[Dixielandjazz] Local Entertainment Events

[Stephen Barbone]

Tom Wiggins wrote about a "musical" event  (polite snip)

"This Concert was put on by the Parks & Recreation Department & The
CULTURAL
ARTS Department of this city, Sponsored by the local BMW Dealership, and
Bank, who contribute substantially to the Cultural Arts Department. Now
this has been going on for the past fifteen years that I know of."

" Go out tomorrow and start looking for the Cultural arts department in
your area, chamber of commerce, mayors office of special events, Lions
clubs, Moose."


Tom & List mates:

Amen brother Tom. Barbone Street plays at least 30 such events a year in
the suburbs of Philadelphia, in boroughs, in small towns,  townships
etc., etc., etc. MANY local towns and townships have Parks & Recreation
Departments that book such events. Some, like the one Tom went to are
upper crust and pay LARGE GREEN. Others are just plain folks and pay
small green. Venues include public parks, art centers, libraries, street
fairs, high school auditoriums, town squares, etc., etc.

Trust me, even if you don't get the younger generations, plenty of old
folks will show up for a free local, concert and they will love you. And
guess what? These people never heard of a Dixieland Festival, but they
will come out by the hundreds for a local Dixieland Band in a public
park, because old folks are starved for good music, they love what OKOM
bands play and they have nothing else to do on a Tuesday night either.
They are every bit as nice as festival audiences, clapping for each tune
and for solos.

Take heart, even small green means $100 a man for a one hour concert and
double for leader at a place within 20 miles of your house on a Sunday
evening, or weekend afternoon or weekday evening, so you can do a
double. What else would you be doing from 7 to 8 PM on a Tuesday night?,

There is a lot of BAD music being played out there in these venues. If
your band swings, it's a cinch you'll be well received and invited back
next year.

BSJB did 3 last week. Sunday , Tuesday and Thursday nights. Last one was
August 14, at Riverfront Park in Wilmington DE. Somewhere between 600
and 800 showed up on a VERY HOT night to hear Barbone Street. When I
asked for a show of hands as to how many heard us at Clifford Brown Jazz
Festival in Wilmington in June, about 200 raised their hands. Another
100 raised their hands when asked if they had heard us before, but not
at CB Festival. That left 300 to 500 new prospective fans. Once you
start doing these kinds of concerts, they book themselves. Plus, you get
FREE ADVERTISING & PROMOTION in local papers and on radio by the venues.

The other two concerts last week drew a total of 1000. If you are not
playing these, get busy now, for next year. If you surround your home
base with these types of concerts, you will become popular with a base
of local fans and all kinds of gigs will develop. What could be better?

This is the same sort of marketing strategy that successful multiple
outlet stores use. Open the first one, then surround it with more units
in the same general area. You know, it's like developing "critical
mass."

Cheers,
Steve