This past Saturday, I attended an OK Go show at Tipitina’s. I was thrilled that tickets were only $17.50 (including ticket fees), and I have been looking forward to this show for months. I was shocked to see a nationally touring band coming through at such a (relatively) low price. I was also shocked to see how few people were there. This, to me, says there is something very wrong with the way our venues are promoting their acts. I have seen OK Go before, and they put on a great show. They are certainly not the biggest band to hit New Orleans’ stages, but they are big enough that it should have been sold out. OK Go has an extraordinary amount of web presence and has always done an excellent job of keeping up with their fans…half the work is already done.  What’s even more upsetting is that the only reason that I found out about this show in the first place was by checking OK Go’s website. I didn’t hear a thing about it in the local media until the day before.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I believe we are getting lazy. It is simply not enough to put a few flyers on a few telephone poles and hope some people show up. Wondering why we don’t get many touring bands through this city?  THIS is why. I love seeing a show at Tipitina’s, don’t get me wrong, but we are not in a place in the local economy where anyone should be resting on their name alone. People love this city, but love doesn’t pay the bills. We need to offer artists the same kind of accommodations and support that they are getting in bigger cities like Austin, Chicago, New York, Nashville, Boston, etc. before we can start getting on the map. Clearly, we have a size disadvantage, but so what? We live in what could arguably called the music capital of the country, and we can’t fill our venues. We need to start working harder….and I truly do mean “we.”

Damian Kulash (OK Go’s lead singer) said something on stage Saturday night that really struck me. He said, “In all seriousness, you have better music in this city than anywhere else in the country. I mean that. You need to do better. Go out and see live music. Stop seeing shitty rock bands like ours and go see people like Shamarr (Allen).” While, in context, this was meant to be a compliment….I think it was also meant to wake some people up. What are we doing? Why don’t we take more pride in what we do down here? Why aren’t we living up to the name people have given us and we have gladly claimed? It’s disappointing, and now we are disappointing others.

We do have incredible things taking place in our little bowl down here, and it seems that everyone is taking notice but us.  It shouldn’t take multi-million dollar productions like Voodoo Fest and Jazz Fest to get people to realize that we are, in fact, no longer under water.  Believe me, I’m glad someone is doing it, but we can do better.  WE NEED TO DO BETTER.

Listening to: OK Go – “Skyscrapers” live from Tipitina’s

I don’t know about you guys, but my current state of denial is letting me down.  Reality is looming, and it’s ugly.  Ugly like yo’ mamma!  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh……really though.  This whole economic downturn recession epic disaster is real, and it’s time we stop waiting for someone to fix it.  The fact is, we have all seen the effects of the recession, and correct me if I’m wrong, but most of us are still seeing it.  I certainly find myself on Groupon a whole hell of a lot more than I’d like to admit.  The only difference now is that we’ve all grown so accustomed to it that it has started to feel normal.

It’s time the music industry really starts thinking about where all of this economic change is going to land us in the next 5 years cause it’s not looking good.  We are an industry that sells entertainment and depends upon the expendable income of others, and the fact is that most people really just don’t have much expendable income.  A large part of our nation is struggling to keep the lights on, and we’re trying to sell them frivolity.  It’s illogical.  We simply cannot depend on the economy to adapt to us, and we must start adapting to it.

So you want your fans to buy your music and come to your shows.  What are you going to do to set yourself apart from the others?  How are you going to convince your fans that you are worth $15 of their monthly expendable income of $100?  It’s very simple.  Make yourselves more accessible.  I think that the days of elite stardom in small markets are over.  It’s time to stop trying to make people come to you and start going to them.  Find out where your fans hang out and what else they are interested in, and go woo them.  This is a relationship you are forming, and it’s one that you need for your craft to survive.  It’s kind of like calling a girl’s house when you know her parents are going to answer.  How badly do you want it?  Are you willing to go through the chaperoned date to win her over?  You’d damn well better be, cause you’re running out of options.

Hey recording engineer guy over there….turn on the lights.  Welcome to daytime.  It’s like a constant hangover.  Believe me, I have the utmost respect for you guys.  If I liked myself enough to sit in a dark room by myself for 15 hours editing the same 3 bars, I would be all over that shit.  You guys live a tough lifestyle, and you have to love it.  Unfortunately (and I’m not telling y’all anything you don’t already know), true engineers are becoming more and more antiquated.  With all the easily accessible and inexpensive software out there right now, everyone has decided they are geniuses, and nobody wants to pay a studio fee.  Most of you are probably already working 15 hour days, and I only see this getting worse.  The more money people are going to have to shell out for something they think they can do themselves, the more they are going to expect you to provide.  In translation, engineers/producers may have to start expanding their skill sets and learn how to become arrangers and composers in order to attract the kind of business and income they need.  Many of you already do this, and my hat goes off to you.  My point is….this may not be so much of an option as a necessity 5 years down the line.

Anyone in the music retail business has, of course, already endured some pretty tough hits over the past couple years.  Everyone is hurting, and in a very big way.  All the way down the line, even as far as the manufacturing companies go, things have become more expensive.  It is simply more expensive to manufacture the instruments we are trying to sell than it was 2 or 3 years ago.  As a result, prices go up, manufacturers ask more of the retail businesses, and everyone gets less in the end.  Manufacturers suffer as they produce less volume; retailers are taking smaller percentages; and consumers are paying much more for exactly the same products they were buying 5 years ago.  The national debt is monumental, and there’s almost no way to avoid it.

I don’t mean to put the fear of God in anyone, but it’s time we all sat down and took a serious look at this stuff and try to help each other out.  Anyone who is trying to run a business of any kind right now needs to get smart.  Get yourself on the internet and start selling your product…whatever it may be.  Create partnerships with other local businesses, and talk to other retailers around the country.  Build a web presence, and develop a personality for your company that will make people want to meet you.  Your business is not just a business anymore.  It is a little person with wants and needs and hopes, and you need to feed it or it’s going to get angry and start throwing things.  Most of us have been taught that musicians are the ones who create the “stage personas.”  We ALL create stage personas.  Your business is your stage persona, and it needs to be concrete and attractive.  You may have heard it referred to as “branding.”  Whatever….it’s your little person who is with you all the time and is starting to get pissy and neglected.  Nip that in the bud and start figuring out how you can make yourself stand out.

We are all having to work more and work harder.  Our talents and specialties are becoming more diversified, and we find ourselves working in fields we never even knew existed just so we don’t turn down any opportunities.  That’s the key.  Take on anything and everything you can reasonably do without feeling like a cheat, and make people realize that you and your “little person” are indispensable.  MAKE yourself indispensable…and they will come.

Listening to: Feist – My Moon My Man (Grizzly Bear Remix)

First of all, let me say that I am very supportive of what online music has done for the artists, as a whole.  I remember being 12 or 13 years old, searching around the record store for something new and not quite knowing where to start.  I was a grunge rock girl in a boy band world, and it was just not looking good back then.  I went through my obligatory Alanis Morissette and Wallflowers phase…bad news all around, really.  Music magazines were starting to focus more on pop music, and radio was all becoming carbon copies of itself.  It was a cold, dark night…but I digress…

All of the awkwardness of my musical taste in my tweens has made me sincerely appreciate the doors that download sites have opened for both the consumer and the small-town band.  I discovered more music in Napster’s heyday than I even knew existed.  I think that was also around the time when I started listening to Squirrel Nut Zippers, but we’ll call it my “experimental phase.”  I was learning, but I was also learning out of context.  I was getting little bits of musical ideas but losing the greater picture.

As a result of music download sites, the concept of the “Single” has completely changed into something that is more about numbers than it is about music.  It’s all about landing a track on the Billboard 100 and reaping the benefits for about 30 days before everyone forgets your name.  A quality album that lands a hit single is almost a fluke, in many cases.  I remember the Tower Records days, where perusing the singles bin was the most exciting part of the trip.  Picking up a single was what the cool kids did….they were on the forefront, and singles were a pretty hot ticket item.  More importantly, singles were about introducing an snippet of the concept from the band’s next album….it was like getting a sneak preview of the big movie weeks before it came out.  Anticipation of something greater to come.  The reversal of this idea simply bores me.

Of course, there will always be certain songs that you will buy just for nostalgia and ditch the album.  ”Puttin’ On The Ritz” is one of my personal favorites, but I don’t think I need an entire album of Taco.  What bothers me is that the single has almost replaced the album in importance.  More often than not, the single from the most popular albums on the Billboard charts have little or nothing to do with the rest of the album.  ”Hey, the next 13 tracks are pretty mediocre, but this one is HOT!”  Good for you…you got a 3 million-dollar record advance to make one hit song.  Given the odds, I could probably squeeze one out, too.  On a sidenote: What’s actually quite the interesting turn of  events is that rap has become one of the only genres that still sticks to the “album concept” pretty strictly.  Yeah, most of the interludes have become a little excessive and largely unnecessary, but listen to the interludes on Busta Rhymes’ Extinction Level Event, and tell me that shit’s not gold.

Anyway….here’s the disturbing fact: The emergence of online music stores as the most acceptable medium for picking up recordings has actually changed the way we make music.  I guess it’s all pretty predictable when you look at the history of technology over the past 10 years, but it has led me to appreciate the bands and artists that make the effort to put out a fluid, well-thought-out album that much more.  I once read an article about the latest Blackalicious album, The Craft, where they guys in the band said they recorded over 100 songs before deciding on the 14 tracks that would make the album.  Now maybe that’s a bit much, but the dedication is something I appreciate, not to mention that album is killer.

In support and memorium of the Album, here’s a few I’ve purchased recently that truly can stand on their own as full bodies of work.  I recommend you pick them up:

Gorillaz – Placstic Beach
Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son of Chico Dusty
Method Man & Redman – Blackout!
The Kills – Keep On Your Mean Side
Morphine – The Night

Listening to: Stevie Wonder – “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I haven’t written anything in a month…I get my friends to write shit for me…I’ve been busy watching videos of cartoon badgers…wait, what?

So in all fairness, I really have been doing things and being all worldly and whatnot lately, so I feel I have something to contribute to the interwebs again.  Aside from doing a ridiculous amount of data entry and spreadsheet making over the past couple of weeks, I went up to the good ole NYC for about 5 days last week to hang out with big bro.  This is my annual vacation where I typically make up for all the beer I haven’t been drinking.  This year was no different.

It always floors me that whenever I go up there, regardless of the situation, bar, or social scene, New York is a place where I can immediately sink into a groove.  There is an intensity level and hunger for creativity that appeals to me in that city.  I can’t quite describe it.  All I can say is that it will change you.  It is an enviornment that is so naturally adept at change that you have no choice but to change with it.

In New York, there is certain dissatisfaction with the status quo that drives that city and makes it the huge creative force of industry lore.  It is a place where dreams are born and almost as quickly crushed, but more importantly, it is a place that pushes you to be the strongest version of you.  It is a place where your best is simply not enough, and it is a sentiment I do well with.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with the music industry, and the answer is: everything.  Without getting too negative or preachy, I believe we are falling into a rut.  We are forgetting why we love music and have largely become a culture that celebrates the people who make music famous rather than the music itself.  Counter-culture is trying so hard to be counter-culture that it has become mainstream, and it’s all getting a bit tired.  Yes, I am aware that New York is the hipster capital of the world, but that’s not really what I’m getting at here.  New York can be as hipster as it damn well pleases since it has the cred to pull it off, but why do we feel compelled to follow?  We need something new for the sake of creativity, not something new for the sake of something new.  Why create the same little microcosm in every city around the world when we can just create something simply incredible and different?  Isn’t originality what makes New Orleans famous, after all?

I love this city, but sometimes I hate the way we let each other get stuck in keeping it exactly the way it is.  Change is good.  Change is natural, and change is necessary.  Let’s stop doing what everyone expects us to do and start giving people a reason to put us on a good National List of Whatever for a change.  Let’s get together and do some wacky shit.

Listening to: Ok Go – “WTF?“

“So where are you going on tour?”

“We’re gonna hit up Lake Charles, then Atlanta, then Cleveland, then San Diego, back down to San Antonio, and we’re going to finish it up in Chicago.”

I find it troubling when artists do this. Just like picking a piece of notebook paper from a hat to win a prize, those who are not calculated with their touring strategies are just leaving things to chance. Every musician has the prerogative to gain new fans and build their support base, but what some don’t realize is that not everyone is going to like their music. The best part; however, is that this is okay.

Since the major labels have lost some traction, niche markets have exploded and have caused gigantic target markets to break down into smaller, more devoted ones. Because of this, it allows artists to gain easier access to exactly who enjoys their music and product the most and creates a sustainable business model for the future.

Now, touring is something that should be on most artists’ minds due to the fact that (1) you can’t attract many fans sitting at your computer, and (2) performances are the building blocks to a self-sustaining entity in this new and improved industry. However, there are basic principles that every band or solo act should think about before hitting the road. Not just as musicians, but competent businesspeople. With my clients, our progress together always revolves around the simple concept of calculation. Have a purpose for every move you make as opposed to displaying random acts with good intentions.

1. Set a goal.

No matter what you do in your business as an artist, have an aim. If your goal is to go out there and meet more people or just see what happens, you are doomed to fail. Now, if your tour objective is to increase your fan base by 20% on the Pacific coast by utilizing social media and initiatives surrounding your new album, you are on a much better path. Be as specific as you can and make sure that you are creating and mapping out specific actions to get there.

2. Have a social media strategy.

As my clients well know, I am a firm believer in this concept. Social media is a gift from God to independent artists. Some say it’s pointless because everyone else is doing it. Screw that! Be original then (a.k.a. No excuses, play like a champion!). Now is the time in the industry to be innovative and fresh. Social media is an incredible way to intimately get the people who love your music the most, emotionally invested in your success. That means your fans can feel like they have stock in what you have become and they’ll take pride in knowing that they helped you get there. Through an arsenal of online video, instant personal updates, photos, and audio, you can truly add new dimensions to your art through social media. That being said, use your tour as a reason for people to look in on you and follow your progress and even defeats. Come up with a plan of attack in terms of the content that you will be posting, how you will be posting it, and who you will be targeting.

3. Make it an event.

Utilizing social media and your overall objectives, create something special around your tour. In other words, make it something that is worth experiencing. Maybe it’s a weekly video diary of your travels or regular photo galleries of the beautiful landscapes out your car window, make it unique. Use the tour to capture the attention of those around you and avoid alienating those who aren’t lucky enough to be on one of your stops.

4. Gather Target Market Analysis

I know that musicians hate hearing their fans as a “target market” so excuse my terminology but unless you start realizing the importance of knowing as much as you can about who likes your music, you won’t be able to remain cost-effective. Just because a band you know went through Houston and had a great show, doesn’t mean you will have the same luck. By knowing as much as you can about your target audience, you can avoid visiting markets that wouldn’t be interested in your music in the first place. Go where there is demand but more importantly, go where there is growth potential. Therefore, to narrow your risks gather data on location, age, buying behaviors, and more from your online social media sites like your Facebook Fan Page, Myspace, Google Analytics, FanBridge, or anything else you have. On top of this, use your mailing list to gather information just adding an “Age” or “Zip code” line next to their “Email.” This way, when you revisit these cities you can return more confident about who is in the audience.

As you execute this strategy remember that in order to be effective, you should be calculated in everything you do. From the set list to the photography on your tour poster, ask yourself: What are we trying to accomplish here? Who are we trying to reach with this? Every artist feels like they are racing with the clock to get things done before they have to grow up and put their dreams on the back burner. In saying this, aren’t your dreams much too important to leave to chance?

–

Greg Vendetti is the Owner/CEO of GV Evolutions, an incubation company that specializes in giving artists complete control of their careers in an evolved music industry. Greg has a degree from Loyola University of New Orleans in Music Industry Studies and has been recording and performing professionally for over a decade.

www.gvevolutions.com

www.gregvendetti.com

Most people will suggest that internships are the best way to get experience.  I agree to a certain extent, but I think they have their place and time.  Taking an internship in a new field is definitely expected, so don’t be fooled into thinking you can avoid that step.  I have had many an internship (some more enjoyable than others), and they are exactly what they sound like.  You are there to do anything and everything that needs to be done, and you will like it, damnit.  The key to not getting stuck as an eternal intern is to show your interest in doing and learning more.   Do everything quickly; ask questions; and take the initiative to do things without being told.  Employers don’t want to hire someone that needs to be walked through the job on a daily basis.  If you show your eagerness to do even the most mundane tasks, you will be taken seriously and your work ethic appreciated.

At this point, I do have to say that I think the music industry has gotten away with this “unpaid internship” business for way too long and way too often.  Less specialized fields pay their interns as a matter of principle, but for some reason the music industry seems to get away with making people work 40-hour weeks without paying them under the guise of it being a “learning experience.”  Again, this has its place, but don’t be fooled into thinking an internship is going to open that “magical door” that will make your career.  Yes, occasionally (VERY occasionally) some people get that lucky, but I wouldn’t bet on it.  You have to take pride in the work you do and the abilities you have, and working for free isn’t exactly a great way to say “Hey, I’m worth something!”  My personal feeling is that anyone with a degree in music business or a more specialized track of the music industry should not be taking unpaid internships.  Period.  Having a degree in this field already puts you a few steps ahead of most other people, and any company that can’t recognize that is not a company that you need to fool around with.  It’s important to work with people who understand your dedication to the field and aren’t just looking to fill an empty desk.  It’s okay to demand pay that is equivalent to your experience and skill set.  Internships are what you do when you don’t have any work experience in the field.  If you’ve already had 5 internships, you have work experience!  Don’t get trapped in the “experience” game.  Some people spend years and years getting so much experience that they could run their own companies, and they never get paid a dime just because someone has convinced them that it’s the only way to do things.  It’s not!

I think the most personal advice I can give to anyone is not to be scared.  The music industry is very much a reputation game, and it has everything to do with the people you know and connections you make.  Me being a fairly introverted person (on most occassions), it sometimes takes a little extra effort to make sure you are noticed.  This is probably the most difficult thing about the industry to get used to if you’re not the type of person who thrives in social situations.  You have to be able to turn the personality on and off.  It is sometimes awkward and uncomfortable, but no one will know what great work you are doing if they don’t know you exist!  My first internship was with a recording studio when I was 16.  I was shy, young, and inexperienced, and I saw more “life” in that studio in the first week than I had ever seen growing up in the suburbs.  Whereas I did make the mistake of not putting myself out there as much as I should have, I have continued to keep in touch with the people who ran that studio and every employer or contact I have made in the industry since then.  In fact, that first internship led to my first “real job” in the industry 3 years later.  Remember the people who took a chance on you, because they are often the people who will come through for you the most later on in your career.

I think it’s important not to let the possibilites intimidate you.  The music industry has always been a bit of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” field.  I can be easy to get so caught up in choosing a path that the opportunities start passing you by.  My best jobs have always come from the most unexpected places.  Being in the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it, so get out there and meet people!  Make sure everyone knows who you are and how serious you are about what you do.  Finally, don’t be afraid to share your opinions.  This is one of the few fields where you can be absolutely down right, obnoxiously honest and people respect it.  If that’s not a reason to love this industry, then I don’t know what is!

Listening to: Depeche Mode – “Get Right With Me”

My favorite albums are always the ones I can go back to after several years’ hiatus and have a “Holy Crap” moment all over again.  There are some albums that just flat out change your life and change the way you think about music.  They may not be monumental in the grand scheme of the record industry, but the record industry isn’t exactly a monument to the ways in which music can touch your soul.  For better or for worse, here’s a few of my “Holy Crap” albums that have shaped the way I listen to music today.  In no particular order:

1. Depeche Mode – Songs of Faith And Devotion

2. Beck – Odelay

3. Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event

4. Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation

5. The Red Hot Chili Peppers – What Hits?

6. Blur – Parklife

7. Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving

8. The Rolling Stones – Jump Back

9. Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder

10. INXS – Kick

Listening to: Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Got Your Money”