[Dixielandjazz] Advertising suggestions to get MORE peopletothe gig...

Wed May 16 08:42:13 PDT 2007

Got one - She's pretty - Likes to sing and makes rehearsals and best of all 
likes OKOM.  We try to get out and talk to the people too.  I just got a 
good photo and will be redoing my web site soon with everyone's photos. 
Someone took photos at a recent gig and who ever it was, was good at it.  I 
took all the camera gear but my wife doesn't know how to set it up for a 
strong backlight situation so I didn't have any photos taken.  I got three 
band members photos sort of through the grape vine and I have no clue as to 
who took them.  I understand there are 180 photos on the disk and the piano 
man is getting it copied.

I would love to develop an e-mail list to spam but I just haven't had much 
luck.  I have a bunch of musicians but that's like preaching to the choir. 
My e-list isn't very good though.
Larry - St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Judy Eames" <jude at judyeames.co.uk>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Advertising suggestions to get MORE peopletothe 
gig...

> You need a female singer:-)  I make it my business to get round as many of
> the audience as I can while the band sets up.  My local elist has 60 names
> and I know some people  make copies of gig lists for dinosaur friends and
> even post some.  Wish I could tell you that they all turn up to gigs....
> instead I get apology emails from Spain, Portugal  etc where they soak up
> the sun and listen to expats like our old friend Roy Hubbard!
>
>
> Judy Eames
> Kaminsky Connection
> Aston, Oxfordshire
> UK
> www.judyeames.co.uk
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
> To: <jude at judyeames.co.uk>
> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 5:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Advertising suggestions to get MORE people
> tothe gig...
>
>
>>I completely understand - One of the big problems is time to do these
>>things and gas money to drive around.  I have tripled the amount of time
>>that I have been putting into it and there has been a corresponding jump 
>>in
>>bookings and since a lot of them will lead to other bookings it has been
>>worth it.
>>
>> I would like to build up my e-mail list and I have included a blank on my
>> contracts but no one fills it in.  How do you get them?  Right now I have
>> a list of about 15 that I send ads to but I recognize that you need
>> hundreds of names to do any good with it.
>>
>> Trouble with flyoverland there are no festivals within hundreds of miles
>> of St. Louis.  We used to have one that drew thousands literally but I
>> guess someone wasn't making enough money.  The last one here was very 
>> good
>> musically but turnout was not good.  Part of it was moving it to St.
>> Charles MO which has it's own waterfront fests and river tradition.  St.
>> Charles while a good setting is small potatoes compared to St. Louis.  I
>> think the last one was in 1999 but I could be off a year or two.
>>
>> About the only thing happening is the Jazz club sponsors a monthly
>> concert.
>> Larry
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Jeanne Brei" <TinPanAlleyCat at cox.net>
>> To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
>> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 5:57 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Advertising suggestions to get MORE people 
>> to
>> the gig...
>>
>>
>>> Hey Larry,
>>>    Bands just can't NOT afford to advertise their gigs -- especially 
>>> when
>>> they're not playing "mainstream" music. But it sounds like you at least
>>> make the effort for your gigs -- may I suggest Xeroxing some flyers and
>>> taking them around to: ballroom dancing studios (each town usually has 
>>> at
>>> least 2-3 studios that will have a bulletin board for places to go
>>> dancing), yoga studios (usually have bulletin boards and you'll be
>>> surprised how many yoga devotees love music with melodies), and
>>> elementary/junior high & high school band directors? They usually have
>>> bulletin boards and kids need to hear this music! Maybe the band 
>>> director
>>> will Xerox enough flyers to give to the kids to take home if your 
>>> concert
>>> is outdoors or free. I think every jazz club should call the local 
>>> junior
>>> high school band directors and ask if they can put on a program or 
>>> invite
>>> some of the kids to the Sunday jam -
>>>    Also, you can't underestimate the power of the web! Every time I land
>>> in a new city (right now I'm in San Francisco for a month), the first
>>> thing I do is google "swing dancing", "dixieland", "trad jazz" and
>>> "lindy" plus the city to find the Calendars that SOMEONE is creating for
>>> that town. San Francisco has several because they have SO much fabulous
>>> jazz --  of course, they also have RaeAnn Berry, who is an incredible
>>> ambassador to trad jazz as well as a member of the DJML -- she not only
>>> gave me a sheet of ALL the trad jazz gigs in the San Francisco area with
>>> the websites, addresses, phone numbers and gig dates - she passes them
>>> out to anyone she MEETS at the gig who's enjoying the music. Every town
>>> should be so lucky to have someone like her.
>>>    Most of those sites are eager to have someone let them know they have
>>> an upcoming show -- especially if there's a dance floor (ie,
>>> www.sflindyhop.com and  www.lindylist.com are great sources to know 
>>> where
>>> to go). And it helps if the band has a hotlink to their website with 
>>> mpgs
>>> of their music to check out what they sound like before I go --
>>> especially if there's a cover involved!
>>>      I spent last summer in Toronto enjoying their FABULOUS swing and
>>> trad jazz scene - LOTS of wonderful bands playing every week -- and not
>>> only did I sit in and sing with most of them - Jeff Healy hired me to
>>> sing the following two weeks since his singer was off doing festival 
>>> work
>>> (there's multiple festivals all over the Toronto area all summer long --
>>> it's HEAVEN!)
>>>    If you'd like to see my blog about the San Francisco jazz scene--
>>> check out: http://jazzinwithjeanne.blogspot.com and be sure to check out
>>> some of the band's websites -- most of them do have mpgs so you can hear
>>> their music - and that really raises the probability that I'll go see
>>> them. Of course, with the lineup of musicians in Philadelphia, I would
>>> have gone to see them in a heartbeat if I'd been within 100 miles!
>>>    I hope that helps sell out all your upcoming gigs!
>>> Jeanne Brei
>>>
>>> Jeanne Brei
>>> Tin Pan Alley Cat Entertainment
>>> Las Vegas, NV
>>> http://www.jeannebrei.com
>>> NEW! I'm on YouTube! Click here to sing John & I singing!
>>> http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=tinpanalleycat
>>> EVEN NEWER! Check out my BLOG! http://jazzinwithjeanne.blogspot.com
>>> http://www.viewnews.com/2002/VIEW-Jun-28-Fri-2002/Summerlin/19044673.html
>>> 12/13/05 Radio Interview on "Coffee With Caryll":
>>> http://www.alltalkradio.net/main/modules/Audio_Archives/Coffee%20With%20Caryll/coffee121305.MP3.
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" 
>>> <larrys.bands at charter.net>
>>> To: <tinpanalleycat at cox.net>
>>> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>>> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 11:53 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Is this typical? - Advertising
>>>
>>>
>>>>I think that the problem of poor turnout is advertising.  Bands just
>>>>can't afford to do their own advertising because of the work and cost
>>>>involved.
>>>>
>>>> Recently my band played at the Scott Joplin House here in St. Louis.
>>>> They have a club next door called the Rosebud and as venues go it's 
>>>> very
>>>> nice. The club holds about 60-80 people.
>>>>
>>>> I advertised via e-mail to everyone on my list and requested that they
>>>> forward my e-mail to their friends.  I don't know if anyone did it or
>>>> not. As far as I could see no one from my list showed up.  Most 
>>>> everyone
>>>> on my list is a musician which may have played a part in it.  I have a
>>>> small e-mail list to clients and venues.
>>>>
>>>> I printed color flyers that were put in several places as well as at 
>>>> the
>>>> Joplin House prior to the concert.  The members of the band passed some
>>>> out too.  I mailed out a few but I suspect the groups I mailed them to
>>>> needed them a month earlier to act on them.  I should have gotten them
>>>> out earlier but that just wasn't possible.
>>>>
>>>> It was pointed out that I didn't have a notice in the Get out St. Louis
>>>> column of the Post.  That is free and comes out once a week on
>>>> Thursdays. One of the audience reminded me that I wasn't there.   I 
>>>> also
>>>> didn't notify the Jazz Club for a notice.  This one I didn't do because
>>>> I wasn't a member yet and didn't know they did that and when I found 
>>>> out
>>>> it was too late to make the newsletter.
>>>>
>>>> In spite of all my shortcomings on the concert we had almost a full
>>>> house which was good but could have been better.
>>>>
>>>> I was disappointed with the internet advertising the venue did.  We 
>>>> were
>>>> supposed to be on the web site announcement but never made it even
>>>> though I called and reminded them.  I was assured that it would be 
>>>> done.
>>>> (NOT!!!) They did send out, so they say. an e-mailing.  Does anyone 
>>>> read
>>>> those things or does it just become so much spam? At this point I don't
>>>> know how much good e-mail does but since it's more or less free it's
>>>> foolish to not use it.  If anyone wants to see what my e-ad looked like
>>>> I can send it off list.
>>>>
>>>> Even the amount of advertising I did was a fairly large effort and 
>>>> while
>>>> I could have done more and directed things a bit differently the result
>>>> wasn't as good as I had hoped.  As time goes by I will refine my
>>>> efforts.
>>>>
>>>> I sent out about 85 postcards on my list before the rates went up. 
>>>> Lets
>>>> see if I get any calls from those.  I ended up booking 9 jobs from that
>>>> list before and generated 2 calls for NY eve.  The cards were aimed at
>>>> some Tuesday nights we are free, summer concerts and July 4.  The other
>>>> reason is that I want to keep my name in front of the people that hire
>>>> bands.  That's the expensive part of advertising.  While I did well 
>>>> with
>>>> the last mailing you have to keep it up.  The post cards cost right at
>>>> $28 for everything. You have to factor in the work involved but
>>>> postcards are inexpensive if you aren't sending out thousands and have 
>>>> a
>>>> targeted mail list.  All I have to book is one job from the mailing to
>>>> more than pay for it.  But like the lottery I might get lucky.
>>>>
>>>> I'm sort of wondering if the leader and musicians in this group as well
>>>> as the venue were hoping to magically draw a crowd on the names alone
>>>> without doing anything much else?
>>>> Larry
>>>> St. Louis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
>>>> Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>>>> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 9:52 AM
>>>> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Is this typical?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>A sad story from one of the local Jazz Society e-mails, about their
>>>>>monthly
>>>>> concert, this one in a church venue for Mothers Day. (Reminds me of 
>>>>> the
>>>>> last
>>>>> time they presented Tony DiNicola and Kenny Davern together with a
>>>>> monster
>>>>> quintet and drew about 110 people)
>>>>>
>>>>> Good example of why OKOM needs an infusion of youth in all phases of
>>>>> the
>>>>> genre.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----start snip
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi ---- MEMBERS:
>>>>>
>>>>> This is to those that missed the best concert of the year in any music
>>>>> venue!!! You missed out on a great climax!!
>>>>>
>>>>> Dan Levinson got down on his knees before the last tune and asked 
>>>>> Molly
>>>>> Ryan
>>>>> to marry him. She said yes, but was speechless for a long time
>>>>> afterward.
>>>>>
>>>>> The music was great, the root beer was plentiful and received well, 
>>>>> the
>>>>> venue had many good remarks made, the CD sales went well, but of 75
>>>>> there,
>>>>> about 25 were TSJS members. Luckily we have some members that
>>>>> "subsidized"
>>>>> the concert with funds, food for the band, ads in the papers, and 
>>>>> such.
>>>>> That
>>>>> is only 10 % of our members, which total is an all time low since 
>>>>> 1995.
>>>>> We
>>>>> had a band made of 8 band leaders.
>>>>>
>>>>> ------ end snip
>>>>>
>>>>> Who was in this band that drew only 75 people, 25 of whom were from 
>>>>> the
>>>>> jazz
>>>>> society?
>>>>>
>>>>> Dan Levinson, leader/reeds; Randy Reinhart, trumpet; David Sager,
>>>>> trombone;
>>>>> Mark Shane, piano; Vince Giordano, guitar/banjo/bass saxophone; Brian
>>>>> Nalepka, bass; Kevin Dorn, drums, Molly Ryan, vocals.
>>>>>
>>>>> WHAT A GREAT PITY THEY THERE WERE ONLY 75 PEOPLE IN THE PHILADELPHIA
>>>>> AREA
>>>>> SUPPORTING THE MUSIC OF THIS GREAT BAND. AND ONLY 25 FROM THE JAZZ
>>>>> SOCIETY
>>>>> WHO WOULD TRAVEL TO A DIFFERENT VENUE, JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM 
>>>>> THEIR
>>>>> USUAL AMERICAN LEGION HALL. For those who think the metro area that I
>>>>> operate in is a gold mine, think again. I'll bet Dan's band would draw
>>>>> more
>>>>> people than that in any town in the boonies you can think of.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Steve Barbone
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland 
>>>>> Jazz
>>>>> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, pleas visit:
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Dixielandjazz mailing list
>>>>> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dixielandjazz mailing list
>>>> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
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