So you thought you might like to go to the show...

April 5, 2006 2:32 PM

How do you get people to come to a cd release show?

My band, which has a somewhat unique lineup/sound, is playing our first CD release show near the end of this month and for reasons it's best not to go into, I want to get as many people to come to the show as possible. What would get you to come to see a band's show?

posted by drezdn to media & arts (14 comments total)

Free food.
posted by fixedgear at 2:35 PM on April 5, 2006

Make it all ages if at all possible. Kids spend money, they buy CDs, and they are enthusiastic about music.

Also, no cover brings people in.
posted by bradn at 2:38 PM on April 5, 2006

Do the Prince thing -- bundle a copy of the CD with price of the show ticket.

And free food.
posted by omnidrew at 2:39 PM on April 5, 2006

let me reword: Lack of a cover charge brings people in.
posted by bradn at 2:39 PM on April 5, 2006

If you're not looking to make money on the cover, guest list the entire known universe. Your friends, their friends, people on your mailing list, other musicians, people you know from myspace, whoever. People who are coming will bring other people.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:46 PM on April 5, 2006

Maybe an ad on craigslist, with a link to your site where I can hear your band. And, no cover. Or, cover and get a CD for free.
posted by maxpower at 2:46 PM on April 5, 2006

Free beer will work better than free food. Also, don't do it on a Monday night or at 5pm or 2am when even free beer is unlikely to work.

If you can swing it, make your release party part of a larger event (regular club night or show headlined by a better-known band) that will draw in people of your target demographic anyway. More importantly, don't clash with such an event.
posted by nowonmai at 2:52 PM on April 5, 2006

Make it "all ages"

Also, stop sucking.
posted by cellphone at 3:06 PM on April 5, 2006

let me reword: Lack of a cover charge brings people in.

this is not always true. I used to throw underground electronic shows with a few friends, and oddly enough, people are suspicious of free. They equate free things with things that suck. If you're already a huge band, with a huge following, by all means, make it a free show -- but usually a cover charge that's $5 or under isn't really enough to stop anyone from coming.

Of course, this'll vary with your audience -- if they're under 18/21 and have lots of free time but little money (and have yet to equate $5 with, "aw heck it's the price of a beer") maybe a free show is just the ticket.

free beer would definitely get me to come to a show, but it'll also get a bunch of assholes to show up and ruin things. That's guaranteed. If you can throw any weight around at the venu you're playing at, I'd go drink specials instead of free beer -- $1 drafts, depending on your location, will drag in lots of people.

however, in the 8 or so years i've been dabbling in promoting events, it seems like the following are the most important:

1) getting the word out if people haven't gotten a flyer or found out that your show is happening, they can't go. period. a good flyer or well-placed ad can get strangers to come in. getting a favorable write-up in a local weekly or newspaper can help a lot. more importantly, however, is

2) getting the word out VIA word of mouth I think this is different, because *anyone* can dump off a ton of flyers at a store or staple up posters on lighting poles. But if you can get someone who's talented at promoting (read: good salesman) AND who has lots of friends AND often decides where everyone's going, then you can get a kinda crazy critical mass going -- basically Y will go because X is going, and Z will go because Y is going, and then B just fucking goes because he walked by the venue and it was packed with kids.

remember, it's easier to sell something when you have a prior relationship -- cold calls are hard. See if you can call in some favors. Find the key individuals in your scene that know and like you and can get other people to come and promise them drink tickets or something.
posted by fishfucker at 3:34 PM on April 5, 2006

count on about 1% response for your flyers. So if you make up and place 1000 flyers, maybe that'll get 10 people. so totally go crazy on the flyers.

I hate to say this, but don't worry about how cool your flyers are. I used to spend a lot of time making our flyers perfectly hip and unique, and really, it didn't make a damn bit of difference, as far as I could tell. Make SURE the flyer has the event venue, the location, the cover price, the date, the time, who's playing, and -- if people don't know who you are -- what type of music it is.

and really, think about it -- how many events have you gone to because the flyer was cool? Maybe none. how many have you been to because the flyer made the EVENT sound cool? Focus on the latter.
posted by fishfucker at 3:37 PM on April 5, 2006

cool flyers, definitely - paper up and down the street around the club, anywhere people might see it (stores work, too) - and it can't hurt to take advantage of all the free social networking sites online that might help (like, let's say, upcoming. Also don't forget to give the flyers to the club you're playing at so they can do a little publicity as well.
posted by rmm at 6:14 PM on April 5, 2006

Do you have a mailing list? If so, try offering them a discount off the cover charge or the CD (or both) if they purchase adavnce tickets. You can use something like brownpapertickets.com or mollyguard.com, or just use Paypal or something like it to collect "pre-paid admissions."

This has several benefits: 1) selling tickets looks cool and professional, 2) once people pay in advance, they're far more likely to show up (and usually with friends in tow) and 3) it's VERY impressive to a club owner when you stroll in and slap down a roll of cash for the door before anyone even arrives.

Offer stuff: raffle off t-shirts or copies of your CD.

Since it's a CD release, try to get some press. Contact the local papers and alternative weeklies (if you have them) in your town. A short feature article is great publicity and free (as opposed to ads). Ask the club if they have a press list, get a copy and work it.

Assuming your music fits, contact the promotions managers at the local radio stations and see if one of them will co-sponsor your show. You might be able to get some airplay or on-air time. (Just make sure you don't mind performing under the banner of Hot 101.9 KWXY)

Flyers: meh. I've never gone to a show just because I saw a flyer. Put some up in key places for due dilligence, but I wouldn't go nuts. Last fall I packed a club for a birthday show using some of the stuff listed above -- I put up exactly two flyers.
posted by scottandrew at 9:25 PM on April 5, 2006

From the experience of a few local bands that I'm acquainted with that have done this:

Is the show already booked at a venue? If that's the case, you'll have little leeway as far as cover/all ages/18+/21+ and food (if available) and drink specials. Work that out with the venue, if there's any wiggle room.

And if you are booked at a venue already, then they have just as much, if not more, of a vested interest in getting warm (and thirsty) bodies in there. Explore the option of splitting the cost of advertising with them (note: this aspect, I have no experience with. I just toss it out as something I'd do if I were in your position).

I assume you're somewhat in tune with bands that are similiar to yours that are up and comers with a strong following (meaning friends and friend-of-friends that come to shows). If you have the ability, get them to open for you. If someone has already paid the cover/gotten in on the guest list, they're likely to stick around, depending on what else is going on that night in the near area.

Giving away promo CD's works, but mostly for folks that have already heard you. If your band is to the point to where you're recording and releasing an album, hopefully you have an e-mail list, no? Promote the hell out of that. There are a lot of smallish bands that I've signed up for mailing lists (in the 90's) or e-mail lists (since then) whose shows I've shown up for strictly for a free CD or whatnot.

Your location isn't listed in your profile, but that'll make a huge difference, either based on smaller town (likely a longer drive and no public transport to the locale) or larger city (more options for folks to choose from).
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:59 PM on April 5, 2006

I was thinking about posting a question about promoting shows.

It can be really hard. A lot of it depends on the location, the "scene," etc. Lots of people above give good advice.

My recommendation is to not feel guilty for reminding people about it. You tell people to come and they say they will and then they forget. So don't be bashful. I like to send out myspace messages or e-mails or something 5-7 days prior, then send text messages/followup e-mails 1-2 days prior, and then a final reminder on the day of the event, if possible. And whenever you see anyone in person who might want to come, tell them about it and give them a flyer or handbill.

Having friends who feel involved with the project helps, because then they'll bring their friends, too. So recruit people to help you with stuff, if you can.

Also, try to give some kind of brief indication on the flyer of what you sound like. Even though it may seem lame, if I see a flyer that says "indie pop" or compares the band to someone I like, I'll probably be more interested in going.
posted by ludwig_van at 12:08 PM on April 6, 2006