[Dixielandjazz] Spring and Summer gigs for N. California Bands

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Calling all OKOM BANDS in Northern Califofnia;

Here are a few gigs some of you might be interested in playing for.

I sent them a  Jazz Trio last year for the Solano Stroll event:  they got 
$380.00 a day and they sold $600.00 a day worth of CDs  so you can make more 
money than many of you make in Jazz Society gigs, and be seen  and heard by 
thousands of people many of whom have never heard of you or your jazz societies.    
Your Jazz societies should be buying a booth there to promote themselves & 
sell memberships & sponsor you and their activities.

The Solano Stroll would be an excellent place for them to have their monthly 
gig, pay you guys to play and set up their membership booth right next to your 
staging area all day.
Their members could attend the event for free and help promote your society 
and the music and Bands of OKOM to an audience starving for it.   Take this 
music to the Public where it belongs.   If you do a few of these events you will 
be amazed at how popular OKOM will get very quickly and how many more good 
paying gigs you and others will get from doing it.

>From April till Oct  every year there are no less than 200 such events 
happening all over California.   Contact:  California Tourism
www..visitcalifornia.com

Ask them to mail you a copy of Califorina Celebrations  it has telephone and 
fax numbers for most of them as well as dates and descriptions etc.   These 
are excellent places to meet and be seen and heard by new folks who will buy 
your CDs rotting away in your garage.

It is more valuable than what most of them do all year long to increase 
membership and raise money, if your Jazz society won't do it then go do it yourself 
and start to market yourselves and make some money, get some press coverage 
and book some better paying gigs as well.   Their is live music life beyond the 
OKOM circuit folks, lots of it.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins



HI there!  The season for outdoor events is about to begin.   I am hiring 
right now for 3 events.   If you are interested, and meet the criteria, let me 
know ASAP! 

And yes, the City of Berkeley has funded the 4th of July again this year!  
Yeah!  

I hope some of you have gotten other jobs this year because I sure gave out a 
lot of info to folks looking for entertainers.  I'm glad to do this because I 
never can ever pay you enough.  

Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival
Saturday, May 29
Solano Avenue in Berkeley & Albany
Balloon Twister, Clowns, Street Poets and light acoustic, unamplified music. 
$50/2-hours and I will only be able to hire a few folks.

July 4th at the Berkeley Marina
Sunday, July 4
Especially interested in hiring some patriotic or American type music played 
by a pop orchestra.  Anyone out there?  Others welcome, too.  I have 2 stages 
but might consider using one of the stages for a long show/play, or doing only 
kid entertainment on it.  Most slots are about 2 hours.  $ is a bit flexible 
(until I run out!).  And I usually hire from the talent pool of those of you 
who have played at the Stroll because you have been through the audition 
process.

Solano Avenue Stroll
Sunday, Sept. 12
10am-6pm
Use the on-line entertainer's application at   www.solanostroll.org
No rock bands, thanks.  Especially interested in TOTALLY acoustic because we 
have very limited electric sound permits now in Berkeley.
Although I did apply for a Civic Arts Grant from Berkeley which bumps up the 
money I directly pay to you, I doubt I will get it because there are new rules 
about City money which may cause us to be denied funding from this source.  
So whatever you got paid last year, deduct 25% and that is what the Solano Ave. 
Assn. agreed to pay you last year and is what you should expect again this 
year.  Everyone is on a much tighter budget, us included.  If we get the 
grant...yippee!!!!!!!  The pay range is somewhere like $100 for a solo artist to play 
2-3 one hour sets, up to $400 max for large bands playing 3-4 one hour sets.  
Most groups are getting around $250. (Yeah, this is not much.)  It's OK to 
sell your CD's and pass the hat and I know a lot of money can be made that way 
at the Stroll.

Here's looking forward to a great summer.........

Lisa Bullwinkel
Special Events
2934 Fulton St.
Berkeley, CA 94705
510/548-5335 Phone & Fax
LBullwinkl at aol.com