Indie Rapper Meets and Greets Fans At DIY Sidewalk Pop-Up Shop
Ka, a former member of Natural Elements, recently released "The Night's Gambit." While NPR gave everyone with web access a listen, on release day Ka gave New York fans a special treat. He set up shop outside the "old Fat Beats" with a backpack full of CDs and a cardboard box full of vinyl to stage his own pop-up shop. The ensuing interactions are a great example of what it means to connect directly with one's fans.
Ka's The Night's Gambit dropped July 13th and, instead of posting up in the club, he hit the sidewalk to sell his album and meet with fans. Phillip Mlynar described it nicely as a "one-man pop-up shop." Apparently Ka is known for such street sales from what I'm finding scanning the web and reading his rather awesome Twitter feed.
Ka sells on the streets partly out of necessity. His last album, "Grief Pedigree", was well received yet he said only four NYC record stores were willing to stock it:
So Ka held his launch party on the sidewalk. Milnar related the scene:
"The stream of fans was continuous for the hour or so I was there; there were always four or five people waiting to meet Ka. He marshaled the bijou gathering and took the time to talk to each person, beginning by asking their name (and seeming to remember it). In an age of Internet snark and comments section cynicism, it was touchingly earnest to witness."
From listening closely to one young man's poem to encouraging another not to let the ups and downs of writing hold him back, Ka is described as meeting each individual where they were at. It's a nice account of connecting directly with fans.
But that's not all he's doing as illustrated on his Twitter feed:
Ka is a great example of a musician focused on two key goals, making great music and connecting directly with his fans. Unfortunately, as even those of us who are relentlessly upbeat should recognize, just because you're making nice music and treating your fans right doesn't mean you're going to make a living off your music.
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
I never heard of this guy but reading this article makes me want to buy a copy just to support this guy.
Yeah, he seems pretty cool. His Twitter stream is pretty interesting too.