New Orleans wakes up in a haze this morning, dazed from an entire weekend of beads, booze and revelry.
I had a fantastic weekend this Mardi Gras, musically speaking. Frogs Gone Fishin' closed (that's right, closed) for Russell Batiste and Friends, friends who included Jason Neville and George Porter Jr. You can check out an awesome video of the Frogs performance that night here.
I danced all night to the Radiators at MOM'S BALL, an exclusive all-night concert in a warehouse across the Mississippi River. Monday night we repeated the all-night strategy at Galactic where I was let backstage by my friend Trombone Shorty.
Backstage at Tipitina's is possibly the best location for musical networking in the world at any given time. After speaking with a sax player from Dave Matthews Band and keyboard player from The Greyboy All-Stars, I spoke with all the guys from Galactic and was invited to sit-in in a couple weeks with their side project.
Somewhat starstruck, we emerged from Tipitina's at 6 am to find that there were no more stars and a warm Mardi Gras day morning and the raucous Zulu parade had enveloped the city. I stumbled home, slept the day away yesterday and am ready to get back to business. The music business.
That's why today, I'm announcing a shift in the focus of my blog. Due to suggestions from people I value in the industry and the fact that my daily life is about as interesting as mud in the Mississippi, I'll try to focus on broader issues in the music business. You can always find out what's going on with Frogs Gone Fishin' at our website, and if I encounter an experience which warrants larger analysis, I will certainly write about it.
I'll be posting less, but hopefully more in depth. While in NOLA I want to buckle down and write some fulfilling music and stop worrying as much about tour and the absurd social implications of traveling constantly. Negotiating my relationships (social or business) is getting exhausting and I feel I need to take a step back, before taking the huge step forward that will be our return to Colorado and ultimately, the execution of Mountainside Mardi Gras in the summer.
Wednesday, February 25
Tuesday, February 17
Mardi Gras
Today I find myself in Nashville, once again, due to a gig cancellation and the desire to spend some time with family in Austin while the band moved down the road to Houston. Flying to Nashville to catch a ride to NOLA with friends proved to be the cheapest option for my ever tightening musician's budget.
Our horn section in the South, The Horny Toads, will be joining us on Friday in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, as well. They will add that extra kick to a couple tunes as we open up for the ubiquitously funky Russell Batiste (Funky Meters) and George Porter Jr. (Meters).
Although our gig scheduled for Thursday was canceled, we can now arrive in New Orleans mid-week and begin promoting what should be one of the most fun shows we've ever played.
Friday is not only our debut in New Orleans as new residents, but the unofficial weekend-start to Mardi Gras. For those of you who don't know what Mardi Gras is, come out the cave! What we have here is the best party in America, one that is fun for all-ages despite the traditional boobs-for-beads stereotype which prevails.
Sure, debauchery is a key word when talking about Mardi Gras. The wider implications for the city of New Orleans however, should silence any moral judgments about who Mardi Gras is "good for". Mardi Gras is not good, but great for all New Orleanians. Not because they receive four dedicated days for drinking (they drink when they want, anyway), but because of the economic impact and publicity which New Orleans desperately needs.
Beyond infusing cash into the city and bringing in tourists from around the world, Mardi Gras also resets the city-clock of NOLA. After Mardi Gras, things halt to a standstill. Over the course of the year, beginning with Jazzfest in May, the city begins to bloom, then flourish, then overtake itself with revelry in time for next year's Gras.
In light of the fact that we have several dozen bodies who plan on crashing at our newly acquired house in New Orleans, I say, the more the merrier. So grab a drive-thru daquiri, come on Uptown, and check out the best party in America.
Our horn section in the South, The Horny Toads, will be joining us on Friday in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, as well. They will add that extra kick to a couple tunes as we open up for the ubiquitously funky Russell Batiste (Funky Meters) and George Porter Jr. (Meters).
Although our gig scheduled for Thursday was canceled, we can now arrive in New Orleans mid-week and begin promoting what should be one of the most fun shows we've ever played.
Friday is not only our debut in New Orleans as new residents, but the unofficial weekend-start to Mardi Gras. For those of you who don't know what Mardi Gras is, come out the cave! What we have here is the best party in America, one that is fun for all-ages despite the traditional boobs-for-beads stereotype which prevails.
Sure, debauchery is a key word when talking about Mardi Gras. The wider implications for the city of New Orleans however, should silence any moral judgments about who Mardi Gras is "good for". Mardi Gras is not good, but great for all New Orleanians. Not because they receive four dedicated days for drinking (they drink when they want, anyway), but because of the economic impact and publicity which New Orleans desperately needs.
Beyond infusing cash into the city and bringing in tourists from around the world, Mardi Gras also resets the city-clock of NOLA. After Mardi Gras, things halt to a standstill. Over the course of the year, beginning with Jazzfest in May, the city begins to bloom, then flourish, then overtake itself with revelry in time for next year's Gras.
In light of the fact that we have several dozen bodies who plan on crashing at our newly acquired house in New Orleans, I say, the more the merrier. So grab a drive-thru daquiri, come on Uptown, and check out the best party in America.
Monday, February 9
Southwestern Skies
Since leaving Durango last Friday, the Frogs have been on what I'd call a directed meander through Arizona and New Mexico. After playing Flagstaff and Taos last weekend, we've had four days to kill and it hasn't been as difficult as I originally thought while rolling down from the mountains into the vast unpopulated desert in Arizona.
The Southwest is not only filled with people, however, but some of the most interesting personalities I've met on tour yet.
In Durango we stayed with musician and friend GiGi Love. She showed us the utmost hospitality. One thing you notice about GiGi is how directly her songs relate to her life experiences. I appreciate that because I tend to write about life in general and have trouble going into detail while GiGi's music is almost spiritual because there is little distinction between her existence and her music. It was her spirit that began a string of more and more interesting visions of Southwestern souls who, ignoring their bodily presence, have most likely been here as long as the moon.
Among all the weathered souls, some might call them hippies, one in particular stands out. After our sets at the Taos Inn, where the best collection of modern cowboys in the world drink whiskey, a man named Y'Israel invited us out to his RV in the parking lot. The interior was a complete mess, cans and bottles littering the nonfunctional kitchen as we sat down to the overpowering smell of patchouli incense. Y'Israel began to tell us of his visions of interstellar peace and by the end of the conversation had gifted a "star-light" (small rock) to our drummer Mark. Bewildered, yet certain I will write a book about these people one day, I walked back to the hotel and fell asleep.
That night, I started dreaming. At set-break during the show, a distinctly Navajo man named Rich had told me about how his living ancestors had predicted mass-violence, right before the US invaded Iraq, based on a red sunset they had observed over the mountains. And so that night, I dreamt of the sky in the Southwest.
As I think about Rich and his ancestors' prediction, I realize the sky is the defining, unique aspect of this region. The sun, moon, clouds and sunset all look more vibrant here. What is intangible, however, is the unique spirituality of the people in this place. Maybe due to the Native American presence, maybe serving as a last outpost for the earthy-hippy archetype, who knows?
Today we leave for Texas and a different vibe altogether. We've taken on another musician in our merry band, as well. His name is Richard (Sir Richard, to us) and he's a fiddle player from Wales who's been hitchhiking across America. As I've said before, we are not prone to picking up hitchhikers, but Richard's presence at our hostel in Albuquerque was so quiet and peaceful, we had to take him along.
Austin will be our gateway to New Orleans, where the Native American spirits mixed with African traditions, creating some of the heaviest mojo in America and also its biggest party: Mardi Gras.
The Southwest is not only filled with people, however, but some of the most interesting personalities I've met on tour yet.
In Durango we stayed with musician and friend GiGi Love. She showed us the utmost hospitality. One thing you notice about GiGi is how directly her songs relate to her life experiences. I appreciate that because I tend to write about life in general and have trouble going into detail while GiGi's music is almost spiritual because there is little distinction between her existence and her music. It was her spirit that began a string of more and more interesting visions of Southwestern souls who, ignoring their bodily presence, have most likely been here as long as the moon.
Among all the weathered souls, some might call them hippies, one in particular stands out. After our sets at the Taos Inn, where the best collection of modern cowboys in the world drink whiskey, a man named Y'Israel invited us out to his RV in the parking lot. The interior was a complete mess, cans and bottles littering the nonfunctional kitchen as we sat down to the overpowering smell of patchouli incense. Y'Israel began to tell us of his visions of interstellar peace and by the end of the conversation had gifted a "star-light" (small rock) to our drummer Mark. Bewildered, yet certain I will write a book about these people one day, I walked back to the hotel and fell asleep.
That night, I started dreaming. At set-break during the show, a distinctly Navajo man named Rich had told me about how his living ancestors had predicted mass-violence, right before the US invaded Iraq, based on a red sunset they had observed over the mountains. And so that night, I dreamt of the sky in the Southwest.
As I think about Rich and his ancestors' prediction, I realize the sky is the defining, unique aspect of this region. The sun, moon, clouds and sunset all look more vibrant here. What is intangible, however, is the unique spirituality of the people in this place. Maybe due to the Native American presence, maybe serving as a last outpost for the earthy-hippy archetype, who knows?
Today we leave for Texas and a different vibe altogether. We've taken on another musician in our merry band, as well. His name is Richard (Sir Richard, to us) and he's a fiddle player from Wales who's been hitchhiking across America. As I've said before, we are not prone to picking up hitchhikers, but Richard's presence at our hostel in Albuquerque was so quiet and peaceful, we had to take him along.
Austin will be our gateway to New Orleans, where the Native American spirits mixed with African traditions, creating some of the heaviest mojo in America and also its biggest party: Mardi Gras.
Wednesday, February 4
Big Moves
Frogs Gone Fishin' leaves on a three month journey today: two weeks of tour followed by a springtime residence in my favorite city in the world, New Orleans. It will still be very much a journey living in New Orleans, even after establishing ourselves in (yet another) 3-month sub-lease. Making a living playing music in New Orleans will be slightly different than in our favorite state in the world, Colorado. Gigs have been plentiful in the mountains and the front-range area where clubs are not necessarily saturated with live talent year-round like clubs in New Orleans are.
Club owners in NOLA are particularly opposed to technology it seems, oftentimes rejecting the internet and even voice-mail as means of booking acts, leaving you the sole option of patronizing the club over and over until contact with the elusive owner has been made.
That said, certain elements of the New Orleans music scene are much more accessible to the average musician. For example, I've opened for artists like Rebirth Brass Band, Talib Kweli and Juvenile in NOLA, whereas we struggle to find opening spots in Denver, due in large part to the fact that many major artists who come to Denver are controlled by large corporate entities ie; Live Nation (more on some big moves there in a bit). It is the accessibility to bigger acts and better musicians that makes NOLA an attractive place to spend our spring. We love the Denver/Boulder/Mountain region and plan to return, but the funky knowledge we will gain, just by inhaling the swampy musical molecules floating around The Gulf Coast, will benefit our Colorado friends in the long run.
Between packing up my limited personal belongings before the move, finishing the Lay It Out So You Can Play It Out series, and all the other band and For/Sure Productions business going on, I've still had some time to stay analytical about the music business at large.
I read an article on Forbes.com the other day, titled "The Microsoft of the Entertainment Industry". The piece analyzed a potential merger between two music industry behemoths: Live Nation and Ticketmaster. You already know these companies well. The last time you went to see Madonna or Jay-Z at your local sports arena, you probably bought the tickets from Ticketmaster and noticed the tiny text on the top of the stub that says "Live Nation Presents...". These large conglomerate companies have been one of the few ticketing/promoting options in the business for several years now.
It seems that last year Ticketmaster starting buying up stake in promotion companies, while Live Nation was busy trying to start its own ticketing entity. Now it looks as though the individual companies have found a better way to reduce competition: a high-level merger! This news is particularly interesting after the jam community went abuzz last week when Live Nation bungled ticket sales for the highly anticipated return of jam-giant Phish.
We've all heard about monopolies and how bad they are for the marketplace. In the case of companies like Wal-Mart and Starbucks, the consumer can sometimes benefit from increased accessibility and lowered costs, despite limited market diversity.
Music is not a commodity, however. It is an art. True, some music serves a functional purpose, like a military march or some folk songs which help to transmit cultural information. But, Madonna is not a necessity for the transmission of cultural ideals! She is a luxury, a recreation that deserves fair market competition, or the consumer ends up losing, hard.
Concert prices are high enough as it is. I know that within our promotion company, For/Sure Productions, we debate a lot about how to keep ticket prices down. We could care less about a ticketing agency's break-even point. With a TicketNation merger, all that would go out the window.
Sometimes Big Moves hurt the Little Guy.
Club owners in NOLA are particularly opposed to technology it seems, oftentimes rejecting the internet and even voice-mail as means of booking acts, leaving you the sole option of patronizing the club over and over until contact with the elusive owner has been made.
That said, certain elements of the New Orleans music scene are much more accessible to the average musician. For example, I've opened for artists like Rebirth Brass Band, Talib Kweli and Juvenile in NOLA, whereas we struggle to find opening spots in Denver, due in large part to the fact that many major artists who come to Denver are controlled by large corporate entities ie; Live Nation (more on some big moves there in a bit). It is the accessibility to bigger acts and better musicians that makes NOLA an attractive place to spend our spring. We love the Denver/Boulder/Mountain region and plan to return, but the funky knowledge we will gain, just by inhaling the swampy musical molecules floating around The Gulf Coast, will benefit our Colorado friends in the long run.
Between packing up my limited personal belongings before the move, finishing the Lay It Out So You Can Play It Out series, and all the other band and For/Sure Productions business going on, I've still had some time to stay analytical about the music business at large.
I read an article on Forbes.com the other day, titled "The Microsoft of the Entertainment Industry". The piece analyzed a potential merger between two music industry behemoths: Live Nation and Ticketmaster. You already know these companies well. The last time you went to see Madonna or Jay-Z at your local sports arena, you probably bought the tickets from Ticketmaster and noticed the tiny text on the top of the stub that says "Live Nation Presents...". These large conglomerate companies have been one of the few ticketing/promoting options in the business for several years now.
It seems that last year Ticketmaster starting buying up stake in promotion companies, while Live Nation was busy trying to start its own ticketing entity. Now it looks as though the individual companies have found a better way to reduce competition: a high-level merger! This news is particularly interesting after the jam community went abuzz last week when Live Nation bungled ticket sales for the highly anticipated return of jam-giant Phish.
We've all heard about monopolies and how bad they are for the marketplace. In the case of companies like Wal-Mart and Starbucks, the consumer can sometimes benefit from increased accessibility and lowered costs, despite limited market diversity.
Music is not a commodity, however. It is an art. True, some music serves a functional purpose, like a military march or some folk songs which help to transmit cultural information. But, Madonna is not a necessity for the transmission of cultural ideals! She is a luxury, a recreation that deserves fair market competition, or the consumer ends up losing, hard.
Concert prices are high enough as it is. I know that within our promotion company, For/Sure Productions, we debate a lot about how to keep ticket prices down. We could care less about a ticketing agency's break-even point. With a TicketNation merger, all that would go out the window.
Sometimes Big Moves hurt the Little Guy.
Thursday, January 29
Play it Out IV/V
Lay it Out, So You Can Play it Out
pts. 4 and 5, Rehearsal and Marketing
pts. 4 and 5, Rehearsal and Marketing
After reading parts 1 through 3 and using the information therein to book and play your first show, you're now officially a professional gigging musician. What to do now? How to fill your days now that you've found your passion?
There are two good answers to these questions: rehearsal and marketing. If you concentrate on these two aspects of your career you will constantly a) get more and different people to come to your shows and b) make sure they come back the next time because you've effectively lowered the chances you'll botch a performance and look like the musical village idiot.
Marketing (to me, not some college prof.) means two things. One, street level marketing which includes print, radio, posters, handbills, newspapers, magazines and generally talking to the average dude or lady about what it is you do and why they should come to your show. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. Second, online promotion which should equal or exceed your level of street promo. A third category which is technically not marketing but really just exposure, involves PR situations such as TV interviews or CD album reviews.
Your online presence is particularly important. iTunes, CDbaby, Amazon, AOL, Pandora, Reverbnation, Virb, blogs, music industry websites.... all these and more should be able to access and publish information about your group, whether or not they actively solicit the information themselves. In other words, if a site has a submission page, fill it out! Pretty soon you will realize that most websites get their info from other websites, and your presence online will grow exponentially.
In terms of street-promo, just use common sense. Make sure your posters are readable from a distance, use color, go above and beyond the clip-art that comes with your word-processing software, and put up two dozen more posters than you think you need to put up.
Overall make sure your presence is properly "branded". All marketing materials should look uniform, so people can recognize your brand with one glance at a webpage or poster.
Do all this, avoid booking shows on nights with competing events, and the people will come. Now all you need to do is practice.
Most musicians have no idea how much rehearsal time really goes in to making songs perfect and executing them perfectly, even songs with heavy improvisation. World-class orchestras (and many bands) get to that status because there is a task-master-type conductor or band-leader cracking the whip every practice. I've had drumsticks thrown at me for missing notes in practice by big, scary band-leaders in New Orleans who have no tolerance for mistakes.
I prefer a more open type of rehearsal where everyone is free to positively critisize each other and the result is not only better because it is the sum of many ideas, but because everyone can be happy and feel invested in the project. The main idea is to get specific. If it sounds like someone is messing something up, go back, figure out what is happening. Correct it and move on.
I really do welcome any questions from musicians about how we at Frogs Gone Fishin' are able to support ourselves as a yound band (in a bad economy).
Next post, The Big Move.
There are two good answers to these questions: rehearsal and marketing. If you concentrate on these two aspects of your career you will constantly a) get more and different people to come to your shows and b) make sure they come back the next time because you've effectively lowered the chances you'll botch a performance and look like the musical village idiot.
Marketing (to me, not some college prof.) means two things. One, street level marketing which includes print, radio, posters, handbills, newspapers, magazines and generally talking to the average dude or lady about what it is you do and why they should come to your show. Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. Second, online promotion which should equal or exceed your level of street promo. A third category which is technically not marketing but really just exposure, involves PR situations such as TV interviews or CD album reviews.
Your online presence is particularly important. iTunes, CDbaby, Amazon, AOL, Pandora, Reverbnation, Virb, blogs, music industry websites.... all these and more should be able to access and publish information about your group, whether or not they actively solicit the information themselves. In other words, if a site has a submission page, fill it out! Pretty soon you will realize that most websites get their info from other websites, and your presence online will grow exponentially.
In terms of street-promo, just use common sense. Make sure your posters are readable from a distance, use color, go above and beyond the clip-art that comes with your word-processing software, and put up two dozen more posters than you think you need to put up.
Overall make sure your presence is properly "branded". All marketing materials should look uniform, so people can recognize your brand with one glance at a webpage or poster.
Do all this, avoid booking shows on nights with competing events, and the people will come. Now all you need to do is practice.
Most musicians have no idea how much rehearsal time really goes in to making songs perfect and executing them perfectly, even songs with heavy improvisation. World-class orchestras (and many bands) get to that status because there is a task-master-type conductor or band-leader cracking the whip every practice. I've had drumsticks thrown at me for missing notes in practice by big, scary band-leaders in New Orleans who have no tolerance for mistakes.
I prefer a more open type of rehearsal where everyone is free to positively critisize each other and the result is not only better because it is the sum of many ideas, but because everyone can be happy and feel invested in the project. The main idea is to get specific. If it sounds like someone is messing something up, go back, figure out what is happening. Correct it and move on.
I really do welcome any questions from musicians about how we at Frogs Gone Fishin' are able to support ourselves as a yound band (in a bad economy).
Next post, The Big Move.
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