The Evening Muse, October 12, 2004
Shows on Tuesdays are usually duds.
This one wasn't.
The Evening Muse is a small club in the NODA district of Charlotte, NC. I usually play there three times a year. Usually. I enjoy it's ambiance. Joe and Lea, the folks that run the place, are really nice. I should also mention that they are fair when it comes to money. Clubs usually aren't.
Lea asked me if I'd like to open this show for Stereo 360, a band from LA, a few months back. It seemed like a good idea. Getting in front of a new audience is key when you're trying to promote a new project.
The day of the show, Stereo 360 had some transportation trouble...purportedly. If they did, that's fine. If they didn't and said they did, that's crappy. Personally, I've done the touring equivalent of "calling in sick" to avoid a money losing show. Whatever really happened, the bottom line was that they weren't coming. So, the show became mine.
Most of my fans appreciated that the other band cancelled. I gathered this as I was getting ready to take the stage. I gathered about 35 fans from the bi-state area for the show. That's not bad for a Tuesday. A lot of bands don't do those numbers on a weekend, so I considered the turnout a success.
I couldn't do the show I planned to do because, well, I had to add an hour to my set. I made an outline of a set list and worked off of that. I tend to drift from my plans once I get into the show. I think I drifted well. I had a few songs I wanted to play, but, by and large, I left the song selection up to the fans.
Many people told me, and I'm surprised with this, that this particular show was among the best they had seen me do. I made an effort to keep my anecdotes relevant and fresh. For example, when I played "When I Was Five," I told a story about my going back to the house I grew up in near Hinesville, GA. I don't recall telling that tale before. The night was good.
I'm surprised with the number of EP's I sold this night, too. I sold 12. That doesn't sound like a lot. However, when you look at the ratio of EP's sold to those in attendance, it's a different story. 34% of the people at the show bought EP's. If that trend was constant, that would mean a 500 person crowd would be expected to purchase 170 EP's! Now, I realize that the 34% rule I just made up is not a constant. Yet, $5 is such an easy sell. Things are looking good.
I'm seeking out more clubs like the Evening Muse all around the country. I recently booked a show in Pittsburgh that seems a lot like the Muse...a place called Club Cafe. I've started the ball rolling on a massive Pittsburgh press campaign, so I think I could see the numbers that would make the trip worthwhile.
This one wasn't.
The Evening Muse is a small club in the NODA district of Charlotte, NC. I usually play there three times a year. Usually. I enjoy it's ambiance. Joe and Lea, the folks that run the place, are really nice. I should also mention that they are fair when it comes to money. Clubs usually aren't.
Lea asked me if I'd like to open this show for Stereo 360, a band from LA, a few months back. It seemed like a good idea. Getting in front of a new audience is key when you're trying to promote a new project.
The day of the show, Stereo 360 had some transportation trouble...purportedly. If they did, that's fine. If they didn't and said they did, that's crappy. Personally, I've done the touring equivalent of "calling in sick" to avoid a money losing show. Whatever really happened, the bottom line was that they weren't coming. So, the show became mine.
Most of my fans appreciated that the other band cancelled. I gathered this as I was getting ready to take the stage. I gathered about 35 fans from the bi-state area for the show. That's not bad for a Tuesday. A lot of bands don't do those numbers on a weekend, so I considered the turnout a success.
I couldn't do the show I planned to do because, well, I had to add an hour to my set. I made an outline of a set list and worked off of that. I tend to drift from my plans once I get into the show. I think I drifted well. I had a few songs I wanted to play, but, by and large, I left the song selection up to the fans.
Many people told me, and I'm surprised with this, that this particular show was among the best they had seen me do. I made an effort to keep my anecdotes relevant and fresh. For example, when I played "When I Was Five," I told a story about my going back to the house I grew up in near Hinesville, GA. I don't recall telling that tale before. The night was good.
I'm surprised with the number of EP's I sold this night, too. I sold 12. That doesn't sound like a lot. However, when you look at the ratio of EP's sold to those in attendance, it's a different story. 34% of the people at the show bought EP's. If that trend was constant, that would mean a 500 person crowd would be expected to purchase 170 EP's! Now, I realize that the 34% rule I just made up is not a constant. Yet, $5 is such an easy sell. Things are looking good.
I'm seeking out more clubs like the Evening Muse all around the country. I recently booked a show in Pittsburgh that seems a lot like the Muse...a place called Club Cafe. I've started the ball rolling on a massive Pittsburgh press campaign, so I think I could see the numbers that would make the trip worthwhile.
1 Comments:
If you ever make it down to Little Rock, I think we could find you a place like the Muse for your show. We'd love to have you!
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