Tag: live music

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boo!

Show is “postponed.” With no back-up, it’s kind of canceled. Hence the quotes. 

A few lessons here. 

  1. Don’t make a non venue a venue. I had an idea for this owner, who is a friend (was?). Maybe in hindsight it all looks pretty-self serving, but I was only willing to try this new idea out w/ myself as the unpaid help.

    The idea is small electronic music that’s unobtrusive; listen while you’re doing your thing, whatever that may be. Here folks don’t specifically listen. More passive environmental. Do it right and you enhance the experience of what’s going on around you.

    Save a concert venue, this should be the aim of mostly all music being played out. And DJ’s.. Been my experience this is what the people want anyway.
  1. Don’t ask the venue to stay open late for your test. It is very hard to change behavior. Things get weird. Maybe the owner was obligated to say yes face-to-face.

    Instead get in the middle of traffic. Don’t recreate. Innovate within a known something. 

***

Building-up a music following, career, catalog, etc. is a near-infinite series of deeply personal failures with a few small victories thrown in. These victories more than make up for the blue times.

Canceling a show is pure punishment. Makes you feel like a heel. And worse, it gives you the opportunity and excuse to stop all work. And pout. But you have to keep on it. Find a way to keep the momentum going. 

***

Last year I junked a busy singer-songwriter thing in favor of an electronic chill-type set up because it’s what I wanted to do in the first place. A lot of work down the drain, and not. Process are familiar if not the same, and all of this work will pay off in the long run. This I know for sure. 

The entire thing’s been a bit of an a**-whoop, but I know where I am going. I will get there.

Just not on the 26th

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#electronicmusic #synths #technominimal #technomusic #minimaldeeptech #dancemusic #melodichouseandtechno #minimaltechno #newmusic #livemusic #coffeeandchill #chillout #chill

#music #producer #musicproducer #abletonlive #dj #beatmaker #musicproduction #beats #techno 

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Beautiful sunset @ Lost Creek Country Club

Had a fantastic Saturday night, pool-side set. Beautiful vibes all around. I am at my level best @ this kind of gig.

Actually hanging up the solo electronic/ acoustic spurs for a bit to concentrate on these DJ sets.

Gives me a greater opportunity to share music I love, keeps me so current — searching for new cuts, and I can mix in my own electronic stuff (that fits).
-jd

Playlist

Walking on the Moon – The Police
A classic, ushering in the right feel.

All I Want to Do – UB40
Deep cut from my favorite album of theirs. Such a great groove. Amazing drum machine and bass (machine) too.

Natty Dread – Bob Marley
All time favorite Bob track. So chill.

T’aint What You Do – Fun Boy 3
So weird and great.

Non Stop – Kraftwerk
One of the greats. This is a newer remix. Absolutely love the mood here.

Verona – Lastlings
Nice, close song. I think I heard it in passing on Apple Music.

Rat in Mi Kitchen – UB40
Couldn’t help myself. Had to go back to the well.

Fems Pay Douces – Raphael Toiné
Heard this via Paris’ Le Mellotron. Shows up in a lot of folks sets. How could you not love this guy?

I Fell it Coming – The Weekend/ Daft Punk 
Such a jam. Chorus is repeated a lot. Not sure the kids know what he’s talking about, luckily.

Sentimental Street – Night Ranger
Again, I can not help myself sometimes with the 80’s.

Paradise (live) – Sade
Thee deepest of grooves. Love this whole record too.

Wouldn’t it Be Good – Danny Hutton Hitters
A classic. Good break-the-sounds-up song. A bit cheesy, version-wise.

A Message to You Rudy – The Specials
Perfect pool-side music. Drunken horns on a Saturday after noon are perfection.

Down Under – Men at Work
Always sounds great loud. You wouldn’t think, but it’s true.

Brother’s Cup – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Wasn’t sure about this one. Kept waiting for an errant blue word. Never came!

Matadjem Yinmixan – Tinarwian
I love this song so much. Perfect chill afternoon vibe.

Cruel Summer – Bananarama
Ditto. Love this too. Sounds so wooly and perfectly of its time.

Where Angels Fear to Tread – Disclosure 
Amazing. The whole thing; every facet. Made me a fan of these guys.

Meditate – INXS
Weird, but it worked. Forget how it even got on the playlist.

Oguo – Lakou Mizik & Joseph Ray
I almost misted-up when this started. Such amazing work here combining the rural, very real island life with the modern. Breathtaking. Watch the video. Reminds you what an amazing world we live in.

Secrets – The Weekend
The most modern way to cover songs ever. Genius.

Adventure of a Lifetime – Coldplay
No apologies for loving theses guys. This record changed the course of my life.

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley 
Classic. Everybody loves it. Period.

Bad Dream – Cannons
How cool is this? Love these guys.

Love is Not Enough – Above & Beyond ft. Zoë Johnson
Beautiful remix. And that voice. Wow.

Chameleon – Panu
Happiest song ever? I could listen to it over-and-over-and-over.

Warning Signs – Alan Fitzpatrick & Lawrence Hart
This has been playing in the car a lot. Like a lot.

One More Time – Daft Punk
I can still remember the first time I heard this. Fell right in love.

Sailing – Chicane
Cool idea and execution. Prefect for the Country Club afternoon set. Tailor made.

Beyond Beliefs – Ben Böhmer
The summer song of 2021. For sure.

+[encore]

The Telephone Call – Kraftwerk
Yes! Current favorite Kraftwerk song.

SuperJumper – MadMixMustang
So ridiculous.

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For anyone still thinking streaming is worthless, catalogs are semi-quietly being snapped up by all sorts of equity. No longer a one time purchase, if your song catches on, it keeps paying and paying, even if there are no ads associated with it.

Live?

In what seems to be an emerging fact, the long game is putting it out there to stream. Not playing live, but 9-to-5’ing it at your desk. Sat in front of the computer to get eyes and ears on it. Trade the glory of the stage for the glory of ‘likes’ and a lot of small but growing checks.

What if people, now off the road, put the effort into listens? This is happening, and I can tell you from my own experience, it works.

Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster Deal

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This box has been in my car for years.

You need something physical to sell at shows, to give to record stores, to impress your granny, or to prove to yourself (or your wife) that you are a real-live musician.

Coffee mug? Too nerdy.
Maybe a ‘pocket’ koozie? Please no.
Cassettes are a bit niche.

It’s really down to CD’s, even though plenty of folks have no CD player at home. Actually many folks have cars with no CD player. Worst of all, most folks have no phone w/ a CD player. Everybody streams. Everybody.

Maybe this is a phone that streams!?

Today’s question is: what’s the right thing to do? Do you load up your hands with something that’s going in s**t drawer #11, or do you do you ting and sell? And what are you selling?

This brings up nothing but more questions: What are you in it for? Legitimacy? Money? Job? Are you down with by-any-means-necessary? Are you pumping an old model?

Before you sell CD’s to fans you have to ask yourself: why would they want one? If that answer is no, is there then something that I have that’s of value to my current and future fans. And today, that seems like a tough question to answer. But the solution is poking it’s head out. Finally. (Especially in a current world where there are few-to-no live shows.)

What works and connects? The oldest of schools method: patronage.

People are giving to musicians with no expectation of anything physically in return. As a matter of fact they’ve already taken a partial share of whatever it is you do. If you have their attention you have them. All you have to do is show them the way. 1,000 people paying $1.50 a-month moves the needle. A lot.

The new-olde way seems like a lot more fun than the old way. I’m going to try some new-olde ways.

Stick with the blog to follow my journey.

-jd

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House concerts are not ehe future. They are the now.

Friends and I are putting on neighborhood house shows during all this COVID mess. 30-something shows later we’ve paid out over $30K.
IG page here.

We’re in Austin, and it’s easy to find talented musicians who want to work, but it’s easy anywhere and will work when you try it.

First you need a PA and someone who knows how to work it. If you do not know how to work one, only invite musicians who know how to work one. Sometimes you need a PA. Sometimes artists have one. You can also rent one.

Bose are easy. Keep it very simple.

What I’m getting at here is that there are very few barriers when putting together a show like this. So no need to make them (excuses) in their absence.

TWe have found the following to be true evry time:
_Folks really like seeing music this way
_ People love showing off their pads
_Having Musicans at your house really impresses the neighbors

The vibe for this kind of thing is very strong. People like or like to like live music and they want to help. They know they are helping and have accordingly given generously

It is the now.
Step one tomorrow: How to Schedule a House Concert.

-jd