The growing popularity of First Night celebrations (a non-alcoholic alternative to the club scene) is another indication of the increase in family-friendly music events.
First Night: 15 venues, 70 performances, 13,000 people - Columbia Missourian: "First Night, a community celebration of the new year with music, art, performances and festivity, has come of age in Columbia. This year, the event boasts more than 70 performances and activities at 15 downtown venues....
"Karen Ramey, director of operations, said that about 12,500 people attended First Night last year and this year’s crowd is expected to be near 13,000. The economic impact, based on information about hotel bookings, shopping and restaurants from the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau Tourism Development fund, is estimated at $1 million, she said. ...
"A First Night admission button opens the door to a wide range of music and other entertainment that includes jazz, polka, swing dancing, rock, children’s performers, bluegrass, Irish dance, storytelling, rhythm and blues, magic and a venue just for teens.
"Buttons are $8 for those 8 and older and can be purchased online until 4 p.m. today. After 4 p.m., they will cost $10.
"Ramey said that only a quarter of the First Night organization’s $800,000 budget comes from button sales; donations and grants account for the majority.
"The event is part of First Night International, held in about 150 U.S. cities as well as Canada, New Zealand and England. The idea originated from a group of civic-minded artists in Boston in 1976, who began the tradition of bringing communities together to celebrate New Year’s Eve in an alcohol-free event filled with entertainment."
_____
Here are just a few other First Night celebrations as examples.
Burlington, Vermont
About 200 events featuring 1,000 performing artists in 25 venues throughout the city.
Spokane, Washington
Between 25,000 and 30,000 people expected at 40+ venues.
St. Petersburg, Florida
More than 30 venues.
_____________
And here is some info about the First Night that started it all:
cbs4boston.com - Fun Facts About First Night Boston 2007: "This year’s event features over 1000 artists in 200 performances and exhibitions at over 40 indoor and outdoor venues around Boston. Expected attendance is 1 million celebratory people.
Funding
•First Night is a private non-profit corporation, which is supported by private donations and corporate sponsorship and through First Night button sales. More than 70 percent of the annual budget funds artistic programming and production. First Night artists are paid for their work.
•The City of Boston is a major supporter of First Night Boston, providing many services. First Night could not happen without the generosity of the Mayor and the City. The budget for First Night Boston 2006 is 1.4 million dollars, which is about $150,000 higher than last year, and accounts for an expanded development effort – part of a new business plan to cultivate more individual contributions as corporate and government contributions continue to wane for us and other non-profit arts organizations.
•If the budget is 1.4 million and 1 million people attend, that means First Night’s cost per person served is just $1.40. Quite a value!
•Traditionally, First Night funding has been 1/3 button revenue, 1/3 corporate sponsorship and 1/3 foundation, individual and government support.
•According to a recent economic index, First Night Boston generates $47 million dollars for Boston businesses in the fourth quarter. This figure does not include the admission fee (button revenue)."
music scene
economic development
tourism
music festival
live music
clubs
all ages
First Night
Boston
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Local music support versus advertising
Here's an interesting article about how a radio station totally devoted to Texas music switched formats to increase ad revenue, and then hopes to use that to take the all-Texas concept to HD radio, which is better suited to upscale, niche broadcasting.
Caller.com: Local News: "KBSO 94.7 FM, which he had owned since 1992, began playing 100 percent Texas music in 2000 without discrimination - blues, rock, country, Tejano, English or Spanish - as long as the music was good, Davila said. The only exception was rap. ...
"Listeners were in for a shock when, on Dec. 1, Davila switched to 100 percent Tejano. ...
"Davila is building a nest egg for his next move in Texas music. Having worked in Tejano radio most of his life, Davila knew switching genres would generate the money needed to take his beloved Texas music station to the next level - high-definition.
"He hopes to raise the $250,000 to $300,000 needed to make improvements within the year, when he plans to keep his Tejano station on 94.7 and make 94.8 an HD Texas music radio station. ...
"Tejano music is a growing market for ad revenue, whereas Texas music is hovering around a core group of advertisers, said Ed Shane, CEO of Shane Media Consultants and Best in Texas magazine. ...
"For now, the station offers Texas music only through its Web site, HYPERLINK http://www.texasradio947.com www.texasradio947.com, where Davila plans to podcast studio interviews with Texas artists."
radio
Texas
Caller.com: Local News: "KBSO 94.7 FM, which he had owned since 1992, began playing 100 percent Texas music in 2000 without discrimination - blues, rock, country, Tejano, English or Spanish - as long as the music was good, Davila said. The only exception was rap. ...
"Listeners were in for a shock when, on Dec. 1, Davila switched to 100 percent Tejano. ...
"Davila is building a nest egg for his next move in Texas music. Having worked in Tejano radio most of his life, Davila knew switching genres would generate the money needed to take his beloved Texas music station to the next level - high-definition.
"He hopes to raise the $250,000 to $300,000 needed to make improvements within the year, when he plans to keep his Tejano station on 94.7 and make 94.8 an HD Texas music radio station. ...
"Tejano music is a growing market for ad revenue, whereas Texas music is hovering around a core group of advertisers, said Ed Shane, CEO of Shane Media Consultants and Best in Texas magazine. ...
"For now, the station offers Texas music only through its Web site, HYPERLINK http://www.texasradio947.com www.texasradio947.com, where Davila plans to podcast studio interviews with Texas artists."
radio
Texas
Why does opera have to be stuffy?
This is a good idea. I'm not an opera fan myself, but on the other hand I do like the current crop of performers (e.g., Dresden Dolls) who are very theatrical and draw inspiration from 20th century European opera-influenced cabaret.
Opera Boston brings 'informal cabaret' to the Lizard Lounge - The Boston Globe: "On Jan. 17 at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, the company inaugurates Opera Boston Underground, which it calls 'an informal, themed opera cabaret.' Appropriately, its first show will be 'Kurt Weill's World,' songs written and inspired by a composer whose music bridged high art and popular sensibility as well as any in the 20th century.
"'I think many young people feel that opera is expensive and stuffy,' wrote Opera Boston general director Carole Charnow in an e-mail earlier this week. 'Opera Boston Underground is primarily a fun night out where young people can experience opera in a place where they're already comfortable -- their local bar or club. It will be set up a bit like a jazz gig -- with an improvisational feel, and there's a set where singers from the audience can join in.'"
clubs
classical music
Opera Boston brings 'informal cabaret' to the Lizard Lounge - The Boston Globe: "On Jan. 17 at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, the company inaugurates Opera Boston Underground, which it calls 'an informal, themed opera cabaret.' Appropriately, its first show will be 'Kurt Weill's World,' songs written and inspired by a composer whose music bridged high art and popular sensibility as well as any in the 20th century.
"'I think many young people feel that opera is expensive and stuffy,' wrote Opera Boston general director Carole Charnow in an e-mail earlier this week. 'Opera Boston Underground is primarily a fun night out where young people can experience opera in a place where they're already comfortable -- their local bar or club. It will be set up a bit like a jazz gig -- with an improvisational feel, and there's a set where singers from the audience can join in.'"
clubs
classical music
Churches as venues: another example
STLtoday - Entertainment - Music: "It's certainly one of the region's most colorful venues. St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell Boulevard, is the center of worship for the Roman Catholic archdiocese. It's also the home of one of the area's most dedicated presenters, Cathedral Concerts.
"The concerts were the brainchild of archdiocesan music director John Romeri, who arrived in 1992 and promptly started looking for ways to bring more music — and more people — into the building. The series has had its financial ups and downs, but Romeri and the Cathedral staff have maintained their commitment to presenting "great music in a great space."
church
"The concerts were the brainchild of archdiocesan music director John Romeri, who arrived in 1992 and promptly started looking for ways to bring more music — and more people — into the building. The series has had its financial ups and downs, but Romeri and the Cathedral staff have maintained their commitment to presenting "great music in a great space."
church
Friday, December 29, 2006
Moving beyond casinos
An interesting spin on bring live entertainment to non-traditional venues.
Ex-showman books big-name acts at RV resort: "Viewpoint, a sprawling, gated complex just off University Drive near Sossaman Road, is situated around two golf courses, lighted tennis courts and other amenities that McGrath likens to a cruise ship in the desert.
"It has a 12,000-square-foot ballroom and a seasonal population that swells to nearly 4,000, said the resort's general manager, Stacy Deprey-Purper. Going celebrity started last year after a survey of Viewpoint residents to compile their wish list for resort services, she said. ...
"'We're trying to bring part of Vegas or Branson to the people without the plane trip,' [Joe McGrath, entertainment director at Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort] said."
live music
Ex-showman books big-name acts at RV resort: "Viewpoint, a sprawling, gated complex just off University Drive near Sossaman Road, is situated around two golf courses, lighted tennis courts and other amenities that McGrath likens to a cruise ship in the desert.
"It has a 12,000-square-foot ballroom and a seasonal population that swells to nearly 4,000, said the resort's general manager, Stacy Deprey-Purper. Going celebrity started last year after a survey of Viewpoint residents to compile their wish list for resort services, she said. ...
"'We're trying to bring part of Vegas or Branson to the people without the plane trip,' [Joe McGrath, entertainment director at Viewpoint RV & Golf Resort] said."
live music
The live music industry from the perspective of Live Nation and Wall Street
Music To The Street's Ears "Ticket prices have been rising at an annual rate of 7% over the past five years. Great news for the Gods of Rock, who, like most bands, make more money touring than selling cds or singles. But ticket sales have fallen 3% annually over the past five years, and it doesn't take a scalper to know that you can raise prices only so far before fans start staying home and watching concert footage on YouTube ...
"Still, Live Nation, which operates 172 venues around the world, isn't waiting around for big acts to become too creaky to tour. It is looking to bolster its business with smaller shows put on by younger bands. In 2006 it acquired rival House of Blues Entertainment, whose theaters and clubs seat fewer than 2,000. Thanks to a surge in smaller shows, the number of U.S. concerts held each year rose from 5,000 in 2000 to 14,000 in 2006, according to Goldman, Sachs & Co. (GS ) That's largely why Live Nation is focusing on music, shedding divisions promoting sports events, Las Vegas productions, and speaking tours. 'At the end of the day,' says ceo Michael Rapino, "we want to go much deeper into music at the local level."
"At the same time, Live Nation is looking at selling underperforming arenas, focusing instead on the halls in the top 20 U.S. cities."
live music
"Still, Live Nation, which operates 172 venues around the world, isn't waiting around for big acts to become too creaky to tour. It is looking to bolster its business with smaller shows put on by younger bands. In 2006 it acquired rival House of Blues Entertainment, whose theaters and clubs seat fewer than 2,000. Thanks to a surge in smaller shows, the number of U.S. concerts held each year rose from 5,000 in 2000 to 14,000 in 2006, according to Goldman, Sachs & Co. (GS ) That's largely why Live Nation is focusing on music, shedding divisions promoting sports events, Las Vegas productions, and speaking tours. 'At the end of the day,' says ceo Michael Rapino, "we want to go much deeper into music at the local level."
"At the same time, Live Nation is looking at selling underperforming arenas, focusing instead on the halls in the top 20 U.S. cities."
live music
Payola "benefits" live music
This is a great way to turn payments from major labels into a community benefit.
SUNY Cortland - News - $500,000 Grant to Energize Cortland Music Scene and Music Appreciation: "The New York State Music Fund was created when the New York State Attorney General Office's resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting 'pay for play,' also called 'payola.'...
"An Advisory Panel comprised of recognized leaders from a cross-section of the music world evaluated and recommended applications based on criteria focusing on artistic merit and community impact, and recommended 218 of 402 applications the Fund received for its second cycle.
"Awards to the 218 grantees represent every region of New York State and range from $10,000 to $500,000. Diverse forms of popular or experimental music, including indie rock, salsa, electronic, fusion and reggae account for almost 37 percent of grants and more than 15 percent celebrate a spectrum of jazz; nearly 25 percent include new classical music. The state’s ethnic or racial minority communities are served by close to a third of all programs, while 28 percent specifically target rural communities. The Fund’s size and emphasis on music of our time in all its forms set it apart from other arts grant programs....
"The funding will support a series of concerts
and events incorporating a range of educational activities including composing workshops, master classes and the use of technology to enable 'on demand' electronic access through pod casts and broadcast....
"The arts coalition will discuss using some grant funding to reduce the cost of ticket prices so more people can attend performances ... They also will consider acquiring music equipment to improve performance quality and enhance existing venues for public performances."
live music
economic development
New York
SUNY Cortland - News - $500,000 Grant to Energize Cortland Music Scene and Music Appreciation: "The New York State Music Fund was created when the New York State Attorney General Office's resolved investigations against major record companies that had violated state and federal laws prohibiting 'pay for play,' also called 'payola.'...
"An Advisory Panel comprised of recognized leaders from a cross-section of the music world evaluated and recommended applications based on criteria focusing on artistic merit and community impact, and recommended 218 of 402 applications the Fund received for its second cycle.
"Awards to the 218 grantees represent every region of New York State and range from $10,000 to $500,000. Diverse forms of popular or experimental music, including indie rock, salsa, electronic, fusion and reggae account for almost 37 percent of grants and more than 15 percent celebrate a spectrum of jazz; nearly 25 percent include new classical music. The state’s ethnic or racial minority communities are served by close to a third of all programs, while 28 percent specifically target rural communities. The Fund’s size and emphasis on music of our time in all its forms set it apart from other arts grant programs....
"The funding will support a series of concerts
and events incorporating a range of educational activities including composing workshops, master classes and the use of technology to enable 'on demand' electronic access through pod casts and broadcast....
"The arts coalition will discuss using some grant funding to reduce the cost of ticket prices so more people can attend performances ... They also will consider acquiring music equipment to improve performance quality and enhance existing venues for public performances."
live music
economic development
New York
How many 1000-4000 capacity venues does a town need?
Austin is adding more midsized venues and this article suggests that it will be bad for the local music scene there because there aren't enough local fans to patronize them all.
What it will mean is that on any given night there will be more places for touring bands to play. That means you can have more big acts hit town simultaneously, and they can all land weekend slots, thus giving them less incentive to schedule midweek shows. But this also means it will be harder to fill up those clubs every night of the week.
Multipurpose venues can stay fully booked by combining sports, convention, and entertainment dates. But venues that only depend on live music don't have those options.
The article also says that local acts don't draw well enough to play these venues, so if the midsized rooms take all the available entertainment money from a town, the small clubs will close and local bands will be out-of-luck.
The battle of the bandstands: "In a few years, local music fans will enjoy many more concert options than ever before. But let's say they have only about $35 a week to spend on live music: Will they spend it seeing Brit songstress Corrine Bailey Rae at the Austin City Limits Studio Theater on a Tuesday night, or will they catch the Mother Truckers at the Continental Club on Thursday, check out the new garage bands at Beerland on a Friday, then traipse over to Emo's to see a group they read about in Whoopsy? ...
"That's the worry of Danny Crooks, the former Steamboat owner, whose son Sean is a bassist and vocalist bubbling under the pop band the Alice Rose.
"'All these new developments are going to be great for road shows, but how are the small clubs, who put Austin music on the map, going to be able to compete?' Danny Crooks said."
live music
clubs
Austin
music scene
What it will mean is that on any given night there will be more places for touring bands to play. That means you can have more big acts hit town simultaneously, and they can all land weekend slots, thus giving them less incentive to schedule midweek shows. But this also means it will be harder to fill up those clubs every night of the week.
Multipurpose venues can stay fully booked by combining sports, convention, and entertainment dates. But venues that only depend on live music don't have those options.
The article also says that local acts don't draw well enough to play these venues, so if the midsized rooms take all the available entertainment money from a town, the small clubs will close and local bands will be out-of-luck.
The battle of the bandstands: "In a few years, local music fans will enjoy many more concert options than ever before. But let's say they have only about $35 a week to spend on live music: Will they spend it seeing Brit songstress Corrine Bailey Rae at the Austin City Limits Studio Theater on a Tuesday night, or will they catch the Mother Truckers at the Continental Club on Thursday, check out the new garage bands at Beerland on a Friday, then traipse over to Emo's to see a group they read about in Whoopsy? ...
"That's the worry of Danny Crooks, the former Steamboat owner, whose son Sean is a bassist and vocalist bubbling under the pop band the Alice Rose.
"'All these new developments are going to be great for road shows, but how are the small clubs, who put Austin music on the map, going to be able to compete?' Danny Crooks said."
live music
clubs
Austin
music scene
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
An unusual festival cross-promotion
If you are looking for sponsors or exhibitors for a music event, you might not want to limit yourself to the usual energy drinks, high tech entertainment, and sporting goods companies.
Builders, rockers ‘hammer’ things out at music fest: "Members of the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Apprenticeship Training Program attended PlanetFest, an annual music festival organized by FM-107.3 and held annually at the Fairgrounds, with one goal in mind: gain new young recruits.
“'We wanted to get young people to come up there so we could talk to them about the apprenticeship program,' said Keith Ward, executive chairman of the Apprenticeship Program for NEFBA. 'We wanted to generate interest in the construction industry, whether it’s electrical, carpentry, plumbing or heating and air.'
"The organization set up a nail-driving contest to lure young rockers in. NEFBA supplied the hammers, nails and 6-by-6 boards participants used and there were about a dozen volunteers from the apprenticeship program and area construction companies including Thomas May Construction, Aulden & White Construction, Haskell Company and Moore Electric."
music festival
music promotion
Builders, rockers ‘hammer’ things out at music fest: "Members of the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Apprenticeship Training Program attended PlanetFest, an annual music festival organized by FM-107.3 and held annually at the Fairgrounds, with one goal in mind: gain new young recruits.
“'We wanted to get young people to come up there so we could talk to them about the apprenticeship program,' said Keith Ward, executive chairman of the Apprenticeship Program for NEFBA. 'We wanted to generate interest in the construction industry, whether it’s electrical, carpentry, plumbing or heating and air.'
"The organization set up a nail-driving contest to lure young rockers in. NEFBA supplied the hammers, nails and 6-by-6 boards participants used and there were about a dozen volunteers from the apprenticeship program and area construction companies including Thomas May Construction, Aulden & White Construction, Haskell Company and Moore Electric."
music festival
music promotion
More on pop-up stores
I've posted a few blog entries on this trend and here is another. I think it would work very well for music marketing.
Advertising Age: "Taking note of the success enjoyed by Nike, Sony and Motorola, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is transforming a bank building in New York's Union Square into a 3,600-square-foot pop-up store from Jan. 10-16 to tout the south Florida destination."
tourism
Advertising Age: "Taking note of the success enjoyed by Nike, Sony and Motorola, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is transforming a bank building in New York's Union Square into a 3,600-square-foot pop-up store from Jan. 10-16 to tout the south Florida destination."
tourism
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
