Become A Fan

‘I like every kind of music besides country.’  As soon as someone says that to me, I instantly know a couple things about them – one: they have terrible taste in music, and two: you don’t like every kind of music if there is one you don’t like, and three: we will never be friends.

Who only listens to one genre of music anymore?  Thank you YouTube, Spotify, and as much as it pains me to say, Top 40 radio for expanding the palette of music fans everywhere.

I’m always surprised when I ask musicians what band’s they are listening to these days that they stick within two or three genres.  You can be a hardcore fan of maybe three to five genres of music.  But you can appreciate hundreds of variations in style!

Learn to be a student of talent, skill and ability across multiple genres of music. 

What makes someone a great performer in country music?  How is that different from a great crooner performance?

What makes someone a great writer in pop music?  What are the parallels with great rap lyricists?

How can the honesty of singer/songwriters influence the precision of a world-class vocalist?

As you follow talent you will begin to see similarities in approach, execution and passion that will serve you in whatever genre you are pursuing.

Don’t be a snob. 

It’s really annoying, and we’ll never be friends. 

Become a fan. 

Because we’ve all got things to learn from the most unlikely places.

Let’s be fans together, email me here.

The Importance Of Your Live Show

They say the music industry is dead.

I don’t believe that for a second.  Sure, it’s changing, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead or dying.  The distribution of recorded music looks different now than it did 30 years ago, but one thing that hasn’t changed?  The live show.

There is still no replacement for a great band on stage creating a moment between the musicians and the audience.  There is something unique in that moment.

Bands that understand their story know that these are five important elements that deserve consideration for their live show:

SET LISTS MATTER

It’s all about the flow.  Disjointed songs that jump back and forth between tempo and content are like stopping and starting to the audience.  Make sure it makes sense.

THE BANTER

Some bands have natural, easy, fun on stage banter.  You can tell they feel comfortable with one another, and therefore the audience feels comfortable.  Some bands are awkward and the audience feels uncomfortable as they robotically speak on stage.  Practice, practice, practice what you’re going to say, and then practice again.

STOPING THE SHOW FOR TUNING

Until you’re at the stadium level, you probably won’t have a tech to tune your hundreds of guitars, which means it's all you.  But for the love of all things holy, please don’t stop the momentum of your show for tuning your guitar.  Plan your flow, and transitions accordingly.

NO MERCH

I’m always surprised when a band does not have any merch.  These days it’s so inexpensive to have high quality t-shirts, custom posters, stickers, and recorded music, there is really no reason not to have some kind of branded merchandise.  If you’ve converted fans with your show, give them the opportunity to show their affection – with a impulse purchase.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

Perhaps one of my biggest pet peeves – when a band never says their name.  Do you want people to track you down online, on iTunes or social media?  Make sure you say your name often, over and over again.

What you do in your live show is as much a part of your story as your songs, styling and social media.  Is your live show telling a story consistent with your brand?  Let’s determine that together.  Email me here to get started.

Case Study: The Black Cadillacs

Later this week, I’ll be writing about the importance of the live show.  And so I thought it was fitting to talk about a band whose story is their live show.

The first time I saw The Black Cadillacs was opening for one of my other favorite Nashville bands, The Kicks.  Instantly, I was hooked – bluesy, dirty, rock n’ roll, like a combination of Led Zepplin and Jack White.  The energy and chemistry of their performance was rare for such a new band.  They were alive, and everyone in that room could tell.

Take a look at these videos, and you might be able to glimpse what I mean:

If you get the chance to actually see this band in person - do it!

With that being said, if they are a band whose story is their live show, there are a handful of things that I would want them to flesh out more clearly...

Recorded Music

As much as I love this band, their records don’t capture the energy that their live shows.  Producers help bring out the best in bands – The Black Cadillacs should find a producer who wants them to track everything live.  Sometimes when you put musicians in a studio individually to track solo, it loses the magic that those musicians have when they play together.

Stage Clothes

I’m not a fan of matching outfits (this isn’t the early 2000’s and this isn’t Backstreet Boys).  But it’s important that a band looks like they go together.  You can always tell bands that have been styled and plan tour outfits – effortlessly cool, and not forced.

Production

Often the last thing touring artists are worried about is carrying their own production – sound, lights, etc.  But if your story is your live show, investing in some top of the line production will only enhance your story. 

The Black Cadillacs story is their live show.   What is your story?

Let’s learn to tell it together.  You can email me here to get started.