First Friday / Noise Before the Show / Poster Art of Stacie Willoughby

 

First Friday - Friday, June 4  
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios
118 Coral St, off River
Featuring the poster art of Stacie Willoughby.
 
About the Artist:
Excerpted from an amazing article on Stacie by Cat Johnson (found here - Eerily Engaging: The Work of Stacie Willoughby).
If you’ve been in or around the Bay Area music scene anytime in the last decade, you have almost certainly encountered Willoughby’s work. She has produced a steady stream of posters for shows ranging from small, last-minute house shows to huge, multi-day festivals in the forest, and everything in between. The scope of her portfolio is mind-boggling; page after page of posters, announcing performances by some of the most interesting and cred-heavy artists around, including Will Oldham, Fleet Foxes, Stephen Malkmus, Bert Jansch, Sleepy Sun, Mudhoney, Black Francis and Animal Collective; and that’s just scratching the surface. Willoughby is, quite literally, identifying, furthering and documenting an era of music.

 

10 Things I Learned at the SF MusicTech Summit

  1. If you are in a band and you have a CD – read SoundExchanges New Artist Checklist. Make sure you are registered with SoundExchange, otherwise you are just leaving money on the table.
  2. Submit your music to Pandora, AccRadio, Last.fm  – these audiences are growing as consumers continue to demand personalization and control that terrestrial radio is not providing. In the future, Pandora will also unveil a “Pandora for artists” where the principal focus will translate what goes on with artists into something of value for the audience. For example, you could give a song a thumbs up and then Pandora could let you know that band is actually playing in your area on XYZ date.
  3. Viral videos are one of the most exciting things happening in music right now. YouTube allows artists to collaborate over space and time. One of the beautiful things about YouTube videos is that they are usually not so edited. They provide a record of an event. An amazing example is Pomplamoose Music  who just bought a house from their record sales all developed through their YouTube channel.
  4. Ben Folds is super rad. When asked how artists would interact with even newer technologies he simply said “I don’t know”, followed closely by my personal favorite quote of the day “10 years ago we all seemed to know what was coming next and that is why it came to an end.”
  5. Cisco Media Solutions Group has a new artist website platform called Eos which Warner Music Group is rolling out with their artists (currently 35 sites launched to date). Ryan Garner from Warner admitted that in the past artist websites where primarily a new album promo tool that died quickly after and album was released. The next phase of artist website is built to last and become its own meaningful channel. Warner partnered with Cisco so they didn’t have to try to reinvent the technology wheel that Cisco had already mastered. Best piece of take away from Garner was that fans what to “feel like the artist goes to their website”. They achieved this by building in an easy system for artists to upload mobile phone photos, videos, tweets – making that fresh, straight from the artist content front and center. Focusing on actual two way conversations between artist and fan.
  6. Pledge Music  is a new platform that provides fans and artists the opportunity to work together to make new records and raise money for charity. Unlike similar platforms, founder Benji Rogers councils bands to “never ask fans for money”, instead tell them why this is the best way for them to be involved with your music. Currently fans spend an average of $92 in pledges. Utilizing a platform like this is another way to compete with the fact that essentially all music is already free (so you are adding value with you engage the fan in the process of making the music and also involve a meaningful charity).
  7. Music Hack Day  is happening all over the word. The one in San Francisco resulted in 35 apps created in 24 hrs. The party favorite has got to be Six Degrees of Black Sabbath.
  8. I had no idea there was a top level .music domain name “initiative” but you can sign the petition at their website - http://www.music.us/
  9. Next Big Sound is doing truly insane things with artist data and right now you can check out their new premier service for free here. If you are artist, you NEED to be using this service. The premier service with allow you to view social music data alongside traditional sales/radio data, traffic to an artist's website Google Analytics, press mentions, blog mentions, live performances, and chart appearances. All in one place. Umm – yes please.
  10. If you don’t own an iPhone or an iPad, do not go to a tech conference in San Francisco. Lucky for me I just purchased my first iPhone a few weeks ago so I was all good, but seriously, Apple owned the room.

PS. Bonus buzz word = freemium

Freemium is a business model that works by offering basic Web services, or a basic downloadable digital product, for free, while charging a premium for advanced or special features. The word "freemium" is a portmanteau created by combining the two aspects of the business model: "free" and "premium". The business model has gained popularity with Web 2.0 companies.

If You Play It, They Won’t Just Come

Full text of this blog is found on my Good Times Making Noise blog.

Here are some Santa Cruz specific outlets to promote your show through:

Postering (printing and distribution): Clutch Couriers

Blogs: Santa Cruz D.I.Y Cruzio Weekend Santa Cruz

Daily Papers: Santa Cruz Sentinel - Add your event on thier calendar and check out which music writer covers your genre.

Weekly Papers: Good Times Santa Cruz Weekly City on a Hill (UCSC) The Voice (Cabrillo College) The Valley Post Connection Magazine Press Banner

Monthly Magazines Your Music Magazine 831 Magazine Santa Cruz Magazine

Radio KPIG KUSP KZSC (email calender listings to calendar@kzsc.org) KAZU KSCO FRSC

Event Websites www.beeets.com www.centerd.com www.localmusicvibe.com

Twitter

I would suggest following and sending your show info to the following (but if you do, make sure your show is on thier calendars first).

@centerdinSCruz @YourMusicMag @santacruzshows @BestofSantaCruz @scsentinel @beeets @santacruzweekly @cityonahill @LocalMusicVibe

Beeets.com Launch Party - Thursday, May 13

Santa Cruz,'s own Beeets.com, the only events search engine powered by your interests, will launch Thursday during a free show at The Crepe Place .

Featuring local bands Wooster (Santa Cruz) and Yung Mars (San Francisco), the show will be free to the public and include raffle prizes such as iPods and T-shirts. The launch party will coincide with the release of The Crepe Place’s new web site, built by Lyon Bros. Enterprises and powered by Beeets.com events.

Beeets.com is a new service that allows people to post, search and share events based completely on their interests. Events are “tagged” with descriptive words, allowing people to quickly filter through the local events listing by clicking on one or more interests. This unique interest search makes it easy for people to post and find events that wouldn’t fit into the few pre-defined categories on other events sites. Beeets.com is an ad-free experience that aims to get people off the web, into their communities and having fun with their lives.

Beeets enables local groups, including music venues, sports teams and community organizations, to have a central place to post and manage their events, not only on the Beeets website, but on their own websites as well. Using the simple drop-in Beeets Widget, organizations can pull their events listing from Beeets.com into their own sites. The Beeets Widget makes it easy to maintain an up-to-date list of events on any web site, and also allows people with similar interests to easily find these events on Beeets.com.

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Play My Favorite Song - Tips on How to Book at Show at the Seabright Brewery and the Wharf House

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Full text of this blog is found at the Good Times Making Noise site.

Seabright Brewery 519 Seabright Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95062 831-426-BREW (2739) http://www.seabrightbrewery.com/

Wharf House Restaurant 1400 Wharf Road at the end of the Capitola Wharf Capitola, California 95010 831.476.3534 http://www.wharfhouse.com/

  • Booking contact:  Michelle Rossi

Mailing Address 4165 Portola Dr Santa Cruz CA, 95062 (831) 475-9197

  • Preferred method of contact: Mail or drop off a press kit and CD. The most important thing to include is a set list so Michelle can see what kind of music you will be doing for four hours. You can call to follow-up.
  • Timing: Booking about 2 months in advance.  
  • Days:  Friday nights
  • Genres: R&B is hot right now. Upbeat, danceable. Blues, Classic rock. Cover songs that people recognize. Open to all good music though. Michelle looks for a quark about the band, something special that sets you apart.
  • Capacity: Can fit more people in the summer when the weather is good and people can use the outside area at the Brewery.
  • Payment: Varies and will be negotiated with Michelle in advance.
  • Equipment: Bring your own.
  • Stage area? How many members fit comfortably?
  • Typical show start time? Show starts at 6:30 and goes until about 10:30
  • Booking mostly local or touring bands? All local within a three hour driving distance. Michelle likes to be able to have bands that the crowd loves back again (which is much harder with touring bands that are not often in the area).

SCUM Fest - Saturday, May 8 - 2 PM - 10 PM

Santa Cruz Underground Music presents SCUMfest!  Performances will be at SubRosa and the Bike Church

A FREE, all-day concert which showcases the local music of Santa Cruz, with performances by:

ACID TAPESTRIES AMPHIGORY BOTRON COOL BAND NOW DANNY RYAN DJ BAKENUTS GOOD PEOPLE HARLEQUIN BABY HEY CHARLES HORSE MARRIAGE LIFE B4 DEATH NESSIE & HER BEARD NO JET LEFT NURSERY PSYCHOLOGICAL WASTE RARE TIMES ROSEVIS ROUNDABOUT SAN NARCISO SCOTT SCHAUS SUNNY AFTERNOON TERRORSHARK THE BEST FRIENDS WASKATIC

While this is a free event, all donations made at the door will benefit the SubRosa Infoshop and The Bike Church. There will also be opportunities to donate to La Fabrica and The Santa Cruz Needle Exchange.

Please respect the spaces which are hosting, and remember that this is a drug-free/booze-free event. You can be a good guest and still have a good time.

Accroding to the SCUM Facebook page, the list above represents the bands currently confirmed to play, and may be subject to change. However, they are no longer accepting applications.

SCUM (Santa Cruz Underground Music) is a loosely organized group of folks interested in booking and promoting DIY shows, networking and gathering resources, supporting each other in musical and artistic endeavors, and building a culturally rich community. SCUM meetings are the first Saturday of the month at 3pm at 107 Blackburn and the third Sunday of the month at 3pm at 215 Storey. Bring snacks and ideas if you have them!

Good Times - The Best - Critic Pick

We are truly honored to be included with this years Good Times Critics' Picks. We promise to work even harder to be your best friend ever.

Best New Musician’s Friend SANTA CRUZ REHEARSAL STUDIOS When you want to rock out but not get kicked out (of your home, garage, neighborhood), and you actually want to clearly hear every component of your band’s new song (instruments and vocals), it helps to have a sweet practice space with a sweet sound set-up. Enter the spankin’ new Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios. One answer to the city’s sound ordinances (or your mom’s curfew for bombastic steely shreddage), the studio’s four spacious rehearsal rooms opened to the public in January, bringing a professional touch to the Santa Cruz underground. Open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until midnight, SCRS is owned and operated by Paul and Jennifer Gallacher—a powerhouse couple in the music loop. With Paul’s expertise as a former luthier at Santa Cruz Guitar Company (not to mention his days in L.A. playing guitar in a power trio) adding a nice touch to the counter, SCRS makes musicians feel right at home. Bands like Archer, the Luxury Sweets, and Moon Cadillac have already uncovered this gem near Harvey West Park, and it’s helping them stay in top gigging form. Offering high-end gear and fully soundproofed studios at an affordable rate (they even serve up free snacks and drinks for starving musicians!), SCRS brings the panache of the big city music scene without the attitude or price tag. And, yes, even the bathroom is pristine. Ready to kick out the jams? Now you know where to go. (santacruzrehearsalstudios.com) | LK

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You're So Vain - How to Create a Vanity Facebook URL

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Now that ALL bands are on Facebook I want to share a little tip that some excellent pages have overlooked - the vanity URL. Just like you can have your www.myspace.com slash band name, so too can you have your www.facebook.com / band name.

For example, SCRS has www.facebook.com/santacruzrehearsalstudios - this way it makes it super easy for us to promote our FB page / put it on a flyer/ ad, etc.

To get this nifty vanity URL just visit - www.facebook.com/username/ 

If you make one, send me a link, comment, email or written letter so I can post it on our site.

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First Friday / Form and Flow / May 7 6-9 PM

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With so many musician/artists in our midst it was only a matter of time before our once bare walls got a little decorating. Over the past week a few of Santa Cruz's finest have graced our walls/shelves with their work (and more to come before next month).

Friday, May 7 we are participating in the "First Friday" art tour and hosting a reception (aka party) from 6-9 PM. Music will be provided by Moon Cadillac.

FORM AND FLOW WORKS IN METAL, WATERCOLOR AND OIL BY CJ FLORES, PEPE TIGER AND MIKE WELSH.    FLORES For the past thirteen years local artist and performer CJ Flores has been sculpting lights, mirrors and outdoor art out of metal and wood. His signature lights cut out of recycled olive oil tins can be found in sacred spaces throughout the county. Constantly inspired by the female form, many of his pieces depict women’s innate sexuality and power. Also a tattoo artist, his latest series is inspired by flash and the rockabilly subculture.   TIGER Santa Cruz native, Pepe NUnez, aka Pepe Tiger paints your grandmother’s caricature at the Boardwalk by day, and your wildest dreams by night. Taking inspiration from the streets, his paintings depict modern interpretations of everything from the girl next door to the Virgin Mary. www.myspace.com/pepetiger     WELSH Describing his art as “collaborative interactive” Mike Welsh embraces the impermanence of life itself.  His latest collection of skim board art was created with ink/oil on wood and then tested for function in the surf. The waves and sand add a dimension of texture to pieces that are not just decorative.   Please join us for our First Friday debut on Friday, May 7 from 6-9 pm at Santa Cruz Rehearsal Studios, 118 Coral Street (in Harvey West next to Polar Radiator), as we toast these fine local artists. Music & libations will be provided.

About

First Friday Art Tour is a community event that takes place the first Friday of each month throughout the City of Santa Cruz. The event is free and open to anyone. Between twenty and forty art venues are open between 5PM and 9PM for the Art Tour. Some venues have openings, talks, music, or other special activities. Others are simply open late. Individuals start their art tour by visiting any participating venue and picking up a copy of The First Friday Art Tour Brochure, the official publication of First Friday Art Tour.

Buy Art Nearly all of the art on view is for sale. If you like it, buy it. Not only will you have a treasure that you can cherish for years to come, you will be supporting the local art scene and making it possible to see more great art in the future.

Homebrewed Tunes - Tips on How to book a show at the Parish Publick House

Full text to my Parish Publlick House blog lives on The Good Times Making Noise blog.

How to book a show at  The Parish Publick House

The Parish Publick House

841 Almar Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95067 (831) 421-0507

21 + after 9 PM

Booking contact: Erik Granath

Preferred method of contact: Call Erik to discuss you band at (831) 421-0507. Drop of a CD and press kit in person and he will try to give it a listen. Email is reserved for specs/details after you have connected via phone or in person.

Timing:  Booking about 2 months in advance.

Days:  Live music is usually Thurs/Fri/Sat nights

Genres:  Think strings - country, punk inspired folk, bluegrass, singer/songwriters, blues.

Capacity: 110

Payment: It’s more about getting your music heard but talk to Erik about working it out.

Equipment:  Rudimentary PA System. It is a small space so not much amplification is needed. This isn’t a club, it is a pub that hosts some live music so come prepared.

Typical start time? After dinner and hockey games end – usually about 10 PM - Midnight

Food/Drink:  You will probably get some, especially if you sound good.

Booking mostly local or touring bands? Open to both local and touring bands. A great stop for bands playing San Francico and then driving through as they tour the coast.

Also books the Maiden Publick House in Big Sur, CA.

Success Stories:

 First show they booked was Fire Whiskey, other local favorites include Tater Famine (Monday, April 26). Touring favorites include Larry and his Flask (Monday, April 26),

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Streetlight In-Stores & Record Store Day

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My latest Good Times Making Noise blog is up featuring info on this Saturday's record store day including info on how your band can book yourself a nice little in-store of your own.

Streetlight has a great schedule of live music all day:

April 17, 2020 Record Store Day 7 Come 11 (Funk/Jazz from SC) – 1:00 Special Guests – 2:00 Special Guests – 2:30 DJ Rob Monroy (House from SC) – 3:15 Pillow Fights (Pop-Punk from SJ) – 4:00 Rodent (Gothic/Industrial from SC) – 4:30 Tetherhorse (Folk/Bluegrass from SC) – 5:00 DJ Tom LG (45s from the 30s, 40s and 50s) – 5:30 Stellar Corpses (Psychobilly from SC) – 6:00

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Record Store Day - Saturday, April 17

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Please support Record Store Day this Saturday, April 17th! This is a special day where independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. For a full listing of participating store locations, check out http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

Santa Cruz's own Streetlight Records is a participting store.

Streetlight Records 939 S. Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz , CA 95060  831-421-9200

Rock 'n' Bowl - Tips for local bands on How to Book at Show at Coaster's

How to book a show at Coaster's

Coaster's 115 Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA

21 + after 9 PM

Booking contact: Rogelio Guzman

Preferred method of contact: Receiving an email at rogelio@scseaside.com with your MySpace page included. You can also call (831) 426-3324 or drop off a CD and press kit in person.

Timing: Coaster's is booking about 2 months in advance.

Days: Live music night is Friday but some Saturday or weekday shows for the right lineup.

Genres: Rock n’ roll, punk, metal, reggae. Coaster's is open to all genres of music, but happens to be one of the few places in Santa Cruz where louder bands are welcome.

Capacity: 145

Payment: Bands start off with a small guarantee. Once they are established at the venue, they get bumped up to a guarantee plus % deal.

Equipment: Coaster's PA System is made for karaoke, not bands, so plan on brining your own PA and pretty much all other necessary equipment. The venue has a dance floor and might even let you use the fog machine and lasers if you ask nicely.

Booking Guidelines:

Coaster's prefers local bands; you won’t see many touring acts competing for slots.

Bands usually start out on Friday nights. Coaster's will book about one Saturday a month for the right band(s). Shows start at 9:00 PM and usually run until around 11:45 PM. Never past 1 AM.

Success Stories:

Stand out local acts that have proven themselves at Coaster's include The Devil Himself, Who's Holdin', 3UpFront and Honest Mistake.

Full text to my Coaster's blog lives on The Good Times Making Noise blog.

Performer Magazine - April 2010

We got a nice Tour Stop mention in this months Performer Magazine.

Family Music Day - April 25 - Free

We are excited to have been invited to participate in this awesome event!

Family Music Day A Family Concert and Music Resource Fair Sunday, April 25, 2:00 - 4:00 PM Pacific Cultural Center 1307 Seabright Ave Free Admission

Schedule:

Family Friendly Live Music

2:00 - 3:00 PM

  • Sing-along with Joya Winwood of Mothersong
  • Little Mozarts 4 Fun
  • Music fun for everyone with Lizz Anderson of MusicalMe

3:00 - 4:00 PM

  • Mice in the Mug Celtic Teen Band
  • Be Natural Music/Real Rock Band
  • Abbott Family/ToneWay Music Project

Resource Fair

  • A dozen local organizations displaying their music programs for kids, teens and families.
  • Instrument "Petting Zoo" of stringed things to pick up and play
  • Check out music books courtesy of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries

For more information, please see www.communitymusicschool.org or contact Janet at 831-429-1691 or fasola@cruzio.com

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Record Rehearsals for $10

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We just invested in a Zoom H2 digital recorder that will allow you to record your band practice sessions. The Zoom is available for rent $10 per session and you walk away with about 10 songs burned onto a disc.  These tracks are great for critiquing your sound, emailing to your friends, or adding "live" tracks to your MySpace. This is NOT CD quality recording.

The Zoom is available on a first come, first serve basis, so if you are interested be sure to reserve it when you book.

Call 425-SCRS (7277) to book today.

$10 Rehearsal Session Special

New mid-week special.  $10 per hour on studios 2, 3, 4.

Monday – Thursday from 10 AM – 5 PM only. No hourly minimum.

Perfect for students/instructors or bands that have flexible schedules.

Tips for Local Bands on How to Book The Crows Nest

How to book a show at The Crows Nest

The Crows Nest 2218 East Cliff Drive Santa Cruz, CA

All Ages &  21 + depending on show

Booking contact: Blaine Neagley 

Preferred method of contact: Receiving a bio/photo/band history and CD. You can drop the package off at the hostess station anytime, or mail to Blaine at the Crows Nest address.

Timing: The Crows Nest is booking about 3 months in advance.

Days: Live music booked Wednesday – Saturday (Sunday is reserved for Comedy)

Genres: rock n’ roll, oldies, soul, reggae. Weekday nights the venue is open to edgier bands that draw a younger crowd.

Capacity: 180 + two outdoor decks (so 200+ total)

Payment: Weeknights bands get 100% of the door ($5 cover) up to $300. Weekends and beach party bands received a negotiated guarantee.

Equipment: The Crows Nest has a complete PA system, mics and stands. They do not provide a sound engineer and bands should bring their own backline.

Booking Guidelines:

The Crows Nests likes to stick with local bands; you won’t see many touring acts competing for slots.

New bands usually start out on Thursday nights to test their draw. If the band does well on a few weeknights, they will be moved up to a weekend slot. If the band continues to impress, they will be considered for a summer beach party night.

Sunday is designated for comedy. If you are not a comedy act, don’t try to book on a Sunday.

Full text to my Crow’s Nest blog lives on The Good Times Making Noise blog.