How NOT to Treat a Fan

Today’s post is about an unfortunate encounter that I recently had with a musician out on the scene. I’m not going to say where this happened and for the sake of this person’s band mates, I’m not going to out the group. But because I’m lazy, I’m also not going to dance around a bunch of pronouns to neutralize gender for the purpose of protecting this person's identity. The musician in question is a guy, but it does't matter anyway. This is a cautionary tale for all…

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Hang-a-Dang: A Celebration

  A month or so ago, I started writing recaps of some of the shows I’ve recently seen and posting them on the blog under the heading of “Hang-a-Dang.” The point of these posts is to provide little snapshots of what’s happening out on the local scene and to give a feel for some of the venues that are hosting live music. The idea for “Hang-a-Dang” came out of a lunch date with a friend and colleague. He was lamenting that not enough is being…

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The Tao of the Bio

An artist bio is the narrative that leads people from your work– music, dance, painting or whatever– to you. It satisfies the natural curiosity that is aroused when people dig what you do. It helps fans and industry types get a better sense of who you are, where you’ve been and what you’re all about. Ideally, a great bio will highlight your accomplishments and also celebrate your unique humanity. Because I’ve worked on both the publicity and booking sides of the music business, I’ve read hundreds…

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