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[The How-To Issue]

How to book a touring band for your backyard

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Illustration: Filthy Little Hands

Who hasn’t daydreamed about it—a favorite band playing your wedding, birthday or house party? Veteran talent buyer Mike Henry, who books at the Bunkhouse, Downtown Container Park and Gold Spike, says it can happen, even to ordinary fans. “I think stuff like that is more possible than ever now. Bands do it all around the country, and agents know how to think about it.” A few of Henry’s specific tips for getting the gig going …

1. Be realistic. “You’re not gonna get Radiohead, but you can certainly find bands that will do it. If you look at Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s website, there’s a whole run of house shows. Mike Doughty is famous for doing it. Maybe start by finding bands with holes in their tours, that aren’t playing Vegas but will be close by. Some bands might get insulted, but some will be flattered and super into it.”

2. Make a connection. “Good agents listen to their bands, so if you have a way to go to the artist first—if you can connect with them and get them excited about it—you just moved the ball way down the field. Lots of artists are very approachable and will email you back.”

3. Be legit. “You have to be as professional about it as you can. They’re gonna quickly want to know, ‘Who are you, have you done this before, is this gonna be produced well?’ Any sort of credibility you can bring to it will help. Maybe even do a house show with local bands and videotape it so you have something to show them.”

4. Get help. “Having it come off right is a lot of work and requires a pretty specialized skill set. You might think about bringing someone in, an experienced musician or event promoter or producer.”

We’ll add a final tip: Watch the video portion of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes’ Ruin Jonny’s Bar Mitzvah album before you book anything. As the title suggests, great concepts don’t always add up to great results.

Tags: Music, Featured
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