house concerts and 21st century touring

It’s so easy to get lost and distracted with all the social media out there, that I really appreciate it when people share good strategy and tactics for getting the most from your time spent there.

Despite the intended audience (rappers, etc) of this blog, the advice is very useful for anyone who understands they are spending too much time on myspace, and/or not getting enough results from their efforts.

My summary:
1. He’s for using bots, but that didn’t resonate with me.
2. He’s for going after the kids… You should understand his point before dismissing it. If they aren’t a part of your audience, you should seriously limit you time on myspace, shouldn’t you?
3. Have a strategy - “The first principle, then: GET IN AND GET OUT. Don’t browse. Remind yourself—constantly—that you are the boss, in addition to being self-employed. Your time is too valuable to waste on the Merely Interesting. Have a set routine and execute it, then go do something else.” — Justin Boland

Justin also points to a very useful article from Andrew Dubber. “Five mistakes you’re probably making with your MySpace page.”

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Here’s a short post/interview done by Sharon Goldman of the duo, Sweet Bitters.

You can hear Sweet Bitters, here

Enjoy!

Posts from the Past

• Mini House Concerts!
• 9 Tips to make a Great Video for House Concerts

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TITLE: The Growing Importance of House Concerts (Improving
the experience of the artist and fan)
http://americanamusic.org/
DAY/DATE: Friday 9/18/09
TIME: 4:00 pm
ROOM: (TBD by AMA)

Moderator: Fran Snyder (fran@concertsinyourhome.com)

PANELISTS:
1) Bob McClanahan
2) Lou DeMarco
3) Rod Picott
4) Amanda Shires
5) Stephen Simmons

SYNOPSIS

For many artists, house concerts are the key to staying on the road.
This panel will explore the best ways for artists and music fans to get
involved and create memorable events where the artist can earn a
living wage. Other topics will include resources for hosting and/or
finding house concerts, the impact on traditional clubs and
opportunities for both the artist and the music fan.

Fran Snyder is the founder of concertsinyourhome.com, a website
dedicated to promoting house concerts all over the world (but mostly
in US and Canada). He also has managed to tour 500,000 miles and
somehow make a living as a singer songwriter. Fran was voted “Best
Solo Act” and “Best Overall Performer” from the mid-to-late 1990s in
Jam Magazine and Creative Loafing, and ASCAP has awarded Snyder
their “Special Pop Music Award” for four years running. Fran has since
toured and performed in 35 states, garnering a long-awaited and
much-deserved national following.

Lou DeMarco and his wife Loraine Fusco have been hosting Lou &
Rain’s house concerts since 2002. Doing 4-7 shows a year for 25-40
folks, they specialize in the Americana genre. Lou is also Momentary
Love Management and was Stephen Bruton’s booking agent. Lou is a
Human Resource professional.

Rod Picott is a yankee interloper living in Nashville. Picott has had
songs cut by Slaid Cleaves and Ray Wylie Hubbard. His co-write with
Cleaves, Broke Down, was the most played song on Americana radio in
2001. Rod has opened shows for Alison Krauss and is a mesmerizing
live performer, playing 120 plus shows each year in the U.S. and
Europe where he’s regarded as a songwriter’s songwriter.

Bob McClanahan was born and raised in Nashville. He played guitar
and sang in a “combo” in the 60’s. While attending UNC-Chapel Hill, he
played for drinks and tips, married a local, and became a lawyer when
he couldn’t raise a family with his music. He now hosts emerging and
established artists as a director of Forty Acres House Concerts in
Chapel Hill.

Amanda Shires, a Lubbock born gem, steps into the spotlight with
the release of her new album, West Cross Timbers. Recently breaking
charting on Americana radio, her clever songs glitter with a tinge of
the Western swing she honed so expertly as a side woman for Tommy
Allsup and the legendary Texas Playboys, with whom she began work
at age 16. She’s performed over 300 shows in Europe and the U.S.,
many of which are house concerts, and playing gigs with the likes of
Billy Joe Shaver, Buzz Cason, Will Kimbrough, Justin Earle and Rod
Picott.

Stephen Simmons As a songwriter, Stephen’s vision has grown to
entail more than just reflections of rural America. His newest album,
Girls marks the fifth album in less than five years since Simmons
released his 2004 debut studio album, Last Call. “Lay On The Tracks”,
a standout from Last Call, was a winner at the prestigious MerleFest
Chris Austin Songwriting Competition. Last Call was praised by critics
on both sides of the Atlantic, picked up by Rounder Europe Records,
followed by two more Rounder Europe releases, extensive touring in
Europe (including high profile shows at the Blue Highways, Rhythm
and Blues, and Take Root Festivals in The Netherlands), a major
release with U.S. based Americana Records in 2007, and as always,
continued, extensive touring across the United States.

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