Over the weekend I attended a ticketed performance by an up-and-coming trio that performs live with a bass player and drummer also joining them on stage. I must say that they more than exceeded my expectations going into it. To be honest, I really went into it unemotionally, but sure came out having been moved, although first to a disappointed mood and then to a very impressed demeanor.
I’ll come back around to it, but, for the record, the setting for the evening was a 1,100-seat venue. I’m withholding the name of the place as well as the city and the performers because it’s more about my observations and the lessons you can take from them than who and/or where it was.
The disappointment I referred to above came from the opening act. This individual walked out wearing an untucked t-shirt, cargo pants, sneakers, and knit ski cap – and this from someone who said it was their first time performing in that city. That’s probably not the ideal way to warm up to a place full of potential new fans, many of which were surprisingly on the older side and would likely think, “Hmm, sloppy.”
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It was a bad first impression and conjured up the discussion I had with recording artist Katie Ferrara on Episode 480 of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast that came out less than two weeks ago, when she and I were talking about someone busking and whether or not passersby will know you’re not homeless. The point was, a lot of it has to do with how you’re dressed (not to mention the environment that it’s in).
By the way, getting back to two nights ago, the lights went down, this opening act came on stage and proceeded to, wow, only then tune the guitar. Yup, I know, I couldn’t believe it either. Then when the performer was ready, the crowd was acknowledged along with, “I’m gonna start you off with some music.” Um, yeah, of course. We weren’t expecting comedy or magic or a TedX talk. Duh.
Despite it being tuned, the guitar playing was nothing special (and the guitar actually sounded a little strange, a little empty), and after the first song, in addressing the crowd, the performer employed that way overused expression, “leaned into.”
Meanwhile, who the heck booked the headliner into this venue? Talk about poor placement in terms of not going where your audience is. This was a sketchy neighborhood not consistent with the demographic that would be coming to see them perform live.
When I think about examples of inappropriateness in an indie music artist’s career such as that, it’s not too different from my having once seen someone show up to tape a TV morning show performance of some jazz songs but wearing cowboy boots. Huh?
Fortunately, as I said at the outset, the performance by the headlining act was fantastic. It left me clamoring for their original music and wanting more. (In fact, before I went to bed that night, I was already watching a YouTube video.) Sure, walking out of the venue to go back to the car was a little uneasy because of the neighborhood, but I wasn’t going to hold that against them.
They’d turned my frown (from the opening act) upside down, by being far more professional than that first performer and showing why it was THEIR name on the marquee out front. They also provided a good case study of what to do and what not to do.
How is your indie music career progressing? What challenges are you facing that I can help with? For close to 20 years now I have been helping indie artists from throughout the United States with various facets of their pursuits. Give me a call and let’s do a consultation so you can benefit from all my experience helping others like you. This can be a one-time conversation to get you the answers and the help that you want so you can move along and have more success. I’ll be anxious to hear about all that you’re doing.