The 2011 NAMM Show
Upon entry to the convention, I was greeted by a Mexican accordion/guitar/bass/drums outfit playing on the stage sponsored by our friends at Roland. That was pretty cool. I really wish I got their name.
Into the main hall, I was pulled over by security to make way for the totally awesome rump shaking sounds of the Inglewood High School Marching Band. The guy next to me informed me they had the “hottest tuba player” he’d ever seen. I told him he was too old for her, but that didn’t seem to faze him much. They left everyone within earshot smiling.
Lots of middle-aged dudes with dyed Marky Ramone style mullets. So many it was hard not to notice.
I talked to the guys at Aquarian Drumheads who were very cool. We’ll be using and selling their products exclusively.
Ashdown Amps are awesome. Even though the overbearing Brit rep was blasting the guitar amps when I was trying to talk bass rigs with the sales dude from Tennessee. We’ll be working with them in the future for sure.
Can’t say the same about the fat mustaches at ProMark Drumsticks. When the first words out of their mouths were “we don’t...” I turned right off. Fuck them and their shitty sticks. The guys at Vic Firth Sticks were a little better, but still too ready with the “we don’ts.”
DW Kits had some cool looking drum sets, as did Pearl. But damn if these guys aren’t big business. Seems like you gotta have a million bucks just to get a word.
I like how so many of these companies hire slutty chicks in skimpy outfits to get you to check out their products. Where’s my shot of Jager and a Corona, honey? I already have a guitar pick. I guess it’s something to see for all those lonely salesmen.
Sorry, Sam from Splitshot, I didn’t buy a Leslie when I was down there. Too heavy to bring back on the plane. But it’s on the list.
Saw some familiar Santa Cruz faces: Universal Audio, Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Kyle the sound guy from the Catalyst, Your Music Magazine photog guy standing in some huge line to see a rock star. Lots of rock stars. I saw Kerry King (Slayer), Omar from Mars Volta, The Sublime drummer guy, Dr. Lonnie Smith (in another league, but what the hell), Cliff Williams (AC/DC)...the list is long at NAMM.
Any and all music merchandise was represented at NAMM. It’s a total circus. If you're into music, you should definitely check it out some time. I was only there for four hours and I was exhausted when I left. It didn’t help that I was at SCRS til 1am the night before, and had to catch a 7am flight down to the OC. But it was a fun trip. Happy to be back.
First Friday - February 4 - "In Love With the Natural World” - Paintings by Mari Stauffer
First Friday, February 4 “In Love With the Natural World” – Paintings by Mari Stauffer Artist Reception 6-9 pm Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios 118 Coral Street
Artist Bio: Plants and animals are the subject matter for artist Mari Stauffer. A UCSC alumni with a BA in Painting & Drawing (emphasis in watercolor), her watercolor and acrylic paintings will be on display. From more representational depictions of flora and fauna, to her whimsical "Endangered Spacies" series, Mari Stauffer invites you to join her in celebrating the natural world around us.
The exhibit will be up for the entire month of February during normal business hours (daily 10 am - midnight).
Check out all the First Friday events - http://www.firstfridaysantacruz.com
First Friday, January 7 from 6-9 p.m. - Robert Curzon - "Life in Abstract" - Abstract expressionistic paintings and drawings
I gain inspiration for my artwork through emotions, reflections on experiences in my life, through nature with all its wonder and complexity, textures, shapes and creatures, and through music and other artwork.
I am not a full time artist as it does not pay the bills; but it is a passionate hobby of mine. On much of my free time I am also writing and playing music as I am also a guitarist and song-writer. I am currently working part-time as a Research Associate at McGraw Hill, and attending school part-time working on my masters degree in Statistics at UCSC."
NYE 2011
[slideshow] As usual Santa Cruz has tons of local live music options to ring in 2011. Some of our favorites:
- Loudest way to ring in the new year = The Groggs, Fast Asleep, Family Matters and Mothers at The Blue Lagoon (9 pm/$5 cover)
- Sweatiest way to ring in the new year = BLAST OFF into 211 at Cypress with Brother, Little John, Antacid, Vibrant Eyeris, Digital Honey, Rob Monroy, Mad Zach, Andrew vs. Smasheltooth and Ryan Jay ($5 before 9 pm, $10 after)
- Funkiest way to ring in the new year = Woo Year's Eve with Wooster and The Taxi Project at Moe's Alley (9 pm $12 adv/$15 door).
- Most booty shaking way to ring in the new year = Sambada with Flor de Cana, Yabas Dance Co. and Raizes do Brasil Capoeira at the Catalyst (9 pm $15 adv/$20 door)
SF MusicTech Summit - December 2010 - Morning Session
Last week I attended the SF MusicTech Summit at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. I learned a few things..
Morning Sessions: I picked Music in Film, TV, & Commercials featuring: MOD: Brooke Wentz; The Rights Workshop Mat Kearney; Recording Artist Todd Porter; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Raj Ramayya; Strawberry Hill Music
This was probably my favorite panel of the day, Brooke Wentz was a great moderator and it felt more relevant to have actual artists on the panel. My gems:
- You've heard it before and they said it again - there is now more money in music placement than in actually selling CDS. Record labels that actually still exist today spend a lot more time on "special markets" (aka anything that makes money and is not just straight up selling CDs).
- Mat Kearney illustrated it best when he said something like (rough quote) "you need to sell like two million records to recoup" but with placement you actually get that money in your pocket. He acknowledged that he really got put on the map when his song was placed in a key scene on the then wildly popular Grey's Anatomy. He became "the cool thing to license" for a minute.
- In the past, film and TV would pay to have music scored to their projects, but now it is much cheaper to just license tracks.
- At one point companies would pay "a lot" of money to license tracks, but today the market is literally flooded so rates have gone down considerably.
- Lyrics are important to TV shows and films. There are artists today who don't gig much and instead write songs specifically to try to get them placed. They use universal terms like "breath" and their songs don't mention specific names or places, they work in increments of :30-:60 seconds. There is an entire art around crafting these "non-songs".
- There are more and more product companies looking for artists to brand their products.
All the professionals on the panel admitted that they NEVER use placement firms like TAXI when searching for new music. Instead they rely on personal contacts, trusted sources (blogs, friends, etc.), and... TWITTER! Yes, you can find music placement opps on Twitter - just follow all the music supervisors. One company that did get a favorable review was Jingle Punks.
Everyone did mention how much they like placing indie artists whose music they believe in (it is always more fun to give money to a deserving starving artist). So technically indie artists without major representation can get placed, but you need to:
- Be out there playing music and connecting w/people so that you get on the radar of cool people who do things like place music in films. Connecting with people also means going to conferences like SF MusicTech, MIDEM, SXSW, etc.
- Use social media in a smart way (like following music supervisors).
Notes on the afternoon coming soon..
21 & Under Show - This Friday, December 3
The Halloween Show Poster
Friday, October 29 -
- Crepe Place Masquerade Costume Ball featuring Brown Irish, Leopold and his Fiction, Silian Rail and Foxtails Brigade - The Crepe Place
- Haunted Metal Bash - Brookdale Lodge
- The Function - Sexy Halloween Party - The Catalyst
- Monsters in Da Mountains - Henflings
- Ribsys Nickel - Costume Party - Clouds
- Matt Masih & the Messengers - 99 Bottles
Saturday, October 30 -
- Día de Los Muertos Alleycat bike race and after party
- Sourgass/Wooster - The Catalyst Main Stage
- Hip Shake - Severino's
- Extra Large - Don Quixote's
- Hip Hop at The Haunted Hotel (Del the Funky Homosapien, Eligh & Luckyiam) - Brookdale Lodge
- Blame it on Kelly - Britannia Arms (costume contest!)
- Bloodstock with Euphoria v. SC - The Graduate (Chico)
Sunday, October 31 - Halloween
- Fast Asleep, Motercycle Snakebite, Indian Giver - 206 Leibrandt
- Tater Famine, Los Dreyheavers, Dun Bin Had - The Catalyst (free)
- 7 Come 11 - The Crepe Place
- Sambada - Moe's Alley
November First Friday
Festival Deadlines - California - Part 1
For many bands the holy grail of shows seems to be "the festival". Here is California, we are particularly blessed with many an epic festival within driving distance. Here are a few of the upcoming application deadlines for a few or our favorites.
Don't wait - decisions for 2011 are being made NOW.
This is the first post in a new series. If there are other festivals you would like to see addressed, please leave a comment and we will try to include them in our next post.
Strawberry Music Festival - Performers interested in playing the Strawberry Music Festivals are welcome to submit CD's and promo packs any time of the year. Booking for the festivals begins in October and is completed near the middle of February. Please mail submissions to:
Strawberry Music Festivals P.O. Box 664 Jamestown, CA 95327 Attn: Charlie Cran
Please Note: No booking or communication is conducted via e-mail. You will not receive an e-mail response to any inquiry.
Mateel Summer Arts and Music - In addition to the annual Summer Arts and Music Festival, they also put on Reggae on the River, Hemp Fest, Humboldt Hoedown and the Winter Arts Faire. Their website contact page does not give an exact procedure for booking but I would start by mailing your package to:
Talent/ booking - Justin Crellin PO Box 1910 Redway, CA 95560
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival - Artists interested in performing at SNWMF 2011 should send their promo packets to the address below. Please only send materials that are commercially available (no CD-Rs).
SNWMF 2011 PO Box 208 Ryde, CA 95680
Monterey Bay Reggaefest - Artist Submissions: Andre Smith (831) 394-6534 asmithmbrf@aol.com
Monterey Bay Reggaefest PO Box 1607 Seaside, CA 93955
Live Oak Music Festival - The Live Oak Music Festival Entertainment Selection Committee accepts artist applications from July 1st through October 31st for the following year’s festival. If you wish to be considered, please review our web site and either apply through Sonicbids or send an email between July and October to booking@liveoakmusic.org. Please include an EPK, including video and audio links, a brief description of your musical style, web address, and number of performers in act. The Entertainment Committee does not guarantee a response to inquiries. Thank you for your interest in our fundraising festival for the non-profit public radio station KCBX, serving San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties.
Call to Artists for December First Friday Show
“$21 and Under Show” - Original Art Under $21
Work Media: paintings, prints, sketches, photographs, mixed-media, etc.
Work Size: Under 18 x 14 [max size 18 x 18]
Entry Requirements:
- 1-2 pieces per artist
- Must be able to hang on wall
- Have a tag(s) with name and price ready when art is dropped off
- Art must be priced for sale for $21 or under
Timeline: Exhibit will open on Friday, December 3 and run through Monday, Dec. 20
Entries Due: Submissions must be received no later than Monday, November 22
Delivery: Art can be delivered to 118 Coral Street. Please check studio schedule at http://www.santacruzrehearsalstudios.com/booking.html. If there is a band booked, there will be someone at the studio to receive your art (other times can be set by appointment via email to booking@santacruzrehearsalstudios.com or by calling 831-425-7277)
Publicity: Event will be sent to all Santa Cruz media (print, radio, TV) as well as publicized on the Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios blog, Facebook and MySpace pages. The event will also be listed in the official First Friday calendar published in the Santa Cruz Good Times.
Sales: Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios does not take any commission on sales. 100% of sales proceeds go direct to the artist.
Contact: Jennifer Gallacher jenn@santacruzrehearsalstudios.com
Attention Teen Bands: Win This Contest
Local Teen Bands have until Friday, October 15 to apply and win the Second Annual SchoolJam USA Teen Band Competition.
Teen musicians between the ages of 13 and 19, with the majority of band members currently registered in a middle or high school in the United States, and are in an unsigned band, are eligible to participate and apply. Bands can perform any genre of music but the song must be original content or designated as “public domain.” To view full competition rules and regulations, and for information about how to apply, visit www.schooljamusa.com.
Semi-finalists will be chosen and names will be posted on the SchoolJam USA website on Nov. 1, 2010, and online voting will be open to the public that day until Nov. 30, 2010. On Jan. 15, 2011, the top 10 finalists will take the big stage in Anaheim, Calif. during the world-famous NAMM Show in front of a panel of professional judges and hundreds of fans for the chance to take the title of Best Teen Band in the USA.
The winning band will walk away with the grand prize trip of a lifetime to perform at the original SchoolJam festival in Frankfurt Germany, as well as receive a private music video recording session on the John Lennon Educational Bus, $1,000 towards the purchase of new gear and $5,000 for their school music program.
This battle of rising stars is produced by NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, and its promotional sponsors MENC: the National Association for Music Education, SchoolJam Germany, Music For All, Drum Corps International, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Vans Warped Tour and Channel One News. The competition highlights quality musical teen talent, gathers students to support music and the arts, and promotes active participation in school music programs.
Finish Line Festival - This Sunday, October 3
Here is the line up for the 2010 Finish Line Festival which follows the Surf City Aids Ride. This is a fundraiser for the Santa Cruz Aids Project with food, fun, booths, community and some of our favorite local live music.
Sunday, October 3 rd from 11 AM - 5 PM San Lorenzo Park - FREE
Quinn Deveaux 11:00am-11:25am
Mystery Lights 11:35am-12:05pm
James Rabbit 12:15pm-12:45pm
Tether Horse 12:55pm-1:25pm
Luxury Sweets 1:35pm-2:05pm
Moon Cadillac 2:15pm-2:45pm
Hod 2:55pm-3:20pm
Dan P. & the Bricks 3:30pm-4:10pm
Harry & the Hitmen 4:20pm!!-5:00pm
First Friday// September 3 // 6-9 PM
Bandwidth Pt. 2
On Friday, August 20th I attended the second day of the Bandwidth music / technology conference in San Francisco. The conference was held at the beautiful Bentley Reserve (included in the National Register of Historic Places).
Instead of the usual large panels at the front of room, each Bandwidth session took place in small conference rooms with all participants sitting around the table and engaging with each other. The hardest part of the day was deciding which of three panels to attend each hour. I kept thinking I picked the wrong one..
At 10 AM I hit the “Direct to Consumer: How Involved Should a Label Be?” panel led by Tricia Rice (Director of Digital Media, Welk Music Group / Vanguard Records / Sugar Hill Records). Her presentation style was informal and directed most questions at the group. My take aways:
- There is no album cycle anymore. In many labels artists mix it up and will maybe do one “top line” record, then a four song pack just for iTunes, then a mixed-tape, then an EP and then might cycle back to another “top line” or more traditional CD release.
- When partnering with third parties – make sure that partners are incentivized to help on all channels (not just for example iTunes or just Facebook, etc.). You need partners that will support you selling music everywhere music is sold.
- Associate with other artists as a way to “rise the tide” for everyone. Example Tricia gave was a free holiday download put together across labels. They helped the artists compile 15 tracks from 15 different artists and then made all the tracks available for free to all of the artists’ fans (through a Topspin email for media widget). Each artist gained a significant amount of new fans/emails to market future projects. This is an example of a label using their resources to help do something that has no direct financial gain but probably has future financial potential.
- Labels need to focus on the bigger picture. In the past reactions might have been, why do we help an artist build channels/fanbase when we don’t share in the benefit (directly) – but the bigger picture is if you DON’T do that = nothing happens.
- Another perspective is that many labels feel their teams can run these channels (social networking, artist website, etc.) better than the third parties an artist might hire to do that – so they do it for free at first in the hopes that artists will allow the label to get more involved in those areas.
At 11 AM it was time for the keynote conversation with Jac Holzman (founder, CEO and Creative Head of Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records). Jac’s talk was a highlight of the day as he talked story and dropped gem after gem of industry knowledge. Here are the ones I picked up:
- Everything informs your life – good or bad.
- Most every great songwriter writes children’s songs as well.
- As a record label I would get a lot of shots, but in most cases the artist usually only gets one.
- There is a lot of stuff happening on the sides – we are so focused on moving straight ahead that we tend to miss the stuff on the sides.
- It tends to be the little things that change your life.
- Have respect for every aspect of the recording process.
- Many times it just “didn’t work” and the process was to see if you could fix it. If I couldn’t fix it, I would give the masters back to the artists and let them work on it.
- An album is context and content and a lightning bolt.
- In the beginning, price it low enough so people can get used to it. Experiment with pricing.
- Think about everything from the standpoint of the consumer.
- If you are going to be an independent music producer, you need to be kind of insane.
- A great album is touched by fairy dust at some point.
- His style was always to be so well honed that you have room for a miracle to happen. You are always looking to bring out that extra element that works. The moment where you say “this is why we do this”.
- Put yourself in the shoes of the artist, it is us with them, not us against them.
- There is no single way to do anything.
- An attitude of someone who runs a record company is let the chaos happen. Keep your own head straight, but let the chaos happen.
- The fact that you can make a record, doesn’t mean it should be released.
- I am firm believer in good first filters. There is a lot of room today for first filters.
- We are not a music industry, we are music rights industry.
- Keep it lean.
Following up Jac was a brown bag lunch session with Ted Cohen (managing partner, TAG strategic).
At 1:00 PM I picked the “In The News: A discussion of the topics, trends and technologies currently impacting the industry” led by Kelli Richards (President & CEO of The All Access Group).
The discussion revolved around:
- Monetizing before, during and after live shows, including new technologies that allow fans to have an immediate live take away, etc.
- Embracing “game changing” technologies
- How to best harness the direct to consumer market
- The idea of music and an “identity” and giving the market ways to give the “gift of music”
At 2:00 PM I picked the “Your Social Media Network: Creating Passionate Advocates” led by Larry Weintraub (CEO of Fanscape, Inc.).
Discussion centered around the value of a social relationship:
- Question - How to value a fan who engages with a brand within the social media fold
- Answer – It depends on the goals of the business
- Give customers content that: relates to them, drives them to take an action, and keeps them interested.
- Actively engaging w/customers = increase in profit from each customer
Bandwidth Pt. 1
Last week we attended the Bandwidth music and technology conference in San Francisco, which “brings together professionals in the music, media and technology worlds.” The first day’s sessions gave us great insight on the widening spectrum of strategies used to sell music—many of which are cheap and easy to utilize. Here are some tips on DIY music marketing:
Document Everything Practice recordings and backstage footage can be exclusive content today and may turn into archival gems tomorrow; there is great potential value in documentation.
Be Seen Fans want photos. The photo section is often the most popular section of an artist’s website—no matter what genre or subject. A photo gallery on your personal page and/or social media site can get a lot of clicks.
Don’t Underestimate YouTube YouTube trumps Myspace when it comes to audience and content selection. As the 2nd biggest search engine (after Google), a YouTube account is an invaluable marketing tool.
Tip: A good, unique cover song video can attract a lot of traffic to your account. This approach creates a pathway for potential fans to discover your original work.
Tweet Twitter, at its best, is a platform for sharing authentic content and building long-term relationships. Bands can use the site to become more accessible to their fans, creating a sense of intimacy and familiarity. Consistently making valuable posts (make sure to filter out the unimportant or uninteresting) is a good was to increase awareness. Frequent tweets also help search engine optimization (meaning you will appear higher on a list of search results).
Tip: It doesn’t all have to be about you. Bands and artists endorsing each other is a great way to show support and attract attention.
Good luck and happy marketing! Stay tuned for pt. 2 of our Bandwidth tips.
Pt. 1 produced by Sabrina Sierra
Introducing Chris Price aka Voxx Romana
Meet our First Friday artist for September. Reception is Friday, September 3 from 6-9 PM featuring live art.
Chris Price - http://chrispriceart.blogspot.com/
Artist Statement and Bio
As an artist, I find myself intensely drawn to the process of making and creating things. I love seeing my art form from imaginative ideas and sporadic inspirations. I find just as much joy in the creative process as I do in the finished product. My mixed media art is a testament to the usage of all the tools and mediums available, to create a fresh prospective and an infinite number of possibilities. I enjoy using collage, screen printing, alternative printing processes, patterns, stencils, spray paint, painting, and graphic design together to create multi-dimensional symbolism in my work.
I was born and raised in Colorado. As a youth I was interested in art and fascinated with it’s freedom and creative. At 12 years old, I began to skateboard and that continued to the present day. My formal education in art started in high school where I was inspired by, teacher and international artist, Floyd D. Tunson. Around this time I also developed an interest in street art which has influenced my art in many ways. I then attended Community Collage in Colorado Springs for graphic design. My work in the design and printing industry has also had a profound influence on my art and helped lead me to a more mixed-media approach to my art. I moved to Northern California in 2009 to further my art career and have been warmly welcomed by the local community.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIUAh4Liibs]
Gadgetbox Recording Studios Open Mic - Wed. August 18
Introducing the latest open mic. Gadgetbox Recording Studios (417-A Ingalls Street) will host their first songwriter open mic night on Wednesday, August 18 from 7PM-9:30PM. Housed in their newly remodeled “grand room” the event will combine the intimacy of a house concert, with the superior acoustics of a professional recording studio.
Hosted by the Gadgetbox staff, each performer will be given a two-song or ten minute maximum time limit. The all-ages show will start promptly at 7:00 PM and performers are encouraged to arrive early and place their names in a fishbowl. Names will be drawn randomly to establish performance order. Gadgetbox will provide a standard stage set-up and sound engineer as well as usage of the Yamaha C7 grand piano. Performers will also have the option to be videotaped (in HD quality) free of charge and can purchase their raw multi-track audio from the event.
A sliding scale donation ($1-$5) will be accepted at the door on the evening of the event.
- Starts next Wed. August 18
- Continues every other Wednesday
- 417 Ingalls Street (across from SC Mountain Brewery & Kelly's Bakery)
- Parking available along Ingalls Street or in Kelly's Bakery Courtyard
Overview of Santa Cruz open mics we know about includes:
- Tuesday nights - Asana Teahouse (weekly) and Verve Lounge (weekly)
- Wednesday nights - Gadgetbox (every other Wed.)
- Thursday nights - SubRosa (weekly)
- Saturday nights - The Abbey (once a month - check website for date)
Are we missing any?
Summit Idols Benefit Concert
In support of the Theatre in the Mountains and Loma Prieta Joint School District's music/art program. Performances will be held on August 27 and 28. Last summer's "Summit Idols" was a sell out. Cash prizes for the Best Adult soloist, Best Teen soloist, Best Child soloist and Best Group.
The auditions will be held on August 2nd (5pm-9pm), August 3rd (10am-9pm), and August 4 (5pm-9pm) in the Dance Room at the Loma Prieta Community Center
Audition slots are limited, so please call Libby McCord at 408-353-3055 ASAP to schedule your audition appointment!
Click to download: audition packet
First Friday, August 6 @ 118 Coral Street
So far we have collected some gems from over forty local bands including:
- 7 Come 11
- Arsonists Get All The Girls
- Beaver Fever
- The Clamtones
- Craig's Brother (also playing Friday, August 6 @ the Blue)
- Electric Leaves (playing free local show at The Abbey on September 19)
- The Expendables
- Eviscerate (also playing Friday, August 6 @ the Catalyst Atrium)
- Fire Whiskey
- Great American Taxi
- The Inciters
- Mountain Animal Hospital
- Pacific Kings
- Our Satori
- Sourgrass
- Tater Famine
- Wooster
We are still raiding closets and merch bins all around town so look for the full show starting next Friday, August 6 as part of the First Friday evening tour.