house concerts and 21st century touring

I almost giggle every time I see “Street Team” on artist websites. I see images of legions of fans religiously canvassing the parking lots, hanging concert posters illegally and annoying passers-by with some bright promotional flyers hot off the Kinko’s press.

Does this ever work? Probably. There are acts out there who reach a critical mass of exposure, and who make music that appeals primarily to the young fans that would have the time and energy to support a band in this way. Maybe it happens often enough to justify the effort the band made to create the page, the downloadable materials, etc.

However, the Street Team, while innovative 10 years ago, has been a cliche for some time. It’s not necessarily a bad idea - but it’s usually done in a cookie-cutter fashion with a total lack of thought.

For example, I see a lot of websites for 30-something artists who play house concerts and other laid-back venues, and whose music appeals mostly to 30 and 40-something fans.

How effective is a “street team” strategy for them?

Before you label me as a cynic, I do realize that it’s important to use the web to enable your fans to contribute in any way they can. But it’s important to realize who your fans are, and to create opportunities that make sense for their lifestyles and commitment level.

I know, I know, your music appeals to everybody, young and old. You cringe when someone asks you to describe your music. It’s completely original and sounds like no one else. However, the next time someone comes up to you after a show and tells you you remind them of so-and-so, pay attention. You might disagree - but it doesn’t matter. You’re not trying to sell records to yourself, are you? They just told you two things - they like your music, and they like it because it reminds them of so-and-so.

The fact is, to the public, you do sound like someone else. And if Derek Sivers is right, that should be an important part of your marketing strategy. I’d also like to add that your fans do tend to lean toward a certain age group, a certain lifestyle, a certain income, etc. It’s up to you to discover that.

What does this have to do with street teams?

If you are an artist of professional age, and your usual audience is mostly baby-boomers (face facts), your website shouldn’t promote you like an alt-college band. Chances are, your audience, or fan-base is probably not the type to hang posters for you, or put your latest track on their myspace page. However, they are the type that own homes, and they probably have more disposable income than high school or college students. Why not create tools that appeal specifically to your fans?

From their computer, in the comfort of their favorite chair, your fans can contribute to your next CD in exchange for “executive producer” credit. They can organize a house concert and show you off to their friends. They might even get a group to spend a week to “Rock the Boat” if you can put a concert cruise together. There are independent acts (even acts that were once on major labels) that are having great success with these ideas.

And if you’re an artist, can’t you come up with an original name for your fans?

Name them after a song. Or call them the “Sedentary Mafia.” How about “Couch Team?” Why not the “Lazy-Boy Warriors?” I’m currently developing “Fran’s Mid-Atlantic Spare Couch Alliance.”

Even middle-age folks like to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and are inspired by artists who figure out a way to make a living from their calling. Give them the opportunity to contribute. But please, call it anything but a “street team.”

Related Posts:

New Reality of Being an Artist

Is Your Street Team Homeless?

Is This How You Think of Your Music Career?

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Message from Fran:

As we begin the new year, it’s very gratifying to take note of the progress we’ve made as a community. House concerts continue to provide meaningful and financially rewarding opportunities for artists, and a memorable way to bring neighborhoods and music lovers together.

I hope many of you are preparing to attend the upcoming Folk Alliance Conference, as it is the single best opportunity for us to meet each other in one place. Hundreds of presenters and many hundreds of artists will converge to share music, coffee, and sleep deprivation. I can’t wait. It’s our “host tip of the month” for good reason - and artists should take note as well. Remember to take advantage of the CIYH discount if you haven’t already gotten one some other way.

CIYH stats and developments:

At the end of the month we had 292 hosts and 440 artists. The site again had 17,000 visitors in 30 days. We added 12 new hosts and 28 new artists. We also removed 2 hosts due to inactivity. The latest project is a compilation CD to represent some of our best artists, and to introduce their music to the new folks who are discovering house concerts. It’s a real challenge to represent the diverse tastes of this community, but it’s a great way to spread the word. Look for the results at the end of January.

New CIYH Hosts: (active artist members receive these by email)

Boumel House Concerts, Learned Place, Roesch House Concerts, Rain Tree, Raf and Sioux’s, JazzVox, Duckpond at Dusk, Village Music, Just Milton Folks, and Susie’s House Concerts.

New CIYH Artists: (A big thank you for your support.)

Amber Gaia, Angelo M., Austin Cunningham, Carolann Ames & Silverlake, Cher & Gene Klosner, Chuck Muldoon, Craig Lyons, Dave Boutette, David Serotkin, Dominic Camany, Dustin Overbeek, Emily Henry, Geoff Koch, Jefferson Pepper, Jerry Hannan, Joe Holt, Julie Blue, Kenny Schick/Basement 3, Los Dos ETC, Mark Radcliffe, Montgomery Delaney, Ralph Welton, Rex Moroux, Roy Zimmerman, The Father J. O’Brien, Trish Lester, and Vinnie James.

Renewed Artists: (A HUGE thank you for your continued support!)

Eric Roberts, Tim Miller, Ben Wilson, Annelise LeCheminant, Buzz Cason, Christopher Ames, Jim Bianco, Shauna Burns, Vanessa Peters, Adrianne, Bev Barnett and Greg Newlon, and Bryan McFarland.

Schwag of the Month:

You can leave your Hat on - available in Tan or White.

I’d like to thank everyone who’s picked up an item or two from our little store. It’s a great way to get people interested in what you are doing, whether you play or host concerts. This hat is one of the more popular items.

Artist of the Month: The Calendar Bunch

Instead of one artist, this month I’d like to feature the artists who appeared most often in our CIYH calendars last year. Any host listed on our site can send us their events and have them listed for free.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all house concert appearances, because it is subject to us receiving schedules from hosts. However, it is interesting to see who’s popping up every now and then.

The artists with the most appearances in 2007 are:

Johnsmith, Fran Snyder, Jack Williams, Michael Smith, Cosy Sheridan, Corinne West…To see the numbers, and the rest of the list, it’s all here.

Host of the Month:

Keith Harrelson - Small Stages (Alabama)

Keith has been active in supporting live music for many years - one of those rare “acoustic” club owners who was really into presenting music, not just using it to sell drinks and sell food. Now he’s embraced house concerts in an unusual way, by forming a non-profit organization and reaching out to his former audience to create a network of house concert venues in his area. Read his story here.

Tip for Artists: How to Share the Stage - by James Lee Stanley

How many times have you shared the stage with someone, and were slightly annoyed by their eagerness to jump in before knowing how the song went? This is a great article about performance etiquette. Like I always say… “Jam all you like, but please preserve the vibe.” 8^) Read James’ post and and his other interesting articles.

Tip for Hosts: Attend Folk Alliance in February!

February 20-24, 2008 are the dates for the upcoming International Folk Alliance Conference. It’s a great way to meet other hosts and presenters, and to find new (and old!) talent for your house concert series. There are hundreds of artists performing, showcasing, and otherwise very accessible to anyone attending the conference. Find out more at http://folk.org, and read this if you would like a big discount (expires soon) to attend the conference.

Live Review: Vinnie James

This month’s Live Review sent in my Abiqua (A.K.A. - Fred Casteel)

When we resumed our series here at Abiqua’s this past June the tropical backdrop of the palm trees and the bird of paradises and the sparkling pool set for a perfect summer evening of food and Live Music!! With this beautiful setting we needed a performer that would be just as unique and dynamic. Vinnie James was my first choice. Read more…

Hosts! Send us your Rave Reviews of any CIYH performers.

Trivia Question:

Since last month’s trivia question was apparently too difficult, here’s an easy one. What are the dates of the 2008 Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis? Send your answers here…

One winner will be chosen at random from the first 10 correct responses. The prize? This lovely shirt.

This website is sponsored by: Artists!

Happy New Yeehaw! — fran

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I recently did a count of the artists with the most appearances in our house concert calendars. These calendars appear in the host listings of each state and province on our site. For example, here’s the California page, where you’ll see the calendar on the left side.

Since we only publish the events that are sent to us by hosts, this only represents a fraction of house concert activity.

And now… presenting the artists with 3 or more house concert appearances in our calendar for the past year:

9 Johnsmith

8 Fran Snyder

5 Jack Williams
5 Michael Smith
5 Cosy Sheridan
5 Corinne West

4 Eric Taylor
4 John Batdorf
4 James Lee Stanley
4 Kennedys
4 Wishing Chair
4 Amy Speace
4 Berkley Hart
4 Bob Sima
4 Chuck Pyle
4 Small Potatoes
4 Buddy Mondlock
4 Pat Wictor
4 Rod Picott
4 Jeff Black

3 Tom Kimmel
3 Audrey Auld Mezera
3 Kyler England
3 Krista Detor
3 TR Ritchie
3 Jaime Michaels
3 Don Conoscenti
3 Red Molly

If you host house concerts, please send us your events here. It’s a free service, it promotes the acts you love, and it may result in a few extra people at one of your events.

Here’s to a great 08.

Fran

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