issue 34 working _ Layout 1 8 / 1 / 2013 8:04 PM Page 31
CIDER MAGAZINE ISSUE 34 PG 31 WWW. CIDERMAG. COM
Another reason I believe is that musicians need to partner with the venue on some level. So if you ' re a part time player with a day job that pays your bills but you still feel you have something to add to the world, make it so that the venue has less to lose by playing for the door, and / or getting a smaller guarantee. At least initially to show some loyalty to the venue. Let ' s face it, it ' s more important for them to survive then for us to take home " one good paycheck ". And maybe if you do a show and it rains or snows or there ' s some silly sporting event going on and the turnout is bad, give the owner back 50 bucks. And maybe the next time you kill it there the owner will throw you an extra 50-100 dead presidents.
Now as far as venues are concerned my suggestion is to have live music only on nights you think there is a real chance that you ' re going to make a profit. But if you do wanna go with the " off night " idea make sure your outlay is small but your commitment is long. Also try to have a musical thread that runs through your performers. So if you do an acoustic night, stay mellow and acoustic, but if you want to try a metal or hip hop act do it on a different night and promote the hell out of it. Lean heavily on your food and alcohol suppliers to help you in any way for that night. I cannot stress the importance of creating a buzz. If a great fiddle player plays a great solo in the woods and nobody hears it was it a great solo?
Lastly, I say promote yourselves, and do not take a gig that you will not be prepared to take some responsibility for the outcome, not just musically. If you have a following in a certain area, take gigs outside the area to expand your fan base, but do not expect to make the same money you make in your home area in a new area.
Let ' s work together and try to get through this rough time. In an effort to show solidarity and build community on August 30th Bow Thayer, Rick Redington, Tony Lee Thomas, and yours truly will be playing for a split of the door at the Tupelo Music Hall in WRJ. One hope we all share for this event is to expose our fans to each other’ s music, and start to build a fan base that supports us all. Peace, Joey
Come see Joey! Friday August 30 at Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction with Bow Thayer, Rick Redington and Tony Lee Thomas!