Quiet Entertainer» Quiet Entertainer

Five Things To Consider Before Launching Your Kickstarter Campaign

Quiet Entertainer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:12:39 +0000

When I wrote my blog post awhile back about quitting my job too early and how I now need to work even harder and more hours, a lot of people on my email list wrote me and suggested I launch a Kickstarter campaign. I’ve seen some artists get well known for their success on Kickstarter. I’ve also seen some artists and bands not do so well with it. Lately, I’ve heard about a lot of bands going the Kickstarter route. It sure seems better than selling all my gear on eBay. I’ve felt uneasy about using Kickstarter. I’ve hid from it. I didn’t want to launch a huge page just asking for money. Even though I have a donate button on my page (wink!), It’s kind of off to the side, my own way of passive promotion. I’ve been looking around and I’m still considering whether I want to do it. If you’re in my same boat, I’m thinking there are 5 things we should consider before we launch a Kickstarter campaign.

Do you have a following? Or at least a list?

You have to have an email list. I was thinking about one campaign from a guy I know. This guy was in one band that had a huge following. But then he left that band and started another band. So his new band and new music had a Kickstarter. So yeah, he was Kickstarting his new project, new album, etc. But for the majority of that campaign, he was doing it just through friends, family, and social media as far as I could tell. I think at some point, his previous band reached out to their huge list to promote it to people who already were fans of his music from before. I wonder if Kickstarter is best for launching your FIRST project or your first record. Otherwise, I think about that band and wonder how it would have gone if the previous band would launched the campaign from the beginning. I don’t know the details of that; so I’m only speculating. But that’s one of the things that’s held me back.

Do you have a cause?

What’s the reason for having a Kickstarter campaign? Are you just trying to put out an album? I have this feeling that it has to be about more than that. Amazingly, technology has made it that you can make a fantastic record without the thousands of dollars that some are asking about. Here’s a great post about that. I guess that is the main thing that artists will try to raise money for. I don’t know all of the rules for using Kickstarter. I remember wanting to buy a new mixer before. I still haven’t done that. What if I did a campaign to buy a new mixer? Still kind of lame. What about a new mixer so I could start a new DJ teaching business? A little better. What about money so I could start my new business of teaching DJ lessons to kids? Now we’re talking… by the way, what a great idea for me. What about you?

Are you adding value?

What do people get for backing your project? It’s got to be more than just downloads to a new record. Especially if you don’t have a list or following. What does a fan get? I was messaged about a band’s project one time. I had never heard of them. For the different tiers of giving, you could get free downloads, posters, vinyl, t-shirts. This would all be great if I were a fan of the band. But this campaign was my introduction to the band. So I absolutely did not want to buy any of that stuff. Would you? If I were already a fan of the band, I’d have been more into it. When I think about this, I consider that maybe kickstarter is only best for fans. Maybe just for checking out the kickstarter project they should get music for free anyway. I don’t know.

Are you showing work? Showing yourself?

I just don’t want people to think I’m lazy. I work a day job (hopefully not forever). And I work on this blog. And I work on music. Yet musicians are often seen as lazy. I would not want people’s pity. I’ve been really challenged with the thought that people want to support hard workers. People don’t want to give out handouts. In my financial struggles, I’ve received a lot of handouts. I appreciate those but also, I hate that I was in the position of need. On the other hand, I would want people to know that they are not just supporting some project or some record. They are supporting me. Supporting the pursuit of art; and therefore supporting the artist. Me as a person. Do people see that when I communicate? When they read my blog? When they are on my email list? When they follow me on Twitter? Do I only speak about how I’m working on my hot new track? What is Quiet Entertainer really about? I have to think about these things. What about you? What are people supporting? The work? Or the pipe dream.

How long will your campaign be? How much will it be?

If I give people two months to donate, then is it really that important? I don’t know. Do I want my fans to raise money so that they can afford to help me raise money? It seems kind of backwards. I suppose if I did something I would make it really short. I’d know very quickly. Either I have the following and the interest of fans to support what I’m doing, or not. If so, great! If not, I can not waste two months of posting, updates, and emails with everyone asking for money. One big push and it’s over. There is some principle from Influence. Scarcity. I don’t remember it right now, but I know that if the opportunity is short to get the value, then it’s more attractive. Maybe two or three weeks max for me. What do you think?

I suppose I should stop over-analyzing and just do something. Don’t want to think it to death. However, these are some things I’m thinking about before I launch a Kickstarter campaign? What else? Let me know in the comments.

Pics by FurtherBeyondPhotography & Audible Imagery

Thoughts From a Music Critic: Interview with Sean Maloney

Quiet Entertainer — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:00:47 +0000

In Nashville, those of us in the hip hop and electronic music scene get our info on what’s good in a few different places. Eventually, we all take our cues from Sean Maloney. Writing for the Nashville Scene, he’s established himself as the voice of hip hop music and electronic music in Nashville. This gives him a unique perspective on a music scene and vast connection to all the different pockets of every genre. I appreciate that he took some time out to answer a few questions.

QE: I first knew you as Bawston Sean. Are you from Boston? How did you end up in Nashville?

SM: I grew up in Massachusetts and lived in Boston right before I moved here, though my family is actually from the city of Lawrence. (The same city as Statik Selektah for those of you keeping score at home.) In ’97 I had met the dudes from a now super obscure Nashville band The Methadone Actors and they told me that they studied the music business here. I forgot about that conversation for about five years, until I had a roommate steal all of my stuff and decided that it was time to get the hell out of Boston.

QE: My very first show in Nashville was actually filling in a slot that was left by you at Springwater. Tell me about how you got plugged in to DJ-ing in Nashville.

SM: Socially, I tend to gravitate towards record nerds wherever I end up and the nerdiest nerds even in this nerdy town tend to be DJs. About a year after I got to Murfreesboro my roommate Linwood — currently the drummer for Those Darlins — and I started a night called An Unzipped Fly at the Campus Pub. We played punk, soul and garage at a shitty dive bar. It sounds pretty by-the-numbers now, but 8 years ago nobody was doing that, so we ended up pulling a good crowd. Then I worked at Grand Palace Records for a few years, doing promotions stuff, booking shows and DJing at said shows. But mostly everything for me starts with figuring out that they had dollar drafts at the Campus Pub.

QE: How did you end up with the Nashville Scene? Had you been writing a lot before linking with them?

SM: I wrote lots and lots of bat-shit insane PR emails for Murfreesboro bands and for some reason folks at the paper paid attention. Well, the bands were pretty fucking awesome. Ghostfinger, The Bang Up, Glossary, How I became the Bomb. But ya, I had been deluging the Scene with spam and starting flame-wars on the Nashville Cream for years when I decided to move to the city. I just sent the music editor at the time, Tracy Moore, an email and said ‘Yo, I wanna write’. And she said yes.

QE: It appears that within that publication, you’re the official voice of the local hip hop and electronic scene. How did that fall into your lap? Or did you plan it that way?

SM: In that first email, I mentioned that I could cover hip hop and electronic music; even though at the time there wasn’t a lot of hip hop or electronic coverage in the paper at the time. And again, I’m a nerd, so when I commit my interest to a topic, I tend to go overboard. I’ve loved hip hop and electronic music since I was a kid and found it sort of frustrating that nobody was writing about it in the local papers. I’m lucky enough to have editors that have trusted my taste and instincts. It’s really just dub luck on my part that I started writing just as things were really gelling musically.

QE: I heard about you being a comic. How is that going?

SM: It’s…interesting. I haven’t been doing a lot of stand-up lately, because it’s really tough to turn my brain around from writing music criticism all day. I do have some new material I want to work up, but mostly I’m just making guest appearances on The Chris Crofton Show podcast. That takes care of my comedy-jones most weeks.

QE: Tell me about any other project you’re a part of.

SM: Currently teaching my cat monlogues from the work of Anton Chekov.

QE: How has being a writer helped you add value to the music scene?

SM: Fucked if I know, but it definitely keeps the lights on at my house.

QE: I wrote a blog about how to get a write up in the Scene. What’s your best advice to an artist trying to get press coverage or trying to get on your radar?

SM: Don’t be a dick. Get your shit together. Work hard on the art of music and don’t try to impress me with you tangential knowledge of marketing lingo. Nobody gives a fuck about your “brand”, just concentrate on making good records. Make sure your links work and your meta-data is complete. Don’t expect a response. Don’t let that discourage you. Go to shows, all the fucking time. Talk to people, meet people. Stop spamming Twitter if you ain’t gonna show up when it counts.

QE: You have a unique perspective in that all the different sections of the local hip hop community will contact you or try to keep you informed of who they are or what’s going on. What are some things that you wish everyone knew about the hip hop/electronic scene?

SM: That people even know it exists at all is enough for me.

QE: One day someone will tell me that Nashville’s hip hop scene is great; then someone else will say that it’s horrible. I like our scene a lot. But how do you think our scene compares to other scenes around the country?

SM: I think people forget that even awesome scenes with big national artists still have lots of shitty music. Most music, in any scene is generally going to be bullshit. I think a lot of people have these really crazy expectations for what a scene can be, and then they’re disappointed when their wildest dreams don’t come true. But if you want to eat, breathe and shit music 24/7, there’s no better scene in the world.

QE: What mistakes do you see being made in the Nashville hip hop scene?

SM: Too many people are trying to get everybody else behind their “movement”. Fuck a movement, make a record worth listening to. A lot of people put the cart before the horse, concentrating on branding and imaginary clothing lines when the need to be working on their craft.

QE: What about the electronic music scene?

SM: People need to rediscover the glory and the majesty of house music.

QE: 2011 was a great year for Nashville hip hop. What would you like to see happen locally in 2012?

SM: Some outside attention would be great, but I’d be happy with having more good music to listen to.

QE: What artists do you see “doing it right” in Nashville and what are they doing?

SM: I there’s a lot of artists that are “doing it right” but that also means different thing for different people. I think in general, it’s the people that are the most patient and willing to work, the people that have spent years doing their one thing regardless of the recognition they may or may not be getting. The folks that are concentrating on music rather than all the peripheral bullshit that are definitely doing it right.

You can follow Sean Maloney on Twitter. Also check the Nashville Cream blog for his weekly Party & BullSh*t covering hip hop.

How to Make Moves and Pay Dues in the Hip Hop Scene

Quiet Entertainer — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:35:58 +0000

Ross Norton is relatively new to the Nashville Hip Hop scene. Yet, he’s already got his hands in more things locally than a lot of people; myself included. He emcees as Kid Dead. Also, he’s been performing as part of Last of the Horsemen along with some other projects. He’s also been booking a lot of hip hop shows in Nashville including the weekly Makin Moves show at The End and the monthly Pay Dues shows at Cafe Coco. I thought it’d be great to bring him on to talk about how’s he’s doing it locally in Nashville hip hop.

QE: Tell me about how you got so plugged into the Nashville Hip hop scene?

KD: Well, to be honest, there’s a few people that helped me immensely in breaking into the scene. First off, one name comes to mind, Bobby Exodus.

He’s one of the most inviting and helpful artists I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in Nashville. He’s down for pretty much anyone trying to spread the love and hip-hop. He’s also the first person I met that was active in the scene. He introduced me to Blackheart, Kapsole, Jermy J and many other people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with in Nashville. Next up, one of my closest friends and music partners, Simian Says. He was the very first person I rapped with in Nashville. We hit it off immediately and have an amazing chemistry in the studio. It just works. Then, there’s Cody. Cody Bottoms is the sound man and does booking at Cafe Coco. He gave me the opportunity to book Pay Dues, which I’ll tell you more about later. And last, but not least, Kaby.
Kaby rocks. He brings the party, along with Lifegang crew, wherever he goes. I met Kaby free-styling on the front porch of Cafe Coco and we’ve worked in the scene together throwing awesome parties ever since. He introduced me to a whole other side of hip-hop that I had not been introduced to yet. The rest was really just honest footwork. Networking at shows, talking to anyone and everyone that wanted to chat about music, giving anyone a chance at a spot on a show that really wanted it, and just being steadily present in the scene. I came here a little over a year ago not knowing anyone. Now, I feel more at home here than I do in my hometown.

QE: What made you decide to start booking the Pay Dues Shows?

KD: Pay Dues is an interesting beast. I honestly don’t remember exactly how it happened. Last of the Horsemen got asked to play a show there with Bobby Exodus, Jermy J and Darian D and a couple others early in the summer of 2012. After that show, someone (not sure who, Bobby?) sent Cody my way and I was approached about doing a show. I sorta just threw Pay Dues on their not even thinking people would be into the name like they were. Honestly, I was having trouble coming up with a good name and I thought Pay Dues was “the best I could come up with”. With a lot of help from Bobby, Jermy J and the rest of the crew of misfit artists it seemed to catch on right away. We got a good write up in the scene from Sean Maloney, a lot of really good acts to play, some kinks were worked out, lots of fun times were had (and still are happening) and the rest is history. (QE note: Here’s how to get a write up in your local music scene.)

Quiet Entertainer at Pay Dues

QE: How about the Makin Moves shows?

KD: The Makin’ Moves shows seem to be the next step from Pay Dues. For a good while now people have been telling me I should move Pay Dues to The End, or at least somewhere other than Cafe Coco. And, for a little while I considered it. But really, I like the shows at Cafe Coco. It’s a very intimate setting. You can feel a part of the crowd instead of apart from the crowd. But, nonetheless, something new was definitely needed. Jesse, who does booking at The End, has talked me about booking since I started doing shows at Cafe Coco. We finally came up with an idea we thought would be a lot of fun and really get people out. Makin’ Moves is sort of a spawn from Pay Dues that we will hope is even bigger than its predecessor.

Kid Dead at Makin' Moves

QE: Has booking these shows helped you in your artistic pursuits?

KD: Promoting and booking these shows has been hard work, time consuming, and stressful, but most of all it’s been a hell of a lot of fun. It has given me an amazing opportunity to promote my own music along with other artists that I respect and enjoy listening to. I have also met so many awesome people to work with and collaborate with. Outside of hip-hop being a boys club and semi-competitive, it really is a community and a lifestyle. I’ve learned more about making music, playing shows and the music industry in the past year than I have in my whole life. It’s really pushed me as a fan and as an artist. It’s important to support people who’s music you enjoy and to work really hard at what you love.

Last of the Horsemen; From L to R: Jix, Kid Dead, Simian Says, & Trait the Unknown

QE: Tell me about Last of The Horsemen.

KD: When I came to Nashville I knew one person. A very good friend of mine from Nashville that lived in Tallahassee for a while and we became very close because of our love of the music. After a little while of getting on my feet and semi-establishing myself I started diving into the Nashville music scene. I had met Simian through some mutual friends and we had talked about music many times. Our interests were similar and eventually we got together in the studio and messed around with some ideas. Together ,we came up with the name Last of the Horsemen and soon after brought Trait the Unknown into the mix. The first song we ever did called “Lady Killer” was a beat we collaborated on and made together. The basis of the beat is a sample from the song “Twisted Nerve” by Bernard Herrmann. Though, most people would recognize it as the “whistle song” from Kill Bill. We sat down and wrote a kitschy, violent tune about murder, ninjas, roofies, and other more dubious themes. We sorta just clicked from there. All of us began getting together as much as our schedules would allow. Our dark rhymes and similar interests and passions seemed to drive the music itself. We’ had a lot of awesome people support us in our pursuits and played a lot of really fun shows. The Horsemen have recently been low key but, you haven’t seen the last of the Last of the Horsemen.

Kid Dead & Bobby Exodus

QE: Tell me about Kid Exodus.

KD: Ok, so a lot of people in Nashville know Bobby Exodus. Like I said before he was one of the first people I met to show mad love in the community. But not only that, Bobby has become a really, really good friend of mine. We both support each other in everything we do and help each other out when we can. Me and Bobby decided it would be cool to rock a set together.. So basically, we just traded each other our music and listened to it like it was the most amazing music we had ever heard in our life. Pretty much until we couldn’t handle listening to it anymore. We never practiced together once because we were both working full-time jobs at the time, but we got together at the December Pay Dues and rocked it! It happened to be the smallest turn out for Pay Dues since it started, but it was still a great time had by all. Actually, I can say, it was one of the most fun shows I’ve played since I’ve been in nashville. Big shout out to Bobby Sexodus for being the hip-hop apple of my eye (if I was a gangster rapper I would insert a “no homo” remark here).

QE: Any other project you’re working on?

KD: Right now I am currently finishing an album I did with Jermy J. It’s an artsy, indie sounding little album. It’s a little personal, a little weird, a little silly, a little rough and it’s just been a lot of fun for us to do. I’m also working on a project with Darius from Island Hustle Society. He is an amazing producer and I think people are really gonna enjoy what we’re doing. On top of that, me and Simian are working on new Horsemen stuff. We’re gonna be taking some time on this next set of songs and come out with a full length album hopefully by early, mid summer.

QE: Is collaboration an important part of your artistic process?

KD: Collaborating with other artists has been huge for me. I have learned so much about other people and myself working with other artists. I have also had the chance to get to know some really amazing artists better personally. I’ve been able to develop some friendships that I’m really happy to be a part of. For me, the music is all about the love anyways.

Last of the Horsemen

QE: What’s the hip hop scene like in Tallahassee? How is it different from the Nashville hip hop scene?

KD: The Tallahassee hip-hop scene might as well be non-existent. There just isn’t a lot going on there. It’s a pretty small town and it’s a party college town. There’s a lot more of a punk/rock and roll scene and they have some really talented musicians, but for some reason local hip-hop just isn’t very big at all. Basically, the scene is completely different than in Nashville. Up here, there are just so many more opportunities. Everybody and their mother and cousin and dog play music here. That can be sorta difficult because it’s hard to get the exposure you want with so much else out there but there is also a lot more opportunity to play, collaborate and get involved in the scene.

QE: What are some things you want to see happen with the nashville hip hop scene?

KD: Well, like I said, I really enjoy Nashville. I’ve fallen in love with the place. The way I see it, I’m a newcomer. This scene was here way before I got here and it will probably be here way after I’m gone. With that being said, I think people are doing things pretty good here. One thing I don’t like in any part of my life is elitism or people being stuck up or snobbish. That doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen. It’s an inevitable part of any venture, you’re going to find people that either, have something to prove or think they are better than you. The truth of the matter is, not everyone “makes it big” but the more people are working together, the more each individual has a chance of going somewhere and getting their music to more people. That’s my goal at least. I just want to be happy with what I’m making and get it to as many people as possible. That way the people that dig and can relate to my music can find it and enjoy it. So basically, I just wanna everyone to get along. Also, support your scene. Go out to the shows you enjoy, but also maybe go check out something you haven’t heard before. Maybe you’ll be surprised. If you love hip-hop, then show how much.

QE: Who are some artists that are “doing it right?”

KD: Well, ya know, I have a lot of artists that I really like and who’s music I enjoy. And most of them I know personally and are really cool people. One group of people springs to mind when I think of someone “doing it right”. The kids from “Lifegang” have got somethin pretty cool goin’ on.

The first Makin Moves show featured Kaby, PA Lit, and Ducko MckFli with DJ Rjae and DJ Hybrid spinning. Boy, do they have a crew. They also work closely with “Break on a Cloud“, a local music blog. They really get the crowd jumpin’ and like to have a good time. They all support each other. Lifegang, from my understanding, is just about loving life and loving what you do. You could sorta call it a movement if you will. All the kids from their crew are really nice and fun to hang with too. Another group of artists I really enjoy are Gummy Soul.
Kurtis Stanley, Amerigo Gazaway, and Wally Clark are behind most of this I believe and I really enjoy the sound these guys bring. An old school sound with a fresh new look. These guys flows kill, beats kill, videos are dope, everything I’ve heard from these guys is really good. I can’t wait to hang with these guys at Makin Moves this next Monday coming up. (QE note: That’s Monday the 16th. Also Quiet Entertainer will perform on the 23rd!). I could name a hundred other artists that I think are awesome and I wish I could remember and write down every person I’ve played a show with and seen in the past year that I think rocks, but that would take along time. All in all, I love Nashville hip-hop and I’m gonna keep supporting no matter what.

Check out Kid Dead as part of Last of the Horsemen or follow Kid Dead on Twitter.

Photos by Birds Fly Productions, Kelly Hite Photo, Shots On Sight, & FurtherBeyondPhotography.

Why I Use Reverb Store For Selling Merch

Quiet Entertainer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:11:20 +0000

I was talking to Ugly Lovely the other day. He has some new hoodies and t-shirts printed up. He was asking me what I was using to sell my own merch. So I wanted to put this out there. I am currently using Reverb Store through Reverbnation. I do this simply because they allow me and the customer to buy merch on demand. What that means is, I don’t have to print up a huge bulk order of t-shirts before someone can buy one.

This is great for me because I can’t always afford to buy a bunch of merch. I also don’t always have room to carry around a whole bunch of shirts that may or may not sell. I enjoy having this setup because the people who want them; will buy them.

I understand that at live shows, it’s tough to get someone to buy anything online and have it shipped to them. Also, they don’t get that “take-home” item. Also I see now that with on-demand shirts, there is no scarcity. Meaning, there is no urgency to buy a shirt. No chance that I’m going to run out. So no need to buy TODAY. These are the only drawbacks. Otherwise, it makes great sense if you don’t have hundred or thousands of dollars to drop up front.

I’ve found that when I have shirts printed up; it’s easy to let the shirts go for less than what they are worth, just so that people will have them. I end up doing this to disguise and to hide myself from the simple truth: The demand for my merch isn’t that high right now.

Or put another way: No one wants to buy my merch yet.

It’s pretty demoralizing to just have a bunch of shirts and hoodies lying around. Just like it’s a bummer hanging on to a thousand CDs that no one is buying at the shows. So you end up just giving them away.

Mind you, if I were touring across the country. Being in front of a new audience every night. Introducing myself to someone new every time. It might make more sense then to have physical merch pressed and ready to go. As it stands now though, I’m working a day job. Looking for another day job. My work as a DJ right now is to create more music and content and to make money quickly and steadily as I continue. Here’s another great perspective on what I need to do in 2012.

Anyway, I use Reverb Store. It’s easy. Maybe one day I’ll use Topspin. Maybe not. What are you using?

(BTW: I’ve put up some pictures of people wearing their Quiet Entertainer shirt! Be sure to send them to me if you have pictures of yourself wearing one!)

9 Favorite Shows From 2011

Quiet Entertainer — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:54:14 +0000

The year is almost over! New Year’s Eve is a busy time of year for DJs. I’ve got two big shows coming
up this weekend. I’m grateful for every opportunity to do what I enjoy. Meanwhile, I want to look
back at some of my favorite shows of the year. Here they are in no particular order (maybe
chronological though).

1. Me with This is ART in Knoxville.
We did this show way back in January. It might be my favorite. It was the show that I unofficially
anointed myself as This is ART‘s understudy. This was the first of a bunch of shows we did
together this year. For this one, he gave me a great opportunity to go out there to Knoxville and
showcase my unique live PA set. They have a great music scene in Knoxville. We were part of
Midnight Voyage, which is a great weekly party based around their UTK radio show. Also with FTW (Meatball Madness & J-Mo).

2. Me with Spoken Nerd, Manchild, The Billy Goats, & Get Got
This was my Almost Too Good To Be True show at The 5 Spot. The 5 spot is one of my favorite places
to play in Nashville. Great vibes. It was also the show that I was kind of in charge of. Good
weekend for all of us. Great to do a show with friends. I got a lot of great video; including a
special moment with the MCs getting on stage with me and Jed Smith while freestyling.

3. Me with Evolution Control Committee, stAllio!, DJ Empirical and Pimpdaddysupreme at The End.
I felt like such a rock star that weekend. Great to mix it up with some pioneering electronic artists. I was inspired all weekend by watching ECC do their thing. Also the night before, I saw Hobbledeions. That was awesome.

4. me with Get Got, Sharone Digitale, & Orig the DJ
This was our I Love Trip-Hop show. It was a concept show from Orig (You know Orig the DJ). So we both like vibed out hip hop and trip hop. And he had a connection with Exit/In. This was a great show because it exposed a lot of people to Sharone Digitale. Also, this was a great show with Jed Smith. Jed has been drumming with me for a little while now. This was my favorite time to play with him. It sounded good and it felt good. I remember that most everyone was there to see Get Got and then a few people stuck around for Sharone Digitale. By the time I went on, there were just a couple of people left plus all the artists and bands. But that last group of people were going nuts for our set and dancing it up. It was one of the most fun shows I’ve done in a while. And my first time at Exit/In since Valentine’s Day in 2007 (my 2nd worst show ever). This was a great redemption show.

5. me with The Billy Goats, Smokee B, Bobby Exodus, Ugly Lovely, Darian D & Jermy J, Ol Man
Delusional & Blak Tha Map at The Coup
This was fun. We made it kind of a hip hop festival in Clarksville. Up to that point mostly
everyone had been doing only dubstep and bass shows. So it was very cool to get a group out to see
some good hip hop. We didn’t pack the place but we had a good sized crowd of people who were
really into each and every artist. I was glad to have put that show together. Also, it was good to
get some shows for guys like Darian D & Jermy J. I don’t book for other people really anymore. But
when I do, I’d rather it went down like this.

6. me with This is Art & Satoru at 12th and Porter
This was a Name Your Own Price show! I was scared of how that would go. We packed the place out. I had a good crowd for my set. I got to collab with Art on stage the way we did in Knoxville. I met Satoru. Met the sound people and light people at 12th. Also important, it was the first show I had done after releasing Q-Gaze. So it was the only time I had ever done the Q-Gaze mix live from start to finish. I got a great response. This was my favorite show I’ve done in Nashville.

7. Silent Disco with This is Art, Dope Dialect, & Beat Repeat.
This was very cool. Only because of the uniqueness of the Silent Disco. My set went surprisingly well. If you’ve never been to a Silent Disco; you have to try it. It’s very different. But I like it. I want to do more of these. The headphones made my computer voice trick more effective!

8. Sayonara at 12th and Porter.
My favorite show is always my next show. And this one is Tonight! It’s free. I’m opening. It’s Arkiteqt‘s debut performance I believe. Glad to be a part of that. Also with Ziggurat, Beat Repeat, Blaque Masque Bellydance and Umbra Fusion Bellydance in the main room. Squake, Saejma, Suga-Free, & Chris Rodriguez in the lounge room.

9. UNIFY on New Year’s Eve
This party is too massive to sum up in a small blurb. Yet I try. 3 rooms. 40+ DJs. Mostly dubstep with some drum and bass and house. Then there’s me. haha. Click the flyer!

Live Concert Pics by Raywen.org, Audible Imagery, & Ramiah Branch Photography

The Real Reasons That No One Wants To Book You

Quiet Entertainer — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:22:25 +0000

Today I have a guest post from Celeste AKA GalaxCgirl. Celeste performs as GalaxCgirl in Asheville, NC and the surrounding area where she combines her DJ set with live visuals. Celeste was actually sent to my post about booking your own live shows after she made a similar rant on her facebook page. (Thanks J-Mo!) She came to my site and left and comment. After talking with her a bit, I thought it’d be great if she could share her thoughts here. Below, Celeste shares her thoughts about how to make it easier to get booked by adding value to your music scene. Check it out here.

Enjoy the guest post and leave your feedback and comments below.

So you wanna get booked to play? While I have never wanted to call myself a promoter, ok, I admit…I do make some bangin parties happen sometimes, lol. And I get A LOT of people hitting me up wanting me to book them so I can only imagine how many inquiries people who do call themselves promoters get.

So some things to consider as a random DJ asking to get booked:

Talent aside, there are a million other acts with extreme talent lining up to be booked so it only makes sense for someone who busts their ass with the blood, sweat, and tears of countless hours of real back breaking, hair splitting, finger numbing work to organize and promote a party, to book someone who appreciates the hard work and dedication it takes and will help the party go off beyond just dropping in for their scheduled set. Unless you are way huger than you think and attracting gobs of fanatics who can’t get enough of you by the mere whisper of your name, what can you do to enhance the party? What else do you bring to the table?

Do you have an online presence? Are you even promotable? If you have NOTHING online and don’t even promote yourself how can anyone else promote you? But if you’ve made it past that genius step and do have some kind of even tiny presence to be promoted, why should they promote you and tell all their people about you when they have a ton of friends who also want to be booked but who actually return the favor and do the same for them? Have you shown support? Display excitement for their events? Do you like their facebook pages? Follow them somewhere, anything?

Do you promote yourself and the events you are doing? Do you tell and invite all your friends, post the page, post the flyer, make comments like a professional hype man to get everyone and their mother going out of their minds with anticipation for the best party ever even if they have to drive from Alaska? Will you help hand out flyers at every show to every person despite the mean people who act like you are scum for trying to invite them to a party and put up posters in the freezing cold with your nose about to fall off while your fingers are frozen numb and almost bleeding from not being able to wear gloves as you slap up posters in every possible spot? Then will you go check on these posters and put them back up the next day after they’ve been covered up or the haters have torn them down? If you don’t do that you should at least post it on facebook thirty gazillion times. (QE’s note: Be careful not to burn out your fans & friends on Facebook.)

Do you have anything to add to the party besides your set? Gear, deco, lights, tents, graphics, anything? Will you come help set up speakers and subs that weigh more than an elephant before the party and will you be there at 6 in the morning or the next day to help pack them up even though you are more dead tired than a zombie with it’s head shot off?

Do you also throw parties so you can return the favor of the booking if said promoter is also a performer and would also like bookings? Or will you encourage other promoters you know to book them? Or do you write a blog that you could help out by doing a little write up? Or own a cake shop and could bring a cake? Or a print shop and could print some posters? What else do you have or do that you could apply to enhance the party rather than just using and riding along on others efforts?

Do you come and make the party more hype by sticking around for the other acts, starting up the dance floor early in the night, exuding a vibe of uber awesomeness to inspire everyone to have the time of their lives? Or do you just show up for your set like you’re the only one that matters and possibly play the same tracks the DJ right before you just dropped rather than immersing yourself and becoming one with the party?

Also in initial contact, it helps to be somewhat articulate and include enough info on yourself and what you do – don’t make them go searching for you. Provide links, clickable links -don’t make it hard to check you out when they’ve got a billion other DJs with way more hype and professionalism hoping to get booked.

If you are past the point of “paying your dues” (aka playing for free and doing opening slots over and over til you have a real fan base because you are beyond awesome)(which you might think that you are but you’re actually still not and the harsh reality is that it can take a few eternities sometimes despite how amazing you are), is your price reasonable and flexible? In a lot of cases the DJ should really be paying the promoter for promoting them not the other way around, lol. If you are not bringing a million tons of gear that takes a million hours to rig up and can just mosey in and just plug in like a billion other DJs, you can’t expect an over inflated amount or maybe even anything at all when there is a trillion other expenses to be met until you are someone who is actually attracting the numbers to pull in the amount you want. If you’re not doing something extra or you’re not super famous and someone is paying anything at all, consider yourself very lucky.

Anyways, honestly, just to be straight up, I much prefer to book people who first like my facebook page, have shown me support, love or have promoted me even if it’s only for their own selfish reasons of knowing that supporting me just enables me to support them better, acts who will promote their little hearts out with the understanding that the better the party does, the more fun they will have and better we all do…not people who only think of themselves but people who let the love flow both ways and are willing to put in actual work to party…and I’m sure this goes for most people who bust ass throwing quality events. People who bust ass like other ass busters who return the love as it gets tiring busting ass to carry other’s weight when there’s already so much to do…

Good luck and blessings to everyone and your endeavors. May we all be warriors of ultimate truth shining love and bringing nirvana to the world in everything we do…

Thanks to Celeste for adding her thoughts here. You can find Celeste aka GalaxC Girl at GalaxCgirl.com or connect on her Facebook page.
Pictures from Audible Imagery & SIC Images

Six Albums You Should Have Listened To In 2011

Quiet Entertainer — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:07:33 +0000

One of my email subscribers, Sandy, asked me recently, “What are your biggest influences? What are you currently listening to?” I hate to just give short answers to music related questions as personal as this one! Furthermore as I was looking at what I was listening to and matching it up with some of my favorite artists, I realized that a lot of music came out this year that I’ve enjoyed all year long. Let’s take a look in no particular order.

Wick-it the Instigator – The Brothers of Chico Dusty

Ok, there is a particular order. I mention this one first because it was actually released in December of 2010. But it’s so good. I listened to it a lot in 2011. Wick-it the Instigator‘s mashup album of Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Sons of Chico Dusty & The Black Keys’ Brothers. Deservedly, it went viral on the internet. I hope you grab this one right away.

Emancipator – Remixes

This was the sleeper hit of the year. I was addicted to this album for several months. I already liked Emancipator. This remix album added a lot of punch to his more vibed out tracks. As I type this, I’m inspired to start listening to this AGAIN. haha. Emancipator has been one of my favorite discoveries from Pandora. I even tried to remix/mashup one of his songs by the way.

DJ Shadow – The Less You Know, The Better

This was Shadow’s first studio release in years! When I talk about DJ Shadow today, people are very quick to point out that he’ll never release another record like Endtroducing. Ok, fine. Then, they tell me that he’s lost it. But come on. He was way ahead of everyone when he released The Outsider in 2006. Admittedly, I didn’t get it at first when that album came out. But now I look around, there’s all this bass music. I keep thinking, oh I’ve heard this before! I digress. So, Shadow tried to go back to his “roots” with The Less You Know, The Better. Here’s a great interview about it. I liked this record a lot. It reminded me of the UNKLE – Psyence Fiction album because it was super diverse. I listened to this over and over. You should have, too.

Mutemath – Odd Soul

Some of you know that I’m a longtime die-hard Mutemath fan. (I even got to open for Mutemath back in the day.) This is Mutemath’s best record. Great songwriting in the lyrics, melodies, & rhythm. This actually came out on the same day as DJ Shadow record. Yet, I was more excited about this one! It’s the perfect record for them. I don’t know how they top it. it’s a great pure rock album without a lot of the electronic and sample elements that I’m used to hearing. Actually, you’d think I would like it less because of that. But I love what they did. They were all over the place with the styles. I hope that since now they’ve proven themselves musically (as if they needed to), they can bring back all the samples and electronic stuff and make something ridiculous. But enough speculation, Listen to Odd Soul. If you haven’t already, you should have. Oh by the way, I entered their Odd Soul remix contest. I didn’t win; but I liked what I did. Download Odd Soul (Quiet Entertainer Remix)

BSBD – Noir

This album deserves its own blog entry. The reason I don’t: I’m not a music reviewer and don’t want to be known as a music reviewer. I don’t want thousands of rappers and bands sending me their music. But let me tell you. In my opinion, this is the best record that came out in 2011. It’s definitely my favorite. I don’t know what kind of genre you’d tag for Blue Sky Black Death. I know they are hip hop producers. However, the Noir album is kind of a shoegaze electronica triphop soundtrack-esque record. I’ve listened to this record the most. Every time I listen to it, I have a new favorite track. Every time I re-listen to a track, I discover a new element that I hadn’t noticed. It’s like reading the Bible. Yes, it’s a religious experience when I listen to this record. Is it kind of silly to talk this way about music? It’s just a record, right? If you feel that way, you probably need to leave my site right now. And then you need to go listen to Noir. You should have been listening all year long.

Quiet Entertainer – Q-Gaze

Shameless plug! I did my first ever mixtape EP this year! It’s called Q-Gaze. I mixed together some of the artists I listed here and a few others. You definitely need to grab that. It’s a free download. Get it here.

Like I said, I’m not a music reviewer. I’m more of a sharer. I’m just sharing music that I like. Through that mixtape and through this blog. I hope you took some time to listen. What records would you have put on this list for 2011? Let me know in the comments.

Gummy Soul Builds a New Hip Hop Empire

Quiet Entertainer — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:13:24 +0000

From L to R: Amerigo Gazaway, Kurtis Stanley, & Wally Clark

Nashville really is the perfect Music City. It’s full of surprises. When I first moved here, the surprise was that this is not just a country music city. There is a pretty nice hip hop scene in Nashville as well as an electronic scene. So as I was trying to carve my special place in local Nashville hip hop, I found another surprise. I was scrolling Facebook and someone had posted The Stuyvesants Meet Gummy Soul mixtape.

The Stuyvesants Meet Gummy Soul by Gummy Soul

I was really impressed. As it turns out there was a lot going on with Gummy Soul that I didn’t even know about. A lot has happened with Gummy Soul since that first listen. I inquired to find out more about them. One of the members, Wally Clark, wrote me back with everything I was wondering. I’ll just tell you what he told me.

Walter 'Wally' Clark

Gummy Soul is a Nashville based record label and production company, founded by Walter “Wally” Clark. In 2006, Clark moved to Atlanta, to seclude himself while learning how to produce. Standing outside of a record store in the Little 5 Points district, Clark was approached by future Gummy Soul artist Rahlou “Nickel Plated Butter” Hodge. Impressed by Clark’s knowledge of soul music, Hodge surprised Clark with a unexpected gift the day after they met. He took Clark to a record collector friend of his, and convinced him to give Clark nearly 1,200 records. Clark spent a year in Atlanta, getting to know his collection, and perfecting the Gummy Soul sound. In 2007, Clark moved back to Nashville, to work on music with longtime friend and fellow producer, Amerigo Gazaway.

Amerigo Gazaway

Clark met Gazaway in 2001, when he was only 15. They connected immediately; Clark taught Gazaway about hip hop, while Amerigo taught him about production and writing rhymes. In 2007, the two started The Gummy Soul Show, a weekly radio show on 91.1 FM WRVU. Inspired by former WRVU DJ and now Stones Throw label head, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt‘s 911 Emergency show. the Gummy Soul show featured rare soul songs, sampled to make classic hip hop records. The show was a staple in the Nashville community, until WRVU abruptly sold it’s license, and was reformatted as a classical station.

Wally Clark & Kurtis Stanley performing their CD release as Gummy Soul

In 2008, Clark met Kurtis Stanley, who became Gummy Soul and began work on what became the label first official release. the aptly titled, Gummy Soul album. Showcasing Clark’s knack for soulful production and cleaver sample choices, as well as Stanley’s, accessible, yet intricate rhymes, the Gummy Soul album laid the template for all of the label’s future releases.

Gummy Soul by Kurtis Stanley

After releasing a handful of well received releases, the label earned it’s first hit, with the Fela Kuti/De La Soul mashup album Fela Soul. With over 300,000 downloads to date, Fela Soul gained praise from NPR and MTV, and established Gummy Soul as one of the most reliable sources in modern hip hop today.

Fela Soul by Amerigo Gazaway of Gummy Soul

The word that I got on the street was that Amerigo had the Fela Soul album done and finished for months and was just sitting on it while waiting on the right opportunity. ?uestlove was in town doing a DJ set. Amerigo gave it to him at his gig and then released it online via his site and on twitter. ?uestlove retweeted it. It got picked up on Okayplayer, NPR, MTV, The Source, NME, etc. They definitely knew how to take over the internet. They didn’t even have to tour. Gummy Soul is definitely my favorite hip hop group in Nashville right now. Honestly, they’re making music that’s comparable to anything else in the country. Check out the new Occupy Wall Street Anthem that Amerigo recently did.

They’re a force to be reckoned with! Check them at their website: GummySoul.com

How I Quit My Day Job Too Early and Wasn’t Ready For The Next Step

Quiet Entertainer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:21:46 +0000

I was Bamboozled! Hoodwinked! Led Astray!

However, it’s really my fault. I don’t think I was sold a lie. But I believed a lie. But let’s start with the truth.

The truth is that I want to be a musician and DJ. I want to make great music and perform that music all across the country and all over the world. I want to do this just like all of my favorite artists have done. I also want my live show to create great experiences for people who like the music. I want people to be able to look back on a show of mine and say that it was one of their great life experiences either because of me or the people they met there; and of course, the art. I also want to act and perform on TV and film like my childhood heroes did. I want to be part of great storytelling and great presentation.

Additionally, I want to make a lot of money. I want to be able to be generous with that money in the same way that people have been generous with me. I want to support my local church. I also want to support organizations like Christ In Youth that really impacted me when I was younger. I also want a lot of free time. I would spend that time volunteering with kids at my local church, just like volunteers were there for me. I would spend time visiting all my friends all over the country and world that I’ve met over the years. I’d also spend time practicing my craft, both music and acting; and getting better. Eventually, I’d want to spend my time with a wife and kids.

That is the whole picture.

You can earn more money, but you can’t earn more time. We are always running out of time. Not only that, but we don’t know how much time we have left. I started looking to use technology in smarter ways to market music. I stumbled upon music marketing blogs. Those led me to lifestyle design blogs. Those led me to minimalism blogs. I settled on a few experts. One guy told me Sell all my crap. Another told me to stop being a wuss. Another said there is never a right time. Some more people said they quit their day job. What is a real job anyway?

Well, I quit my day job to pursue the music. I was doing great for a while. I had some shows lined up. I was making money. And then it all dried up. No shows. no money. No way to pay the bills. I was on the Ramen Noodles diet. I ate Ramen so often, one day I physically could not look at another packet of Ramen. I chose to just not eat. I’d never experienced it that bad. It was so bad, that I actually lost hosting on this site and the site was down. I suppose I didn’t work as hard as I could have.

A year and a half ago, I was inspired to run a full marathon. Not a half. a FULL 26.2 miles. Running a half isn’t on anyone’s bucket list. So I bought some great running shoes. Some insoles. I talked with a lot of runners. I signed up to a some running sites. Read some running blogs. I got a run your first marathon book. I suppose I did everything except actually get out and run every day. So when the marathon came, I wasn’t ready and I didn’t do it.

I suppose this quit your day job stuff is like that. I didn’t really hustle like I could have. I realized this when I read Jon Acuff’s book, Quitter. I should have figured it out sooner. I knew that there isn’t a lot of money to be made in music business. There’s just a lot more work that I have to do to make my big picture a reality. But that’s the task. I suppose I was seduced by the visions of trying to live the life now before it’s “too late.”

I really screwed it up this year. It’s tempting to focus only on these failures. However, I did have some victories. I played a great live PA show in Knoxville. I did a great DJ set this summer for some church kids (BTW: here’s the difference between Live PA & DJ Sets). I made my first DJ mix, Q-Gaze. And really, at least I tried it. I jumped without fear. It may have been financial suicide. But I tried it. So now that I have to take a minimum wage job just to try and catch up, I at least have a better perspective on what I need to do to create the life that I feel led to create. I need to hustle. I need to focus less on my marketing strategy and make sure my stuff is epic. I need to not care what other people think. I need to focus on the right things.

I say all this publicly so that I’ll actually have to do that. Hold me accountable.

Interview with Sophie Reeves: From Fan to Frontlines with Pretty Lights

Quiet Entertainer — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:49:23 +0000

Derek Vincent Smith (Pretty Lights) & Sophie Reeves

What is it that you do? What is your job title?

I am Pretty Lights Assistant Tour Manger / Production Assistant and also cant forget that I’m on Vibe Control! Vibe control is me keeping the peace

Did you have a vision for how you’d be involved in the music industry? What else are you wanting to do?

I never really knew how I wanted to be involved in the music industry. I grew up in Nashville with my dad in the country music business but didn’t know till I was in my early 20s that I wanted to also be involved in the industry. I changed my major up half way through college to Music Business and started learning more about what I could even do or be involved in. I did an internship at Capitol Records my last semester in College and got to see the jobs inside a record label. Now working with Pretty Lights I have been able to see so many of the different jobs that are out there from the hospitality person to the production manager to daily accounting. As of right now I am really liking tour managing and what I am learning going into bigger venues with Pretty Lights. I would love to get more involved with our Record Label over the next few months that we have off of the road and get to know that side of things. At this point I am really open to learning what is out there and seeing where things take me. I just know I love live music and I love bringing live music to people.

Were you involved in the electronic music scene before your job? In what ways?

I was actually not really involved in the electronic music scene for that long before I got this job. I went to my first music festival (Bonnaroo) in the summer of 2009 when one of my friends had an extra free ticket. That weekend I saw Pretty Lights for the first time and was immediately hooked. The energy that the he and the crowd shared was dope. I spent that summer before getting my job with PL going from festival to festival and got to know the electronic music scene pretty well.

How did you get connected with Pretty Lights?

Like I said Bonnaroo was my first PL show. It was the Friday night and my roommate at the time Bo Cox had been listening to PL and told me I MUST MUST go. So we went, and as most people say when they go to their first PL show, I was hooked! After that weekend I went home and spent some time research PL and Derek (who is Pretty Lights if you didn’t already know). I found some really cool info about him. That he gave his music away for free online, was working on a new album, and that he had INCREDIBLE music! The following month after ‘roo I went to a few more PL shows and was more and more impressed. One day while I was at the computer I found his contact information on his website and decided I would send him an email and see if he had any opportunities for work or internships, I was only a month out from graduating and had no idea where I was going to go with my Music Business Degree from MTSU. I sent Derek an email telling him that I was about to graduate and that I would love the opportunity to work for him and help spread his music. Later that day I was out eating lunch with my good friend Jeremy who I had met at a Pretty Lights show and got an email back from him saying that he was about to go on his first fall tour and he would love to talk. Well to shorten things up he asked for my resume. I sent it to him and he sent back what could be my job description; Merch Girl / Assistant with long hours and a 5 week tour. His question to me – Why do you think you could handle this job!? I remember sitting at home writing the email back (which I still have and could forward to you) basically writing an essay on myself and how I could do this job. The whole thing was very professional from my end and my biggest selling point of myself; that I am extremely passionate about everything I do and I wanted to help bring his music to more people. After that we kept emailing back and forth till I went to one of his shows and finally got to introduce myself and talk to him one on one. We had a quick conversation after his set at King Plow in July 2009, exchanged phone numbers and he left me with saying, “let me talk to my agent and manager on monday and give me a call on tuesday.” Before I had the chance to call him tuesday morning he called me and told me that he would love to bring me out on a week tour and see how it goes. So yea I went on that week tour which was an SUV tour, we had no bus, no semi. Just a box truck and an SUV with 5 of us in it. I went on that tour and did a great job. After my first show with him which was in Tuscaloosa at Bama Theater, Derek asked me to come out to Colorado for the 3 day run of sold out shows and before I could make it to Colorado he asked me to come out for the fall tour with the 8 other guys he was taking.

I understand that you run the PL day to day operations. What kinds of things do you do on the daily?

Well at this point we are running a pretty big operation on the road with 14 people, tour tour buses, a semi and a trailer. The things I deal with daily are forever changing, which is part of the job. Some days I will deal with something that I have never dealt with before. Right now I am “in charge” of the merch, hospitality, catering, runners, daily accounting, being derek’s personal assistant, local opening acts on tour, tour / production assistant, and like I said vibe control. I am like tour mom on steroids i make sure things happen when they should, that people get what they need when they need to and I make sure everyone is happy, feed, clean, and well yea just happy. I would really need to think about this one and take a minute to write out what I do all day.

Max (stage manager), Phil (Production Manager) and Greg (Lighting Designer) and Sophie in front of two tour buses, one semi, trailer and vespa - Oct 2011

If an artist wanted to get to that level, what kind of work would that artist have to do? (What kinds of things do you see happening on your team everyday that an artist would have to emulate?)

Ya know one of the biggest things is putting yourself out there. We have so many opening acts and the one thing that I notice is that none of them really ever have flyers. When I use to actually sell the merch at our shows I would have people come up to me all night asking who was the opener and I would have to write it down on an index card or piece of scrap paper. I think that one of the best parts about opening for a bigger act is that you are put in front of an large audience that wants to hear music. So play music and put some cards at the merch booth so people don’t forget who you are. Also I think that giving your music away for free digitally is a great way to get yourself out there. These days people are either downloading illegally or getting music from their friends so why not as an artist get the credit for giving it away. I think it is a great idea and a great way to put yourself out there. I also think that you need to think about your business as a whole not just the music. Who you involve, where you want to go. You need a vision!

Does your job enable you to be in touch with lots of different artists/people in different music scenes? Do you see anything cool happening out there?

Yes! My job is amazing. I have done over 250 PL shows at this point maybe more than 300 I would have to think about it for a minute. But yes I am seeing some really cool things happening out here. Derek is involved in a new documentary called Re:Generation.

You can connect with Sophie on Twitter @Sophie_E_Reeves .

Also, Pretty Lights will be in Nashville on Oct. 31. Tickets are still on sale! Click the flyer to get those.
Click this to buy tickets!