A (Re)Discovery - LOS TEXAS WRANGLERS

About 5 years ago I wandered down to the Austin City Hall to catch a Conjunto band play a free lunchtime show. The band was Los Texas Wranglers. They are out of Austin. I took the above photo and it ran in the June 2005 INsite Magazine as an INsite Hindsite.

Fast forward to last night. I was looking for a band to play a Dia De Los Muertos show in my hometown and I posted to my Facebook page for help. My friend Gino Gamez, whom I met at Adult Kickball, mentioned his cousin had a band... Los Texas Wranglers.

Long story short.. it didn't work out for the show (hopefully they'll play next year) but when I talked to Julian L. Fernandez from the band he let me know of a couple of really cool things that are happening to Los Texas Wranglers right now... so I thought I'd share.

1. Today (10/11/10) Los Texas Wranglers are being filmed in San Antonio for a documentary on the Texas Tejano/Conjunto music culture that will be aired on The Discovery Channel. The filming is happening at Ruben's Place in Selma (just north of San Antonio.. here's a little write up on Ruben's Place from mysanantonio.com) from 4:00p - 7:00p. All are invited who would like to celebrate and dance... and maybe be on film. There's going to be a special guest playing with the band too... but you have to be there to see (or wait until it airs).

2. They also recently received word that one of Fernandez's originals has been tapped to be used in a major motion picture. The new Will Ferrell and Laura Dern flick, Everything Must Go uses the song "El Amor Que Soñe" during a dinner scene. Neat. You can go to the Free Download page on their Website to hear and download it.

FYI.. here's a little rundown of a few of the accomplishments of Los Texas Wranglers.

Los Texas Wranglers (Press Photo)

• Inducted to the South Texas Conjunto Associations  "2006 Conjunto Hall of Fame"  
• Winners of Tejano Magazine's "2007 Conjunto of the  Year”  
• Austin Music Awards “Best Latin Traditional” 2008-2010  

I can't wait to see them again. For a list of upcoming shows, visit their calendar.

Week 3: Merchandise and Swag

(This is Week 3 of my Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice)

Week 3: I’d Buy THAT for A Dollar…

You want to be successful and make a living (someday) from playing music. Look at your band as a business.  What are the things you have on your side to make it profitable? You’ve got your name.  You’ve got your logo. You’ve got the songs. You’ve got the music. You’ve got gigs. You are consistently adding fans. What else is there?

Merchandise - Something for the people who come to your show to walk away with. We’re talking t-shirts, CDs, hats, buttons, stickers, and the like.

The Naked Empire's Merch Booth at the Red Eyed Fly 10/1/10

Things to consider putting on ALL your merch.

1.    Band Name – Your merch is advertising someone is paying you to wear or own. Make sure people know who you are when the shirt is worn

2.    Contact – If someone wants to know more… they may need where to find you.

3.    Hometown – We may not think about it much in Austin, but outside the city where you are from… it’s kind of a big deal to be a touring band.

4.    More Music – Maybe the link to a digital download? The next show is free? Always try and make the fan make that next step.. become more invested in your band.

T-Shirts:

First thing first. Make sure you have a design that you would be proud to wear. That doesn’t mean it has to be amazing and groundbreaking, it may just be as simple as your logo (you have an actual logo…right? And no…Impact in all caps is not a logo. It’s just your name in a block-font).

T-SHIRT: INCLUDE OR DON’T INCLUDE, THAT IS THE QUESTION

Image – You can use the art from your album (just don’t make it a square CD image like you get from CafePress. That both costs too much and looks too cheap) or a group photo, or an image that conveys the look/feel/sound your band is going for. You have an Irish-theme to your music? Maybe work a shamrock or the color green. Are you a Christian band? Perhaps a cross or bible could be contained in the image. If you’re a hip-hop band, chances are you shouldn’t put a cowboy on a horse on your shirt.

Just do me (and your fans) a favor, don’t force an image in there that doesn’t convey the feel of the band. Remember your audience. You’re trying to SELL these things.

Humor – You have to be careful with this one. I love a good joke shirt (my personal collection includes “AD/HD” in the AC/DC logo style, a shirt with a ruler on it that says “I Rule” and one that says “This isn't part of my rock and roll fantasy.” Note… none of these are band shirts.  Now, I do own a Zlam Dunk shirt that looks like the digestive system and the bands name is spelled out in the large intestines. So… use humor sparingly… but if you’ve got a golden idea, go for it.

OTHER CLOTHING – Hats, jackets, sweatshirts, socks, panties (Ever seen my Broken Teeth g-string?), bandanas. Anything that you think your crowd would wear, try and make it available for them. Just remember, you are investing your money into this.. so don’t go crazy.

Merch Booth at The Parish Room in 10/09

CD - MUSIC – You can go a few different ways.

1.    You can actually produce a physical CD and have them designed, pressed up, printed, and packaged and sell them for $10-$15 (or your EP for $5). This way someone walks out of your show with something. Plus, for folks like me who see CD design as an extension of the music and something to really enjoy it’s a great thing.

2.    You can go the way of the digital download and only sell the CD online or to people who can access iTunes. You save the cost of actually manufacturing a CD, but how many people are going to remember to access the music and purchase it? You lose the immediate sell.

3.    My suggestion is a combination of the two. Sell your CD or EP and throw in the digital download of that album for free. OR… sell the digital download via a business card to someone for a donation (let them name the price). Yeah, they’ll share the card and a bunch of people may download your music who didn’t pay for it… but look at it this way.. PEOPLE ARE DOWNLOADING YOUR MUSIC.

One-Eyed Doll hand designs A LOT of her merch

VARIOUS OTHER STUFF – If you think it’ll sell… get your logo imprinted on it and make it so. Lighters, patches, pins, earrings, necklaces, shoelaces, guitar straps, sunglasses… I don’t know.. dream big.

GET QUOTES

Make sure you shop around. There are some great deals out there. And the more you order, the less it will cost you. But the more you order, the more you will need to sell. DO NOT order anything until you know the quality of the product. Make sure the vendor can meet deadline and deliver a product you would be proud to sell. If you sell crappy merch… you are reflecting on yourself… not the vendor.

Various merch and band swag.

DO NOT CONFUSE MERCH WITH SWAG

Now, aside from merchandise, which you sell, you’ve got to think about band swag. This is going to be the freebies you give out during shows or when promoting yourself to magazines, clubs, and distribution points for your albums. Look to the big companies to see just how much importance is given to swag.

Each year I love going to trade shows and festivals just to see what the new freebies are out there. Right now I’m drinking from a McCoy’s Building Supply Center cup and using a University Star (the school paper of Texas State University- San Marcos) pen to jot down notes on my Tanger Outlet Mall notepad. Yes, I went to the San Marcos Business Expo last month. I also came away with a variety of toys (rubber ball, Frisbee, etc) from the Embassy Suites Hotel, A LOT of pens and pencils, business cards, letter opener, and assorted other goodies. How much Macintosh, Harley Davidson, Dell, or Nike stuff do you see on an average day? What’s on your keychain?

The point is, there are some interesting things out there you can use to make yourself known.

If you’re a party band, order some beachballs with your logo and Website on it to throw out into the crowd. If the band autographs it, it will be that much more memorable. Practice safe music and put your logo on condoms. Print your info on matchbooks. Make some pens. I’ve seen some bands put their logos on rolling papers. Order a bunch of suckers and stick your logo on them. Make business cards with a link to a digital download.

Get a gazillion stickers printed with your logo and website. Sticker anyone who will wear is and tag all your gear (and anyone else’s who will let you). Always carry a stack with you and put your sticker in bathrooms (I’m not talking just any bathroom…the ones who allow stickers like the Red Eyed Fly) and anywhere else in public they allow.

Red Eyed Fly Bathroom (photo by Empire Primitive)

You know your audience. What would YOU want to get for free at a show? What would make YOU want to find out more about a band? Give that to people at your show.

What do I collect? I’ve been interviewing bands, taking photos, and going to shows as a journalist since 1996. I keep most of my printed tickets. I’ve got an extensive guitar pick collection. National bands like Marilyn Manson and KISS as well as locals like Snake Skin Prison, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Nooner. I’ve also been collecting old drumsticks signed by the band that played them, and one of the coolest things I have is a drumhead that Ben Mills from Rockshow Promotions gave me a few years ago when we did an INsite Night with his former band Nooner. I’ve got a tambourine that was left at the first ever Backwoods Bash which I had all of the organizers sign. My idea of swag is “band used.” But I’m not the “normal fan now… am I?

Fans appreciate when they are appreciated… and free stuff says “we like you.”

Until next week. 

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. For an introduction to his "52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice" visit this link - http://www.tinyurl.com/Claes52DIY. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Week 2: Social Media

(This is Week 2 of my Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice)
 
Week 2: Tweet your Facebook all over MySpace.

The Set Up: Let’s assume you have booked a show… since you are a band. So… next step is promoting said show. We’re going to call this one “New School” promotion. (Because last week’s was “Old School.”)

There are a whole heaping helping of great (and not so great) things out there on the internet you can use to promote a show. Most of them are free… or dirt cheap. Treat this blog like a checklist, did you blog? CHECK… Did you create a Facebook Event? CHECK. Did you tweet? CHECK… and so on.

(All logos are property of the places from where they came.)

E-Mail

People forget.. e-mail is the original online social media. You really need to create and maintain a list of people who are interested in your music (have them sign up at shows) and keep them informed about your show. There are several options of places you can use for e-mail campaigns, and if you get a list long enough… maybe you should consider it. For now, a personal email from the band will work. Oh and to get a personal e-mail from the band you should probably have…. (read on)

Website

If someone wants to know about your band, where do they go? You should have a point page for them. If you have the time, money and resources you can have yourself a pretty dynamic page. If you have some talented friends you may be able to get the same, but I tell you this… most of the time you get what you pay for. Friends and business seldom work out as swimmingly as you thought when you were playing pool at the Red Eyed Fly and your friend says “Hey, I can make a site for you.” And you say “Cool man.”

Put all of your show information under a “Gigs / Shows / Tour / See me” tab. Make sure you keep it updated. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gone to a bands website and the last show they tout is 2 months ago.

Blog

There are many free blog options out there. The most popular (for the moment) seem to be WordPress and Blogger. You can also port that blog over to another site so it can come from your band page instead of having a blogspot address (which is something I’ve not done with my blog… so I’m not really sure about the importance of that). The point is… have a blog. Keep posting on it at least twice a week. It can be something as simple as “The drummer made pork chops this week and here’s his recipe.” Or something having to do with the band, the music, sharing video, songs, gig information.

The point is, if you post to your blog regularly (give each member of your band a day they need to blog.. so everyone shares 1 thing a week) you will have people regularly visiting your blog. If people visit your blog, they will see when you post your show information.

Twitter – Does your band have a Twitter page? Does each member have an account? Do you talk about the behind the scenes stuff that happens within the band? Are you being interactive with your fans? Are you seeking out fans of similar genres (“following” or inviting them to “follow” you)? Are you tweeting things that people find interesting/funny/informative? Do you tell people that there’s a show coming up and share a link to a place where they can find out more? You may think Twitter is a big waste of time… tell that to the guy who started tweeting “Shit My Dad Says.” He’s now got a book  AND it’s a CBS show starring William Shatner now. Shit for Shat. That’s funny. Hopefully thinking and typing “shit for Shat” isn’t funnier than the show, I’ve not seen it yet. The point is, 140 characters doesn’t take much time to type, it’s free, and it may get a butt or two through the door.

Facebook

What MySpace was five years ago, Facebook is now… and more. For your show you need to make an event, invite all of your local and area contacts. Make each one of the bands on the bill an administrator of the event so they can do the same. Do me a favor and don’t just invite ALL of your friends. The dude in Michigan doesn’t care about your show in Las Vegas… really.  The more people who hear about your show the more likely they will darken the door of the club you are playing. Facebook is wonderful for this.

Thoughts About Event Posting on Facebook:

1.     Create your event as soon as you book it, and invite people about 3 weeks out. People who want to attend your show probably aren’t sure what’s planned that weekend yet. They can plan on going to YOUR show.

2.     Don’t just make an event and post it on your wall thinking everyone will see it. They won’t. Invite people.

3.     Don't assume publications who have a facebook page will look at your event. They won’t. Post it to their page.

4.     Here’s a twofold one.
a.     Don’t just post about your event once. That’s not enough for people to care
b.     Don’t post about your event 100 times in 3 weeks. That’s just annoying.

YouTube

YouTube is the place where the world goes when they want to find music videos. Yes, there’s a few others out there, but YouTube is the one everyone knows about. It really doesn’t take much to create a 30 second to 1 minute “video invite” to the show. Some people like to do skits, some just use it to create that band-to-fan direct invite. How you do it doesn’t matter. Make sure you include a graphic with all of the information needed (you know, the stuff you needed to put on your poster?). There is not an indie band I've found that executes the promotional power of YouTube as much as Austin's Full Service. (One Eyed Doll comes close).

MySpace

MySpace is dead. Nobody goes there anymore for social interaction. BUT… MySpace is still a good place to put up our show information and some songs so people can hear what you sound like.  If you don’t have a Webpage, MySpace can act as your page. If you have a MySpace, keep it current. For daily interactions with real people, stick to Facebook.

Austin-based Sites:

DO512.com – DO512.com is a really nice site for the promotion of Austin Entertainment. It’s got a nice format where you can share the poster (you remembered to do that from last week. right?), links to each band’s MySpace, and venue information. You can even put in a message to the fine folks at DO512 and they may take an interest in your show. With INsite, I like to give a pair of tickets away through DO512 just by people clicking “I Like It” on the listing. Bonus: if enough people click “I Like It” the show makes their weekly blog to all subscribers. How’s that for free advertising?

DoubleStereo.com – A really cool page where bands can sell everything from their music to their t-shirts, and the homepage has a blog w/interviews and updates. You can also embed your twitter account and have links to outside sites through here. Not so much a tool to promote a single show, but it’s something you need to consider. Perhaps another week I’ll dedicate to sites like these.

showlistaustin.com – Just another option for where you can post your show information.

Other band-related sites:

The two I’m hearing about the most right now are ReverbNation and Bandcamp. Revebnation is kind of like an electronic Press Kit where you can house everything from your music to a bio to your preferred stage set-up. I’ve seen Bandcamp used by musicians to sell and/or give away their music. It seems like a useful tool. I don’t know much about either one of these, but these are the ones I’m hearing about.

INSTANT UPDATES

Ah, instant gratification. Just for kicks, do this at your show. When the first band goes on, ask anyone who has a FourSquare or Gowalla account to update that they are at your show. Ask people to Twitter where they are. Ask them to update their Facebook the same. Tell ‘em anyone who comes to the door saying they saw it on Facebook/Twitter/Foursquare/Gowalla and came because of that gets $2 off admission. Will it work? I don't know. But darn wouldn’t it be cool if it did?

Wrap-Up

No single one of these things listed above is the THING to do. In order to properly execute promotion for a show, you should really try and do as many of these things as possible. Remember, you know how awesome your band is, but don’t assume the general public does. You need to earn that cover price for the show. And the show itself isn’t where you earn it, the promotion brings them to the door before they’ve seen you play lick one live.

Next week, I’ll talk about your merch. You DO sell merch at your shows,, don’t you?

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. For an introduction to his "52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice" visit this link - http://www.tinyurl.com/Claes52DIY. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Week 1: Gig Promo Posters

Posters and Handbills ARE Important

(This is Week 1 of my Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice)

By Sean Claes

The Set Up: Let’s assume you have booked a show… since you are a band. So… next step is promoting said show. We’re going to call this one “Old School” promotion.

A 1990 Poster designed by Christa Nelson
promoting a high school band Nelson was in.

Poster – Get one done

Even if it’s a 8.5” x 11” pencil drawn flier on college-ruled notebook paper ripped carelessly out of the wire binder that says who you are and where you’re playing… that’s more than 80% of the bands out there are doing.

Now… I don’t recommend doing your promotional poster that way.

There are many poster designers in the Austin area (or online) that would be happy to design your poster for a nominal fee. I think the going rate is about $50 for a decent artist. Of course if you want to go with a poster artist who wins awards… you’re going to pay more. Money buys quality. Here's a couple of October shows that have professional graphics.

But, if you’re like most bands you’ve got a slim budget. DIY design is pretty easy as long as you get someone with a computer and a little bit of knowledge.  Like I said, it doesn’t have to be beautiful or amazing… but it SHOULD inform someone about your show and perhaps even get them to consider going (Look at the end of this entry to see some posters I've done in the past).

Information to make sure you put on your poster:

-       Name of bands playing (make sure the headliner stands out)

-       Date of show (Include FRIDAY or TUESDAY)

-       Time of show (doors open at … each band goes on at…)

-       Name AND address of venue

-       Price to get in.

-       18+ or 21+ venue?

Information to think about for poster:

-       Discount for mentioning poster

-       Group discount ($5 a person, groups of 5 or more are $3)

-       Providing a really striking image for poster

-       Website to visit

-       Free download/album for visiting site

Remember… this is a poster that people are going to look at in passing. Most people who look at it wont spend more than a few seconds on it… so please make sure the most important things STAND OUT. Namely the date, venue, and bands.

Printing and Distributing

OK.. you’ve created a poster. It does the job and it’s sitting on your computer. Next step.. find a printer and make copies for distribution.

1.    What to get:

a.     Posters for the venue (usually a venue will take 5-6 posters. If it’s an out-of-town venue, you can mail them the posters and as a bonus send them a roll of tape. That will  pretty much guarantee 2 things.. they will hang your posters and once you arrive they’ll remember you fondly. I say print 50-100 posters for your show.

b.     Handbills will be for every member of the band to hand out anytime they go out (handbills are pretty much printed 4-per letter-sized page. The bonus with handbills is you’ve got 2 sides… so you can put MORE information on it… or a promotion (bring this handbill in for $2 of cover).  Print 100 pages (which is 400 handbills).

2.    What to do with them:

a.     Posters: as many as you print… that's as many as you should hang up. There is a service in Austin that I’ve used the past to hang up posters for me (Motorblade) and they have a method for hanging up your poster to the 100+ places in Austin they have distinguished as legal to place posters.If you've got the cash to spend... I'd recommend them.

With some work and time you can find these places yourself if you don’t care to hire a company to do it for you. With about 4 bands on a bill that gives you about 12-20 people who should be promoting. Split the city up and let each person/band take care of a section.

b.     Handbills: Get these done about 3 weeks before a show and every time you go out.. you should be dropping a few off or handing these out. In Austin walk down 6th Street or Red River and give ‘em away. If you go to touring show that is in a similar genre as yours.. hand them out as people walk in or out. Note: Unless your show is also at that venue it’s not good taste to hand them out inside (if your show is at Red Eyed Fly don’t hand out fliers at Stubb’s and vice versa).

3.    Need a little help?

This could be a good place to employ some of your fans as a “street team.” I’m personally not big into street teams because it’s just making people who are your fans work for you for free.  BUT.. there are plenty of willing folks to serve as a street team member… so if you feel OK doing it.. go ahead. It is a cheap way to get the word out for your band / show.

Next week I’ll talk about some of the online options for promotion. But I want to stress… physical posters and face-to-face handing out of handbills to fans is HUGE.

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. For an introduction to his "52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice" visit this link - http://www.tinyurl.com/Claes52DIY. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Here's a few examples of posters I did myself.

My 35th Birthday Bash
Yes.. I took my own photo.

A 2007 INsite Night Ad I created.
The rock can be found on the corner of
FM1626 & FM967 at a gas station in Buda.

Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice

52 Weeks of Music DIY Advice

The link to each week is below. To learn about the project read under the sexy photo of me.

Week 1: Posters and Handbills (9/24/10)

Week 2: Social Media (10/1/10)
Week 3: Merchandise (10/8/10)
Week 4: Publicity (10/14/10)
Week 5: How To Write a Press Release (10/21/10)
Week 6: How To Release Your Music: Part 1 of 3 (10/28/10)
Week 7: How To Release Your Music: Part 2 of 3 (11/4/10)
Week 8: How To Release Your Music: Part 3 of 3 (11/11/10)
Week 9: The Rock Star Treatment (11/18/10)
Week 10: What's The Point? (11/25/10)
Week 11: Keep It In Your Pants (12/2/10)
Week 12: Where's Your Glass Ceiling? (12/9/10)
Week 13: Basic Ground Rules (12/16/10)
Week 14: It's Christmas - Comic Time (12/25/10)
Week 15: Steps to Advertise on Radio (12/30/10)
Week 16: Who's Talking? (1/6/11)
Week 17: Be A Gracious Host (1/13/11)
Week 18: Who's Voting? (1/20/11)
Week 19: Come To My Show... Please? (1/27/11)
Week 20: Entertain or Perish (2/3/11)
Week 21: DIY Poster Child: One Eyed Doll (2/10/11)
Week 22: Promotions One Oh One (2/17/11)
Week 23: Check Your Music (2/24/11)
Week 24: The Hustle (3/4/11)
Week 25: Reviewing the Role of a Reviewer (3/10/11)
Week 26: The Banter (3/17/11)
Week 27: Keep It Real (3/24/11)
Week 28: Interviewing 101 (3/31/11)
Week 29: Notes From The Cubicle (4/8/11)
Week 30: Standing Out (4/14/11)
Week 31: Playing Festivals (4/26/11)
Week 32: What Are You Wearing? (5/4/11)
Week 33: Tell The Truth (5/17/11)
Week 34: The Average Lifespan of a Band (5/24/11)
Week 35: What's The Big Idea? (6/6/11)
Week 36: How NOT to Treat Fans (6/16/11)
Week 37: It's A Job (6/23/11)
Week 38: Five Ways to Brand Your Band (6/30/11)
Week 39: What Goes Around... (7/8/11)
Week 40: Wasted Potential (7/14/11)
Week 41: Standing Out or Outstanding? (7/21/11)
Week 42: Know Where You're Headed (7/28/11)
Week 43: What's In A Name? (8/4/11)
Week 44: Treat People Right (8/12/11)
Week 45: Promote From Your Phone (8/19/11)
Week 46: The Plan (8/29/11)
Week 47: Ian Moore (9/6/11)
Week 48: Which Comes First? (9/23/11)
Week 49: Your Stage Self (10/13/11)
Week 50: Are YOU in THEIR Life? (12/2/11)
Week 51: To Play Free or Not To Play Free (12/29/11)
Week 52: Bands As Retail Stores (1/5/12)

----



Sean Claes



Earlier this month I completed my first personal weekly challenge, I reviewed 52 Austin-Based CDs in 52 Weeks. When I finished that, I took a little time-out. Then I thought about my next challenge. What if I do a weekly blog for a year that gives advice to do-it-yourself bands out there? I've been on both sides of this one.

As a magazine editor and owner I have been on the receiving end of promotional attempts by indie bands who don't have a label or publicity firm driving their promotions. There are a few out there that do it really well. They promote themselves online, via e-mail, they call, I see their promo out there, and I see the results at their shows. On the other hand there is a vast majority that don't. They either don't know what to do, who to reach out to, or just flat don't care to promote themselves... and I see the results at their shows as well.

As a freelance writer and promoter I've also been on the "sending end" of the table. I realize how hard it is to promote a band, project, show, or music release. I've learned something along the way there as well.

So, take a deep breath and let's see how this goes. Welcome to my new challenge, Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice. Admittedly this is a challenge that will likely help DIY bands more than the average reader... but I think you may be entertained even if you aren't in a band. Let's see.

As I did with my last one, I'll post a link to each week via this page so they'll all be in one nice tidy spot. I hope you enjoy the journey and learn a little bit in the process.

This is a hand's on blog... your comments are appreciated.

Let's go for a ride together.

Thanks to Austin's Annie Ray for taking this shot of me at ACL 2009.

September 21 is HAAM Benefit Day in Austin

Next Tuesday, September 21 many Austin restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds and musicians will donate their time and talent for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. It's the annual HAAM Benefit Day. 

"HAAM Benefit Day is a uniquely Austin event where businesses donate 5% of the day's proceeds to HAAM to support musicians' health. Musicians, most of whom are HAAM members, perform throughout the day at retail stores, outside stages, City Hall and more. The event runs from 6am to well past midnight and community members are invited to shop, eat out, listen to great live music and enjoy! See this year's music schedule." - (From myhaam.org)

I attempt to make it out and support this every year. The first year I was able to sit on the Gibson bus as it stopped at several great restaurants to see some awesome bands. Last year I hit up several live performances and eat at one of the supporting businesses.  This year I'm planning on spending my lunch hour watching either Dave Madden at Romeo's at 12:30 or Reckless Kelley at Whole Foods (12:00). If you're a one location person.. the morning seems to be hoppin' at Whole Foods and the evening shows are going to be awesome at both Threadgill's and Headhunters (depending on your chosen style of music).

If you're looking for a few "to sees" don't worry... I've waded through the 141 live performances and listed some of the ones I'd recommend. I've even put links to some of the CD Reviews/Interviews/Video I've taken of some of these artists. 

To see a full schedule click here.

8:00a - Dan Dyer - Whole Foods (525 N. Lamar)

9:00a - Sara Hickman - Whole Foods

11:30a - Paul Finley - Time Warner Cable (730 W. Stassney) (YouTube Video)

12:00n - Reckless Kelly - Whole Foods

12:30p - Dave Madden - Romeo's (1500 Barton Springs Rd) (CD Review)

1:00p - Bruce James - Neiman Marcus (The Domain)

or

1:00p - Ray Wylie Hubbard - Whole Foods (2010 Interview / CD Review)

4:30p - Guy Forsyth - GSD&M Idea City (828 W. 6th) (2004 Interview / CD Review)

4:45p - Colin Gilmore - Phil's Icehouse (5620 Burnet Road) (CD Review)

5:00p - Deadman - Waterloo Records (600 N. Lamar) (CD Review)

or

5:00p - Slim Richey - Lambert's Downtown Barbeque (401 W. 2nd)

5:30p - Malford Milligan & Jeff Plankenhorn - Whole Foods

5:45p - Nakia - Romeo's - 1500 Barton Springs Road

6:00p - Billy Dee - 26 Doors Shopping Center (1206 W. 38th) (Video)

or

6:00p - Shapes Have Fangs - Antone's Record Shop (2928 Guadalupe)

or

6:00p - Brennen Leigh - Evangeline Café (8106 Brodie)

7:00p - David Garza, Ruby Jane, and Arum Rae - Hotel San Jose (1300 S. Congress)

or

7:00p - Rosie Flores, Bob Livingston, Greezy Wheels and more - Threadgill's South (301 Riverside)

7:15 - Michael Fracasso - Romeo's (video)

7:30 - Nathan Hamilton - Gueros (1412 S. Congress)

7:45 - Redd Volkaert - Romeo's

8:00 - Subrosa Union - Encore Records (1745 W. Anderson)

8:30 - Adrian and the Sickness - Headhunters (720 Red River) (CD Review)

9:00 - Honky - Headhunters

10:00p - Killa Maul - Headhunters

11:00p - Milkdrive - Continental Club (1315 S. Congress)

12:30 - Street Light Suzie - Headhunters

Here are some photos I took at last year's event:

Billy Dee at the Time Warner Cable office

Uncle Lucius at GSD&M Idea City

Patricia Vonne at Whole Foods

A "HAAMbassador" poses with Graham Weber at Thundercloud Subs

Here's Patricia Vonne performing "Guitars and Castanets" at Whole Foods during the 2009 HAAM Benefit Day.

Week 52: Deadman - Live At The Saxon Pub

(This is week 52 of my 52 Austin CD Reviews in 52 Weeks Project)   

“I hear that train a'comin' down the line
She's carrying music and some old friends of mine.
And when they get here, we're a'gonna let loose

Gonna play about midnight, you can come if you choose.” – Don’t Do This To Me

Deadman

Live At The Saxon Pub

Gonzolandia Records

It is no mistake that the Deadman CD Release celebration for their Live At The Saxon Pub this past August 20-22 was called a “revival,” as the band comes off like an alt-country choir with Steven Collins fronting the 6-piece praise band.

As the title suggests, this album was recorded while performing at Austin’s Saxon Pub, where the band seems to have a solid Tuesday night residency. The dozen Collins-penned tracks that are captured on this album are beautifully performed.

The songs contained within this release are a collection of tracks from previous albums 2001’s Cuatro Canciones  and Paramour, 2005’s Our Eternal Ghosts, and 2008’s Severe Mercy. It also includes a few tracks from the soon-to-be-released Take Up Your Mat And Walk.

Gospels like “If I Lay Down By The River” and “Mankind” play nicely with the whiskey-soaked lost love grooves of “Adios Mi Corazon” and “Ain’t No Music.” Meanwhile the storytelling of “Brother John” and “Oh Delilah” add another layer to the tunes.

My favorite song on this album is the ballad “When The Music’s Not Forgotten.” It hit me deeply in a personal way. You see, recently I went on a spiritual retreat called a “Walk To Emmaus” and I finally understood that is meant by God’s grace. So, the following lyrics really hit home. “If we stand on a hill and do not touch / How can we do good? / If we wash our hands of all our friends / What change can really come? / If we hide our fears and don't draw near / Have we really lived? / Or are we all just standing here / Hoping there is grace?” As a small bit of trivia, I learned this track was actually used on Seasons 1 and 3 of the hit  CBS show Criminal Minds.

I believe there was a little divine hand in the fact that this CD is my last one of my 52 Austin CD Reviews in 52 Weeks project. It really typifies the journey I’ve gone through personally, socially, and spiritually in these last 12 months. But putting me aside, Deadman Live At The Saxon Pub is a must-listen to music lovers of any kind. 

The album is available for purchase at shows and online at Gonzolandia Records. They play Austin tonight 9/9 at the Continental Club, 9/14 at Saxon Pub and have an in-store at Waterloo Records on 9/21 at 5:00p and play a H.A.A.M. benefit shot at Saxon Pub that evening.

Also, there’s a free studio version of “Don’t Do This To Me” on the band’s Bandcamp. So… there’s many options for you to catch Deadman live or, for those who don’t happen to live within touring distance, online.

Deadman is: Collins (vocal/guitar), Kevin McCollough (guitar), Jacob Hindebrand (guitar), Kyle Schneider (drums), Matthew Mollica (Hammond B3 organ), and Lonnie Treviño Jr (bass). Find them online at http://www.deadmanonline.com/

Week 51: Tin Can Phone - Tin Can Phone EP

(This is week 51 of my 52 Austin CD Reviews in 52 Weeks Project)  

“But as we walk along the path of life

Each experience is significant and that is why

I’m dying to tell you the things I’ve learned” - Zero

Tin Can Phone

Tin Can Phone

Thanks to Greg “Phive” Cooper, I’ve been introduced to some really good local reggae bands in the last year. One of those is Austin’s Tin Can Phone (TCP).  The released an EP in October 2009 that finally made it into my hands last month.

This EP is equal parts rock and reggae. Songs like “Murder” and “Snake Eyes” bring the pop-rock offering to the table. “Fell Off,” “Hardly Care,” and “Zero” bring the Reggae feel. The sound TCP harnesses is a laid-back one that has a Sublime meets Jack Johnson feel to it.

“Murder” kicks the album off strong with a sweet Josh Nicholson supplied guitar-riff. Next up is the summeresque feel of “Fell Off.” Then the reggae-infused jam “Hardly Care” comes next with a creeping rhythm.

My favorite track, “Snake Eyes” is a rocker with a building groove that seems to layer as the song progresses. “They say that lightning won’t strike the same place twice / But don’t you know that every time I roll the dice I get snake eyes.”

“Zero” ends the EP on a high point. It’s got a feel that reminds me of “Smoke Two Joints,” the original version by The Toyes more than the Sublime cover).

Vocally, Matt Rusin commands the mic and delivers his message in a conversational style.. almost at a whisper at times. The rhythm is supplied nicely by Tyler Rusin (bass) and Bert Mesa (drums).

Tin Can Phone is playing this Monday (Labor Day) at 2:00p.m. in San Marcos, Texas at the San Marcos River Reggae Festival. Also on the bill for this show is The Original Wailers, The Movement, Full Service, Ashes of Babylon Carlton Pride & Zion, and Chris Boomer. For tickets (just $10).. visit http://riverreggae.eventbrite.com/

For more information about Tin Can Phone, visit http://www.tincanphone.net. You can also download an "unoffical album" called Fifteen Songs for free here.