is secondary to the ambience and the socializing.
Marsalis: The music has always been secondary; that is why you hear people talking. Jazz has never been popular. I think that is just a common thing to say, and I don't know why. Just for research purposes, you should get the Time magazine with Thelonious Monk on the cover [from 1964] and read the entire article. What you'll notice is there's very little in that article about jazz music. It's more focused on the personality and jazz as a lifestyle. The American aesthetic has always viewed all music as a form of entertainment. Any idea of music as an art has always been something that America has rejected since we have had a country.
Live shows in movie theaters
Movie complexes get in tune, will offer live music shows - BostonHerald.com, 5/15/07: " National Amusements Inc. plans to launch its own branded live music venues within its chain of movie theaters, according to president Shari Redstone.
The Dedham company is developing the concept with guidance and booking assistance from the Bensusan family, owners of the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City’s Times Square and the renowned Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village.
'What we see is creating auditoriums in several of our theaters that are primarily devoted to live entertainment,' Redstone said....
The as-yet-unnamed venues would be modeled after the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, which offers patrons both dinner and entertainment. ...
National Amusements is testing a live music program at its Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills in Manchester, Conn., which is being turned into a Cinema de Lux entertainment concept. The venue’s Chatters Bar & Grill hosted a four-week run of a cabaret-style show with Carol O’Shaughnessy this month and last, and is starting to feature live bands on Saturday nights."
"
The Dedham company is developing the concept with guidance and booking assistance from the Bensusan family, owners of the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in New York City’s Times Square and the renowned Blue Note Jazz Club in Greenwich Village.
'What we see is creating auditoriums in several of our theaters that are primarily devoted to live entertainment,' Redstone said....
The as-yet-unnamed venues would be modeled after the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, which offers patrons both dinner and entertainment. ...
National Amusements is testing a live music program at its Showcase Cinemas Buckland Hills in Manchester, Conn., which is being turned into a Cinema de Lux entertainment concept. The venue’s Chatters Bar & Grill hosted a four-week run of a cabaret-style show with Carol O’Shaughnessy this month and last, and is starting to feature live bands on Saturday nights."
"
The Arcade Fire likes churches
5/14/07, Pitchfork Feature: Interview: The Arcade Fire:"Pitchfork: The Arcade Fire seems drawn to churches, both as performance spaces and as inspiration. Can you talk a little bit about the churches in your life?
WB: ... Most buildings aren't really built with acoustics in mind, and small churches definitely are. Voices need to carry. But also just architecturally-- there's something going into the architecture that's very inspiring.
Pitchfork: Sure. And even taken out of all religious and spiritual contexts, there's something peaceful about being in a church. Church is one of the few places left in America where there's no noise, no television, no radio, no advertising. It lends itself to contemplation.
WB: Right, the purpose of the building is totally different than, like, an office building. It's designed to have an atmosphere. If you think about it, if you've ever been to a Catholic service, it's practically a laser light show. It's very dramatic, very theatrical. The outfits they wear, it's all designed to be impressive."
WB: ... Most buildings aren't really built with acoustics in mind, and small churches definitely are. Voices need to carry. But also just architecturally-- there's something going into the architecture that's very inspiring.
Pitchfork: Sure. And even taken out of all religious and spiritual contexts, there's something peaceful about being in a church. Church is one of the few places left in America where there's no noise, no television, no radio, no advertising. It lends itself to contemplation.
WB: Right, the purpose of the building is totally different than, like, an office building. It's designed to have an atmosphere. If you think about it, if you've ever been to a Catholic service, it's practically a laser light show. It's very dramatic, very theatrical. The outfits they wear, it's all designed to be impressive."
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Concert promotion using mobile phones
This article discusses how Fall Out Boy and other bands are using mobile phones to promote themselves and particularly to enhance the concert experience. The assumption is that teenagers want to get messages via phone rather than email.
While the idea of taping into cellphones at concerts makes sense since that's the best way to communicate with audiences during the event, some of the other ideas seem a bit too gimmicky and too youth-specific.
My feeling is that mobile promotions are good when they appeal to audiences' this-concert-is-really-about-me mentality (e.g., allowing them to post messages and photos to giant screens during the show), but don't add much when they are just used as a way to create faux intimacy between a band's promotional department and the fans who sign up. It kind of reminds me of those 900 numbers where you could listen to a photo message from your favorite star for a fee.
Rocky Mountain News, 5/5/07 - Bands SPK 2 GR8 fans:
"• One fan will have the opportunity to go backstage and meet the band via a text-messaging contest held live during the performance.
• The band is encouraging fans to take camera-phone photos during the show and upload them to a section of their Web site called "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," text-message shorthand for "thanks for the memories" and also the title of their current single.
• In some tour venues, fans will be able to send the photos directly to video screens on either side of the stage, a multimedia upgrade from the now-common practice of displaying audience text messages.
It's all part of a text messaging fan club campaign the group launched in late March. Fall Out Boy developed a set of five mobile trading cards that fans can only receive by signing up for the service and texting in updates on a regular basis. Each time fans text in a message, they receive one randomly selected card. Some are rarer than others, so the odds of getting the rarest card increase with the number of messages sent.
The trading cards are in the form of Tarot cards, designed around graphic themes from the band's new album, Infinity on High. Once downloaded, fans can use them for their phones' wallpaper images.
After joining the text-message fan club, fans will get updates on Fall Out Boy news such as when the band's next video will premiere, ticket alerts for local secret shows, updates about about the band members, and other information - all delivered directly to their mobile phones....
The group uses Mozes to manage its text-messaging efforts; the Palo Alto, Calif., company claims another 700 artists also use its service.
Mozes CEO Dorrian Porter said Fall Out Boy has signed up 'tens of thousands' of fans since the Tarot card promotion began, and recently had the fifth-most subscribers on the service, after Hinder, Korn, hellogoodbye and Boys Like Girls.
Mozes also runs the backstage pass contest at FOB tours. The company first tested the concept last fall with rockers The Plain White T's. For each show, roughly half of those attending responded to the content to get a backstage pass - a staggering response rate.
'It looked like a sea of teenagers pulling out their phones at once,' Porter said....
Concerts offer a variety of ways for bands and fans to interact using mobile phones. Artists already let fans choose which song they should play during their encore via text-message voting. Or they can remix a song played live that night into a custom ring tone available only to those who attended that specific show....
Kevin Lyman, the brains behind the [Vans Warped Tour] alternative rock festival, has already begun integrating wireless alerts into the tour - everything from announcing the day's lineup to giving a heads up on autograph sessions or exclusive backstage acoustic shows. Eventually, he hopes to send concert tickets directly to fans' mobile phones, scanning a bar code on the phone screen like a ticket to get in."
While the idea of taping into cellphones at concerts makes sense since that's the best way to communicate with audiences during the event, some of the other ideas seem a bit too gimmicky and too youth-specific.
My feeling is that mobile promotions are good when they appeal to audiences' this-concert-is-really-about-me mentality (e.g., allowing them to post messages and photos to giant screens during the show), but don't add much when they are just used as a way to create faux intimacy between a band's promotional department and the fans who sign up. It kind of reminds me of those 900 numbers where you could listen to a photo message from your favorite star for a fee.
Rocky Mountain News, 5/5/07 - Bands SPK 2 GR8 fans:
"• One fan will have the opportunity to go backstage and meet the band via a text-messaging contest held live during the performance.
• The band is encouraging fans to take camera-phone photos during the show and upload them to a section of their Web site called "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," text-message shorthand for "thanks for the memories" and also the title of their current single.
• In some tour venues, fans will be able to send the photos directly to video screens on either side of the stage, a multimedia upgrade from the now-common practice of displaying audience text messages.
It's all part of a text messaging fan club campaign the group launched in late March. Fall Out Boy developed a set of five mobile trading cards that fans can only receive by signing up for the service and texting in updates on a regular basis. Each time fans text in a message, they receive one randomly selected card. Some are rarer than others, so the odds of getting the rarest card increase with the number of messages sent.
The trading cards are in the form of Tarot cards, designed around graphic themes from the band's new album, Infinity on High. Once downloaded, fans can use them for their phones' wallpaper images.
After joining the text-message fan club, fans will get updates on Fall Out Boy news such as when the band's next video will premiere, ticket alerts for local secret shows, updates about about the band members, and other information - all delivered directly to their mobile phones....
The group uses Mozes to manage its text-messaging efforts; the Palo Alto, Calif., company claims another 700 artists also use its service.
Mozes CEO Dorrian Porter said Fall Out Boy has signed up 'tens of thousands' of fans since the Tarot card promotion began, and recently had the fifth-most subscribers on the service, after Hinder, Korn, hellogoodbye and Boys Like Girls.
Mozes also runs the backstage pass contest at FOB tours. The company first tested the concept last fall with rockers The Plain White T's. For each show, roughly half of those attending responded to the content to get a backstage pass - a staggering response rate.
'It looked like a sea of teenagers pulling out their phones at once,' Porter said....
Concerts offer a variety of ways for bands and fans to interact using mobile phones. Artists already let fans choose which song they should play during their encore via text-message voting. Or they can remix a song played live that night into a custom ring tone available only to those who attended that specific show....
Kevin Lyman, the brains behind the [Vans Warped Tour] alternative rock festival, has already begun integrating wireless alerts into the tour - everything from announcing the day's lineup to giving a heads up on autograph sessions or exclusive backstage acoustic shows. Eventually, he hopes to send concert tickets directly to fans' mobile phones, scanning a bar code on the phone screen like a ticket to get in."
Auditioning for subway gigs
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority held auditions to find performers for its subways.
NYTimes, 5/12/07 - It’s Not ‘American Idol,’ but Subway Station Auditions Draw Crowd in Washington : "An average of 700,000 commuters in the greater Washington area ride the Metro to and from work each weekday. Visitors bump that number up considerably on weekends and during the tourist seasons, making the system the second-busiest in the country after New York City’s, which also features performers chosen by audition.
In Washington, performers will need to keep their day jobs — panhandling will not be allowed.
But the musicians will be paid $200 for each two-hour performance. The Arts in Transit performances will begin in early June and last through October, before returning for the winter holiday season. The number and times for performances have not been set, nor have the stations been chosen that will feature the artists. But there will be twice-daily appearances, in the late morning and then again in the early evening, close to the morning and afternoon commutes, at the selected stations."
NYTimes, 5/12/07 - It’s Not ‘American Idol,’ but Subway Station Auditions Draw Crowd in Washington : "An average of 700,000 commuters in the greater Washington area ride the Metro to and from work each weekday. Visitors bump that number up considerably on weekends and during the tourist seasons, making the system the second-busiest in the country after New York City’s, which also features performers chosen by audition.
In Washington, performers will need to keep their day jobs — panhandling will not be allowed.
But the musicians will be paid $200 for each two-hour performance. The Arts in Transit performances will begin in early June and last through October, before returning for the winter holiday season. The number and times for performances have not been set, nor have the stations been chosen that will feature the artists. But there will be twice-daily appearances, in the late morning and then again in the early evening, close to the morning and afternoon commutes, at the selected stations."
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