Camper Van Beethoven Asks Fans For $7,000 (CORRECTION: $3500) To Sponsor SXSW Trip
If fans give them $7000 $3500, maybe they'll smile.
CORRECTION: Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker leader David Lowery wrote to make it clear that the band is doing only playing a total of 35 songs at SXSW; so the amount being raised is $3500 and not $7000 as I had written. My apologies. You can read the rest of David's often passionate rebuttal in the comments section below.
(UPDATED) Since SXSW doesn't usually pay bands much to perform and they no longer have a record label to sponsor them, Camper Van Beethoven is asking their fans to pony up $7000 $3500 for their trip to Austin next month.
It's not clear exactly why CVB needs a full $7k $3.5K or why they didn't take the same approach as most of the other 6 gazillion bands playing at SXSW and book a paying tour that routes through Austin. But you have to give the Camper credit for coming up with a novel approach ($100 to sponsor each song in their set) plus a fun payback for the fans. For details, read on:
How it works:
"CVB will draw up two setlists, one for each show: approximately 35 songs.
The first 35 people to donate $100 dollars will get to choose a song.
The first person gets the first choice from the setlist, the second person gets the second choice etc etc. Sorry but you will have to choose from the setlists that we create. We once tried a a fan generated setlist and it was really weird – unfortunately, not weird in a good way, or we'd probably be doing that more often!"
What you get:
*A Santa Cruz Roller Derby Girl will walk/skate across the stage carrying a placard announcing your sponsorship of the song, within full view of the audience or cameras, to have the moment captured on film or video for all of eternity!
*You can have up to 4 names or one business on each placard.
*We will contact you later for details how your sponsorship placard will read.
We reserve the right to arbitrarily refuse sponsorship from anyone or any organization. (For instance we probably won't be letting Mr. Hugh Jass and Ms. Ann Al-Aksam sponsor any songs. Probably.)"
$7000?? Who put THAT budget together, MC Hammer?
^lol, so true! roundtrip flights for all 5 of them would be around $1,500 and they can all crash in 1 room & be “dollar menunaire’s” lol..
they really need to cut that 7k in half.
what concerts are you guys going to that have 35 songs?!!?!? They’re talking about 35 songs for BOTH shows… so like… 15-18 songs per show.
I’m trying to understand why, at this point in their career, CVB needs to go to SXSW, a place where there will be a zillion bands seen by a zillion industry weasels, most of whom will be shitfaced on margaritas during their entire set, talking with someone they’re trying to hook up with, while some other drunken asshole screams “TAKE THE SKINHEADS BOWLING! TAKE THE SKINHEADS BOWLING!” during an acoustic song.
What’s the point here? Please pay attention to us, just a little bit more than the 10,000 other bands who are asking you the same thing this weekend! It’s our 25th anniversary, which should mean something to the fat guys with gray hair in the audience who saw us in 1988 at the Ritz in NYC, albeit less so to the rest of you, who were but a tickle in your daddy’s nutsack back in ’87!
I mistily remember the old days, when an act put together a set of songs because it would make a good show, or because they were eager to showcase their new material.
They should make a really great record (which they haven’t done in, oh, 23 years or so), give it away to anyone that buys a ticket to a real show, or better yet, give it for free to their email list and tell their fans to share it with others, freely. This SXSW thing is a really dumb idea that will accomplish nothing other than making CBV look desperate.
hey, 35 songs at $100 per is $3500 not $7000…?
This is what the blogosphere brings. 35 X $100 dollars equals $7000.
the blogosphere is full of idiots. but the digital music blogs and their 12 readers are perhaps the most drool-cupish of them all.
5 plane flights, rental van, 3 hotel rooms for 3 nights (available only through sxsw at 159 a pop a night). it comes to $3912. why do i know this? cause i put the budget together for this trip.
have any of you “experts” ever put a band on the road? didn’t think so.
“a gazillion bands routing into SXSW”. exactly there aren’t enough venues for all the bands going to SXSW. Call the shittiest venue in dallas in november when you find out you are invited to sxsw and you will be like the 11th hold. why do i know this? because we were 11th hold at the gypsie tea room or some other god-awful place in dallas when we did call.
“why at this point in their career are they playing SXSW” because we were invited, dumb ass. we enjoy playing. but we are not gonna pay to play. and believe it or not we have plenty of fan’s among the townies. Austin is a particularly nice town to CVB. we are playing two free shows that are open to people without badges. pretty freaking fan friendly. if you want to get righteously indignant about something. get pissed about the fact SXSW charges for badges but the bands dont’ get any of the money. WFT?
Extra Credit stupid bonus point: it was not a donation. we sold advertising rights. Did you fucking read your own post? you reprinted it on your page? most of the people who bought the sponsorships are and are in “the business”. no one is complaining.
and guess what assholes. the whole thing worked.
old record guy :” It’s our 25th anniversary, which should mean something to the fat guys with gray hair in the audience who saw us in 1988 at the Ritz in NYC”.
great “old record guy” that’s the christmas spirit. why you have to be so nasty is beyond me. i guess the anonymity of the internet has been a blessing for pussies like you.
however this is helpful. now we know exactly what you are. a fucking bitter washed up “old record guy” . sorry dude people still care about our band after 26 years. i can’t fathom why this would bother a mentally balanced individual.
but no hard feelings here. tell you what “old record guy” give me your real name. i’ll put you on the list for the 40 watt party. you’d be surprised how many young indie rock boys and girls will be at the show. you’ll probably be the only old fat guy with grey hair at the party. 4pm saturday at the side bar.
David lowery. camper van beethoven
PS.note i am using my real name cause i am not an internet pussy.
PPS. legally i think you need to post a correction.
@ David Lowery,
I was fixing to answer the same post…. However, I cannot summon the words to make a better or more cutting response. I am a fat old guy, and I heard you guys the first time in 1987 (in Indiana, I was an early adopter) and it literally changed everything I ever thought about rock and roll. BTW, I am the guy that promoted the Glider/McCabe shows. Anyway. Thanks for the response to this idiocy. What is it with the level of intelligence in this country lately? I know smart people… really smart people that have suddenly become idiots. I chipped in with a few friends for a sponsorship. Because Greg’s tone is so tasty… I hope we draw Sweethearts. Kurt
Go fuck yourself on a pile of your old records!
David handed you your ass, “ORG”. I’ll be checking back to see if you got a good whiff.
-DreamingTurtle a.k.a. Christopher McCastle BIG FAN!! lol
This makes me mad! The stupid old record idiot, there are thousands of fans worldwide who travel to see this incredible band year-round. Have not put out a good record in 23 years or so? You are more stupid than the math genius that wrote this hogwash. I’m listening to The New Roman Times right this second (I think from 5 years ago). Every show these guys pour their soul into becomes a GREAT record in the eyes and ears of their very loyal fans. Everything they do is for their fans.
While you’ve been hiding in your mom’s basement for the last 23 years or so, Camper Van Beethoven has been producing music that is way above your comprehension.
If I had a business, I’d be proud to have CVB display it’s name. Somebody needs to do some research before writing. I hate lazy and stupid journalism. One more time: how does 35X$100 = 7,000???
This band’s fans are kind and peaceful, but you are pissing them off with your ignorance. I’m not too shy to express what lots want to say, but are too kind to say it. Camper’s new music/shows are all over the web. Please take a listen, and maybe you’ll hear.
Peace and Love!
are you even in the music business anymore? uh camper has put out quite a few records since 1987. first of all the most highly acclaimed cvb record is key lime pie. 1989. everyone from wilco, to nirvana cited it. but cvb has made many records since then. including the 2004 reunion that the guardian of london called “the only successful rock reunion record”. that record made practically every year end poll as well.
also your math is retarded. make a record for 3500 dollars and give it away? sorry people have been trying this and it isn’t working. besides i have a brilliant idea. you come over to my house every week and mow my lawn for free. you go and drive your cab every night for free. easy to talk about free when it’s not your labor.
exactly how does CVB playing south by southwest make us look desperate? once we said yes we literally had over a dozen requests to play parties, everything from KUT to spanish consulate. how is that desperate?
If I had the money I’d gladly fly from Ireland to Texas to see CVB. After that, $100 would be nothing. In fact, tickets for Rage Against The Machine in Dublin this year are almost $100, for example. It’s not that much money.
Have a great time guys, I’m sure the love will outweigh the bitter old assholes.
Ian.
New Roman Times, fantastic from start to end. Sorry pitchfork generation, you missed rock and roll.
I notice how this blogger has invited people to put adverts down the right-hand side of this page, so that he can offer access to this blog for free… I mistily remember the old days, when a blogger put together their blog because it would make a good read, or because they were eager to air their thoughts.
I think CVB’s idea is a great one. If I were in a Music Agency peddling, for example, the Travelin’ McCourys or Pink Floyd tribute acts, I’d spend the $100 getting the names of my acts on the cheerleader placards in the CVB show with some witty comment that might get some of those people with good music taste to become aware of my act and go see their SxSW show (if they had been lucky enough to be invited to play there…).
I’m old but not fat, so I probably don’t qualify to respond here, but if I weren’t old and not fat I’d be ready to leave with my plane tickets and a checkbook. I can’t begin to tell you the things on which I’ve pissed away $100—we all have. To hear you guys play live is worth a hell of a lot more than that.
When you guys play NxNE here in New England (all right, so it doesn’t exist yet!) I’ll be there.
Where’d Old Record Guy go?? I wanna hear his response! LOL
I don’t see why this should bother anyone. I saw CVB with Cracker in January and it was uplifting for this semi-fat, bald, grey guy with a few metal replacement parts. It showed me that David Lowery and his bands are still making absolutely beautiful music and I will gladly support them by paying to see them in concert and buying their music (I bought everything I didn’t have by Cracker and am now working my way through CVB).
Forgive me for thinking that selling advertising to pay for a trip is a brilliant idea… Imagine a world in which you pay a band to hear them play the music you love. But wait… it’s okay to be charged 125 dollars to see bands like The Rolling Stones, REM or U2 in an arena where quite honestly you may as well have stayed home. I’ve never payed more than $25 to see CVB or Cracker, saw them in a club that generally holds less than 500 people, and all 25 times combined I enjoyed myself more than any other band I’ve seen. Support Real Music. Support innovative ideas in the music industry and learn to read and comprehend before bashing something.
Hey Old Record Guy – New Roman Times…get your kid brother to loan it to you.
I’ve now read both stories and these posts, most of it is just funny, until its Your money. Its 2010 – we’ve seen how rec labels work, we’ve watched napster rise and fall, youtube shows everythings you’ve ever made free, social networks steal your music – radiohead asked its fans to make up a price for there cd.
Who cares, I’d pay a shitload of money to see these guys play, I’d pay even more to see jimi hendrix with jim morrison while janis jumps up and down singing the blues.
The one truth is no matter what is said and done – David Lowery and CVB Cracker have been down all roads and have been ripped off for years yet there still alive making music daily. ( Internet Pussy would be a great song title )
keep up the great work david and come back to Indiana !
Why is it anyone’s business what CVB and their fans do? HypeBot is not news it’s opinion, slander and drama. Get a life and report something instead of drenching in your own mindless dribble.
Dr. D.
Lincoln, Nebraska
Maybe what pisses off Old record Guy is thatCVB’s genius ploy was just for $3500, not $7000, which would have supported a party suite for some industry middle man. Is he stupid, or just another greedy asshole who thinks the fans are stupid (and old, and fat)
hey Hypebot, go fuck yourself.
shame on CVB holding those women and children hostage — without food or water — until fans pony up $3500!!!
oh wait, they’re not torturing anyone? they’re just asking, and they’re offering sponsorship in return???
CVB is being up-front and completely real. hypebot is a steaming pile.
I listen to Key Lime Pie all the time, and I was 13 when it was first released.
It’s extremely difficult to stay successful as a touring band when not at the superstar level, and Virgin’s treatment of Lowery’s Camper & Cracker catalog has been shameful.
These are guys who have been abused by the business year in and year out and yet still put out quality stuff decades into their career.
Mocking them for trying to stay afloat despite all that is ridiculously ignorant.
Hey, I’m an ‘old record guy’–a fat graying guy who remembers this wonderful band when they played parties at the Hubbard Street house and College V. New Roman Times is a terrific record and all the guys in this band are still active and making great, viable music (M&Mrs Miller, Monks of Doom, etc.). Viva CVB. And gee whiz–I thought I was bad at math.
Obviously the CVB fan club and maybe even the band has decided to visit Hypebot. Welcome!
CVB IS a great band who is smartly surviving outside of a system that often screwed them.
The article was written because I believe that a band can only go to the well so many times with their fans and this seemed to me to not be the best use of that relationship. (I never suggested “desperate”.)
Does playing SXSW mean that much to CVB after all these years? Why couldn’t they do what other bands do and book a tour to support it? That’s not for me to decide …but I do think I have the right to comment on it.
BTW
The $7000 comes from the fact that the band says it was doing two sets…
And the this blog has 40,000 unique visitors a month – not 12.
Even with this (rather genius) idea of song sponsorship, Camper Van is STILL playing the show at a loss. Why is it OK for everyone to make money off SXSW — and music in general — except the actual artists? I would vastly prefer to give my money directly to a band I love than to any of the scads of middlemen you usually can’t avoid.
Kudos to the band for coming up with a fun and innovative way to engage their fans, while not taking as much a financial hit for participating in the festival. I only wish I could be there to see them rawk, but I’ll just have to wait for their next Minneapolis gig.
P.S. The two set lists clearly equal a total of 35 songs, not 70.
‘bruce. if you have any sense of decency please correct your headline. it clearly says we need to raise 3500 dollars. 100 dollars times 35. i think you know this but 3500 dollars didn’t quite make your point so you made it 7000 dollars. this is david lowery from the band camper van beethoven, telling you this. if you don’t change it you are now technically in treading in slander and libel territory.
secondly. CVB never has asked their fans for anything. and that is why they immediately came up with the 3500 dollars. we have not “gone to the well” at all. if you were to actually research the band, you’d see we play 12-15 shows a year. we make very few records. and if you had done your research you’d know that david lowery is the singer of camper van beethoven.
in the vernacular, you are talking out of your ass.
I’m quite happy to pay to see them play whether it’s under the CVB, Cracker, or other name. They played a great show at New Year’s and I’m looking forward to Swallow Hill…
Go get ’em, David! Petty little ayatollahs, comin’ round to judge and stone ya, is it true that you have sold you soul, say hey, man, I dunno, lend me a quarter won’t you: I’ll call my accountant.
Etc. &c. and so on.
Saw Cracker and CVB in Boston the other day, and I wish I had the time and money to get down to SXSW, but it’s not gonna happen.
Might still pony up some $$$ to get you all to play The History of Utah.
I agree with Old Record Guy on one thing: let’s see another CVB album! You all didn’t miss a beat with NRT.
CVB is for the children! Go park awkwardly close to an elementary school and gaze out your window, old man.
I saw CVB and Cracker last month and they were still phenomenal. I no longer have in the latest indie, flavor-of-the-month Pitchfork douchebags. I’m an old record guy, just not an asshole.
please don’t tell all the fans that travel to southern cal every september from all over the nation as well as the uk and europe just to see cvb and cracker play in a cool desert venue for a couple of days that they haven’t released anything good lately. whatever you do, old record guy, don’t you come to pioneertown to take part in said events for you may not leave in the condition in which you arrived. you might find that you have picked up a tattoo or two from somewhere. better for you to stick with your nickleback pals perhaps and you can hold your breath for their 25th anniversary tour.
Even with sponsorship (which is a brilliant idea BTW, nice work David) CVB is still losing money.How about the cost of food, beverages,incidentals like phone/internet access,back line/equipment rental? They are clearly doing for the love.It’s very simple; If you don’t want to sponsor them, don’t. Just shut the f#*k up about it and mind your own business. WFT indeed!
Music should bring people together, whatever their age may be. They were obviously invited to play because they draw fans. Who cares what the demographic is? It’s not something they should have to defend. Having “older” fans should be a compliment to an artist who creates timeless music. Any fly-by-night emo/pop/whatever band can sell records to kids who will turn their back on them as soon as the next cool thing comes along. And CVB, not a huge commercial act, can still draw to this extent? That’s pretty damn good; let them play their music in peace, and focus on issues of importance.
Reposters of this blog have graciously recanted. Here is a comment from Angela who reposted to Crawdaddy:
http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/02/19/camper-van-beethoven-asks-fans-for-7000-sxsw-fund/
“My sincerest apologies. I received that information directly from hypebot, a reputable source, and posted before doing the proper check. This is exactly what can be harmful with the blogosphere, and I did indeed fall into its vicious trap. Lesson learned, and dully noted. I hope you know I meant no harm. We have been proponents of CVB for years, and have nothing but love for you guys. I’ll amend the post so it reflects accurately, of course.
And I agree wholeheartedly that the badge price at SXSW is outrageous. And I believe that artists SHOULD make money, tons of it. I simply thought the request for funds was interesting and warranted commenting. I erroneously posted the incorrect amount after it was erroneously published elsewhere, and I take full responsibility for sloppy reporting. It hurts my heart that this happened.
When something like this does happen, it forces me, and perhaps everyone who is impacted by the blogosphere, to reflect on how we are consuming our media and information. Quantity isn’t quality, and standards are slipping… Crawdaddy! has always tried to uphold our convictions on these matters, and that’s why this is especially unfortunate. I’m just sorry for this mistake, and apologize to anyone that was affected by it.”
I’d like to point out, too, that I am not an old guy. I am a huge Cracker and CVB fan. I was 2 when Key Lime Pie came out and 5 when CVB originally disbanded. I would give my left nut to see CVB at SXSW (but I can’t afford it). I’m also an “indie rock” kid who plays in a local band and listens to some “hip” new shit. I also understand how impossible it is to make money. And I can safely say that CVB and Cracker are two of the most “legit” and talented rock bands in existence.
That’s right. I’m 22, and I love both Cracker and CVB. These music bloggers have their heads so far up their asses, it’s amazing.
Go get ’em, David! Petty little ayatollahs, comin’ round to judge and stone ya, is it true that you have sold you soul, say hey, man, I dunno, lend me a quarter won’t you: I’ll call my accountant.
Etc. &c. and so on.
Saw Cracker and CVB in Boston the other day, and I wish I had the time and money to get down to SXSW, but it’s not gonna happen.
Might still pony up some $$$ to get you all to play The History of Utah.
I agree with Old Record Guy on one thing: let’s see another CVB album! You all didn’t miss a beat with NRT.
Whoops. Sorry any of you had to read that twice. (Or once, depending on your point of view.)
When I’m listening to a US radio station, I’m bombarded with countless adverts, and sponsorship extends to sports events etc – it is, I believe, a country of advertising opportunity. So why is there a problem for one single band asking for sponsorship from reputable companies and local businesses?
If they were a football team, no one would have butted an eye lid, but a band….why?
What is the difference? One team runs round with a ball while the other strum guitars; they all have one thing in common, to entertain.
In a country of free enterprise, why Hypebot is making such a fuss?
Go and pick on a football team!
wait a minute. you are bruce houghton the president of skyline music agency. how fucking rich are you? where do you get off dissing an indie band that’s asking for 3500 dollars to play south by south west. when was the last time you got in a van and “routed” in to Sxsw. when was the last time you stayed 4 to a room. to quote jeff bridges in crazy heart talking to his agent. ” you get up at 5 am to drive 500 miles to play a bowling alley with hemerhoids that feel like a nest of fire ants up your ass”
David and the boys are truly the last rock band on the planet. Rock on David.
Methinks you should listen to CVB and Cracker a bit if you think they have made a really great record in 23 years. You clearly sound like someone who does not follow the band whatsoever.
Wake up a little…
Correction:
Methinks you should listen to CVB and Cracker a bit if you think they have NOT made a really great record in 23 years.
Sorry for the typo. I make mistakes when people criticize a good band…
A correction to the story’s math has been made and apology sent to David. He leads not one but several great bands.
He has every right to ask his fans to support him in any way that he wants; and I think I have every right to right about it.
We’re all just trying to figure out the rights and wrongs of an entirely new way of doing business. My intention is never to upset people or take unfair shots. But it is often to spark debate… and I guess I achieved my goal.
PS: Anyone who knows me knows that I’m far from rich.
I’m 56, my red hair is blonde on its way to going white, and yeah, I could stand to lose a few pounds. I’m also young at heart enough to haul it 450 and back from Tucson to Roswell, NM, and back in two weeks to see David and Johnny perform as acoustic Cracker.
Cracker is David’s main gig now. He’s doing us CVB fans a favor by bringing that band to life. In case the music industry to you is a mystery, which it seems to be, Cracker recently released the pretty awesome Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey. It’s gotten a lot of play in my iPod.
CVB may not be releasing material, but again, Cracker is the main gig and CVB is just a bonus (like a cherry on top of a sundae) for those old farts like me who have been around a long, long time.
I may be old, my I can still rock out with the best of them. I just do it slower — but with more panache!
Aw, David, man, be nice to us old mofos. This guy is an idiot and doesn’t deserve all the response he’s getting. If anything, it stokes his tiny ego.
I’m 56 and have been a fan since picking up Key Lime Pie based on a record-store-employee’s recommendations back in college.
I’m an old, fat (well, “could stand to lose a few pounds” is more accurate) CVB and Cracker fan with red hair that is going white, and I’d be able to hang with the “young indie rock boys and girls!”
Don’t write your old fans off! We’re hanging in there with you!
I’m a low-paid social worker in Tucson, Arizona, and I’m struggling to come up with the cash to rent a car ($100) and pay for gas ($80) and food ($0, I bringing stuff from home), to haul it 450+ miles from Tucson on Tuesday, March 16 in order to see David and Johnny perform as acoustic Cracker at a winery in Roswell, NM. I’m sleeping in the rental car after the show (to save money), then driving home 450+ miles the next day.
I used to do stuff like this for days on end back when Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead were around. (And, yes, I did the same for CVB on several occasions.)
Oh, I should probably mention that I’m 56, could stand to lose a few pounds, my hair is no longer red, I will probably be sore as hell after sleeping in a rental care — and you probably have more money than me.
But, be it CVB or Cracker, I’d make the road trip if I were 66, not 56. Maybe even if I were 76. CVB and Cracker keep me young at heart!
I’m a low-paid social worker in Tucson, Arizona, and I’m struggling to come up with the cash to rent a car ($100) and pay for gas ($80) and food ($0, I bringing stuff from home), to haul it 450+ miles from Tucson on Tuesday, March 16 in order to see David and Johnny perform as acoustic Cracker at a winery in Roswell, NM. I’m sleeping in the rental car after the show (to save money), then driving home 450+ miles the next day.
I used to do stuff like this for days on end back when Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead were around. (And, yes, I did the same for CVB on several occasions.)
Oh, I should probably mention that I’m 56, could stand to lose a few pounds, my hair is no longer red, I will probably be sore as hell after sleeping in a rental care — and you probably have more money than me.
But, be it CVB or Cracker, I’d make the road trip if I were 66, not 56. Maybe even if I were 76. CVB and Cracker keep me young at heart!
You draw 40,000 “unique visitors” a month? How, by writing shit about every band you can think about and waiting for their fans to reply?
Don’t quit your day job.
You draw 40,000 “unique visitors” a month? How, by writing shit about every band you can think about and waiting for their fans to reply?
Don’t quit your day job.
Camper is one of the best bands in the world SXSW is lucky to have them
Amazing as I read this that anyone would even try to go head to head with Lowery, in my opinion probably one of the hardest working and knowledgeable individuals in the music industry…
Wow, no reply to my post for days and then BOOM.
First off, apologies for critiquing CBV’s artistic validity over the past 25 years, although as a longtime fan, I’ll admit that for me the high water mark was OBRS, and I never liked Cracker as much. To each his own.
To state the obvious: HB is a blog that discusses “new music industry”, and lots of opinions are exchanged about the IDEAS that companies, labels, and artists are introducing. David, I’m sorry, but I think that asking your fans to fund a trip to play at SXSW, an industry focused event, is lame. Why?
Well firstly, because of the nature of SXSW itself. Who is the audience? Mostly industry people. A zillion bands playing, all competing for relevancy and their attention. Industry people talking during the performances, all typing on smartphones. I’ve been to SXSW multiple times myself, there are of course great gigs, and it’s a good hang. But the benefit to playing there has always been pretty vague.
What’s your goal here, anyway? To convert new fans? To get airplay or press? Well, that’s what the other 5,000 bands playing SXSW are trying to do, and many of them (with respect) are far more relevant at this moment than CBV. It seems like legacy acts play SXSW every year as some kind of way to reestablish themselves with the cred crowd, but does it really work? Do fans really give a shit that you played at 2am in some club in Austin?
There are much better ways to do this, including giving away some music and encouraging people who love your band to share it. With all the bands playing SXSW, however great your performance is, you’ll likely get a couple of lines about your gig on a blog or two. I’d love to see a follow up to this post, compiling the total amount of post press about your Austin gig.
Again, what’s your goal here? You haven’t really stated it. To solicit money from fans in order to play a gig for industry people that won’t play your record on the radio and might mention the show in a blog post? To say “hey, remember us?” to an industry with a 5 second attention span? There is nothing innovative about this idea – it’s using the (somewhat) new school idea of fan funding to finance an old school endeavor – playing at an industry gig. If you’re going to ask fans to fund something – which any act should do only very rarely – ask them to pay for a trip to an industry event is, IMHO, lame.
You’ve got your 25th anniversary happening (and btw, I was at that Ritz gig). You’ve got loyalty from fans you’ve collected over all that time, and you’ve got the freedom (because you’re not under a major label’s heel) to do something really innovative, and this is the best you can come up with? People paying for you to play their requests at an industry gig? There’s nothing innovative about that. I guess I’m not that into fan funded ideas unless there’s a real value exchange.
I’ll put my money where my mouth is, David. You post what your goals are for your 25th anniversary, what you want to do with the catalog, and any new releases, and I’ll post a list of ideas, or something like an online marketing plan, which we can openly dialogue here on Hypebot.