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What Local EDM Promoters Look for When Booking Artists

If you’re an EDM producer wanting to play more shows or get more involved in your local scene, then this is the episode for you!

One of the most difficult questions to answer as an EDM producer/DJ is, “What are my local EDM promoters looking for?”

Once you find that answer, getting more shows booked almost instantly becomes the easiest part of your job.

Today, I’m sitting down with Dillon, Nolan, and Brandon from So Called Productions; a production company on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. We’re helping you crack the code to find out what your local EDM promoters are looking for when they book shows.

It can be a tough road to travel, but we’ve got your back!

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • How to get an opening slot
  • How to get a direct support slot
  • What it takes to be a headliner
  • What not to do when trying to get booked
  • What it takes to actually get booked

and so much more!

Click the link below to listen to the show, or look up Electronic Dance Money on your favorite podcast app!

Episode Links

 

The 6-Minute Diary – https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Happiness-Productivity-Effective-Gratitude/

Ego Is The Enemy – https://www.amazon.com/Ego-Enemy-Ryan-Holiday/dp/1591847818

Strengths Finder 2.0 – https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/strengthsfinder.aspx

So Called Productions – https://www.facebook.com/SCPMidwest/

Nolephant – https://www.facebook.com/Nolephant/

Electronic Dance Money Episode 015 – How DJ Sean J Took His DJing Hobby and Turned it Into a Full Time Job https://enviousaudio.com/episode15/

Electronic Dance Money Facebook Community – https://www.facebook.com/groups/393782934612748/?ref=bookmarks

Automatic Episode Transcript — Please excuse any errors, not reviewed for accuracy

spk_0:
00:01

Hey, guys. Welcome to Elektronik. Dance Money. You’re number one business resource for making money as Elektronik, musicians and producers. All right, Sweets, Let’s go. We got a brand

spk_1:
00:35
new episode of electronic dance money, and this one’s gonna be one for the books. I have a feeling this is gonna be a classic episode. There’s gonna be a crazy amount of knowledge dropped in this one. And today we’re going to be talking about how to get booked, and this is gonna be kind of an extension of the previous episode. We had D J Shawn Johnson on where he’s a professional deejay and he does a lot of weddings, bar shows, um, and club shows. So we talked about how to run an actual deejay business mobile deejay business. This one’s actually gonna be about getting booked on the shows. You wanna play or getting booked in your local scene so you can do local shows and be able to play what you want to play in this show that you want play. Whereas if you play at a bar, you kind of have to play to the crowd and, um, the bar, what they’re wanting to hear or a wedding. You know, you can’t just drop a deejay snake track at a wedding If that’s not what they have on their list of tracks they want to hear. So, um, today we’ve got so called productions in. And is it so called productions or so so called production?
spk_2:
01:48
Yes. So, um, so called itself is an actual, like music project between me myself doing I’m Dylan, by the way. Dylan Carlson and then my counterpart is Brandenburg. Um, so we started that group a couple years back, and then, uh, it morphed into so called productions, which is now, ah, the production company that’s run by, Obviously, me and Brandon Nolan, who is also on this podcast and then are good buddies. Ben went and ah, Jacob Gorriti.
spk_1:
02:21
Yes. Oh, um, Dylan, since you’re kind of doing the intro here, why don’t you get a little bit into your story? A brief, your brief story in background and electronic music, and kind of how you came to where you are now, as brief as you can be with that, cause I’m sure it’s a big
spk_0:
02:38
lottery. Like most people. Yeah.
spk_2:
02:40
Yeah. I was just gonna ask if you wanted the, uh, the full story of where my roots are in Elektronik music. Or if you wanted pretty much for us from the start of so called and how it’s, um all the so called production.
spk_0:
02:50
I mean, how did
spk_1:
02:51
you get involved in Elektronik music? How long ago was that? And then, um, up until about this point. Kind of, I guess that is kind of giving the full story. But, um I mean, when did when did you get started with electronic music?
spk_2:
03:05
So I started producing very unprofessionally. I would say, Probably almost 10 years ago. Um, it kind of started like I listen to ah, Harlem shake by
spk_0:
03:19
Bauer 2013. Well, yeah, like dances with that one. Yeah,
spk_2:
03:26
well, it was, like, even farther back than that. Like, that was kind of when I started producing. Obviously, I’ve listened like Skrillex and all that prior thio, you know, hearing about power. But once I started listening to power and all the unique stuff that he was doing with live sampling everything like that, it really got me into wanting to produce. Um from there had several garbage projects that I it was kind of, you know, learning how to use a Bolton exploring my avenues there. Um, Then I went to college, met Brandon and had a solo project going. We both had her own solo projects going, but we collaborated on a project or a song, and it went really well. And I really liked his style. We complemented each other and my weight. My weaknesses were his strengths, and vice versa. So we started so called. Probably What was it two years ago, Brandon
spk_0:
04:20
coming up on three year? Yeah, two years ago. Three,
spk_2:
04:23
33 years in November of pretty sure those are I kind of like, rough date for ah, so called our first release. I guess it’ll be three years from our first release in April released our debut single, Ultraviolet. I was kind of like how we defined our sound as more future based producers. Um, from there, you know, we just started doing some remixes. We’ve gotten an official Bill Gates remix that we put out, and we got to know Dylan that way. Um, he helped us out with a lot of our production techniques and whatnot because he runs that whole producer, Joe Joe thing, Um, and obviously like the whole thing behind so called this, like my workflow is insanely fast, and Brandon’s such a technical person when he listens to things, he starts to nit pick as he goes through. And then he’ll get lost in the hole, trying to complete a song in a very short amount of time or trying to get an idea on paper. So that’s where I shine like I’ll throw everything at the wall and then it’ll it’ll sound like garbage. But you know, at the end of the day, like I’ll just send this hot mess to Brandon and Brandon’s got really technical years and I’d be like, all right, like, this is what he wants to convey. This is how I’m gonna clean it up and so it just works really well that way. And we’re at the point now where it’s kind of like I don’t intend on learning any of the technical aspects because it’s just gonna draw away from my creativity, and I’m gonna start going down that rabbit hole that Brandon goes down.
spk_1:
05:57
I I love that. You understand that you saw that and understand it, and you’re going to stay true to what you’re good at because there’s a lot of this is something I preach on. The podcast lot is a lot of producers. They want to do it all. They want to be it all. They want it. It won’t be the producer, the sound engineer they want sample all of their own stuff. They want to mix it all they want. Master it all they want pro, but they want to do every single thing. What ends up happening is they’re focusing on so many different things and trying. Thio center their attention on so many different things that they’re really bad at a lot of things. Instead of being really great at just a few things which is such a key proponent to being very successful as a musician or just in the audio business in general, you have to be really good at just a couple things that way and then outsource everything else. Have someone else to do the other stuff. You’re not good at that. You can just do be the best at whatever it is you are good at. Ah, and let everyone else shine and they’ll make you look even better because your attentions not drawn away from what you’re good at. And then you just you’re putting out a lot of bad stuff everywhere, and it just kind of makes your image look a little bit worse. So I’m really I’m I’m impressed that, you see, that is not a lot of now.
spk_0:
07:14
A lot of
spk_1:
07:14
people catch that early on enough to where they can just focus on one thing and then just ride that wave. And it usually takes them just so much further.
spk_2:
07:24
Well, absolutely Christian, Um, the thing is, is like, I don’t want to make Brandon out to seem like he’s not a creative individual because a lot of the tracks that he does send me are like soup, super like creative, and I know where he wants to go with it. But there’s a reason why he sends me, you know, these 16 toe like 32 bar loops where he’s like, Hey, man, like this is a really cool idea. Finish it and then I’ll be like, Oh, okay, spend three hours on it, flip it back to him, and then he’s like, Okay, you understood where I was going. I Let’s finish this? Um, yes. So kind of like going past that once we started producing beats like a duo, I should say, um, we’ve always been playing these house shows around our college town, and it just got to a point where, like, the scene was so political and like, if you weren’t friends with these people, like you weren’t getting booked and we just stopped, we didn’t want to be a part of that. So we started playing at the’s like house shows and what not? And it got to the point where we’re like, Okay, you know, weird getting in trouble throwing these house shows. Cops are showing up to Bustem. Let’s go to a club, a public platform. So we got linked in with a local bar in our college town, started just throwing, like, really small, intimate shows like maybe 5 10 people because nobody was there to, like, actually hear about it. Or like, we weren’t pushing promo on Facebook more than a week out, and it wasn’t really taken office much as we wanted to from there. Ah, we brought on Dolan and he started, like playing shows with us a little bit more he’s got a ton of friends. So that wasn’t, like another group of people that we could market to to bring out and like, it started to get bigger and bigger. And then we finally got to a point where we’re like, Okay, let’s run this like promoters would run a show in Minneapolis and all these other venues that we want to get booked at Let’s be on par with their event promotion while they run events. Obviously, we can’t really compete with their sound and production level yet, but we wanted to be as professional as possible. So, you know, we made sure our fucking I’m sorry. Can we swear on this?
spk_1:
09:34
No, you’re good. Oh, yeah. I fucked I explicit on every episode because I never know which ones I’m costing a bunch in which sometimes I’m over the top and I have to add it a couple times. Yeah, I cuss, Aled.
spk_2:
09:47
Okay. I just wanted to make sure, but
spk_0:
09:49
hey, so, uh, so,
spk_2:
09:51
like, we’re making sure our teas were crossing our dies. Our I’s were dotted in every aspect. And that goes as faras. Like our graphic designed to how we handled artist relations every show that we do. We’re trying to do something better than we did the last time. So we’re constantly learning. I think, like the first year of shows that we did under it wasn’t even under so called productions because so called productions only has been a really entity for about a year now. It was just always a so called show because, you know, I was. Me and Brandon were the ones that were putting it on with the help of, like, Nolan and Jake and all these other people that were pushing promo after we threw our first festival in February of last year, which that was a nightmare. And we can talk about
spk_0:
10:37
that very in Wisconsin. Yes,
spk_2:
10:43
it was. Ah, it was a great learning experience. I’ll say that, but oh, man, I stress levels were through the
spk_1:
10:49
rave. I’ve heard festivals are not fun to run. They’re funded by not fun to run. I
spk_2:
10:56
mean, it’s fun because we love what we d’oh right there. There’s no doubt about it. I love going to work at a bar till starting at 5 p.m. On a Friday when I just worked a 40 hour week and going down and seeing my friends and putting on these amazing shows of local talent to kids that wouldn’t see this anywhere else. Otherwise, you’d have to pay, you know, a $20 cover to go to the cities. Or, you know, you’re driving us
spk_1:
11:28
an uber ride and write. You know that,
spk_2:
11:31
right? And it just got to the point where we’re like, Okay, let’s do something in our town that’s never been done before. Let’s make this this underground House party scene public because we know all these talented artists. We know that these guys can throw good shows. We just need a venue to do it. So we got linked in with this bar called the Abbey Pub in Grub and bless her soul because she took a chance on us, and it really has paid off for her and and ourselves. We’ve gotten a platform or weaken actually do some good for ourselves as producers, promoters, booking agents, venue kind of owners. We don’t really own it, but we get the idea of like what it’s like to own a venue without actually owning a venue. Yeah, man. So, like we threw her first festival. It was super stressful, but that’s kind of when Ah so called productions finally got. It’s like a physical entity. It stopped being a so called show, and now it became a so called production. You
spk_3:
12:30
know, I just feel like that. I feel like that event was really the 1st 1 that we all really had to work together on to make it like, pull it off because there was so much that went on that day and there was way more than one or two people could have handled it going on. If
spk_0:
12:44
any one of us wasn’t there at that event, it would have happened. But it was like, You’re stretched pretty thin. Yeah. No,
spk_1:
12:50
it’s It’s a good bonding experience, for sure. I mean, so Dylan, what’s your, like, What’s your title in the company? What do you personally do? Like, what do you kind of oversee the most?
spk_2:
13:02
I mean, I guess like the biggest thing for like, if I was gonna throw a label on it, I guess I would have to say that I’m the CEO. So, like, pretty much like the final say, I will obviously a wreck right now, like I can’t run it. I’m in Afghanistan, but so, like, it’s my entire team is doing what I would be doing there. But yeah, like everything from talking to the venue owner trying to get the schedule out as far as like, who we’re gonna book for the semester, which I mean, it’s not solely me. I do taken account like a Dolan knows a lot of different artists. Brandon knows different artists. Jake knows different artists, like all of my team members, no different artists. So it’s kind of, Ah, I take their opinion into account, but at the same point time like when it comes down to like, who are we going to book? How much are we gonna pay them and what it all goes into the final cut of what we’re gonna put out for the year of the semester? It’s ultimately my decision. Other than that, it’s just kind of like upper level management stuff, making sure that, you know, we’re you know, not, you know, putting people in danger. Honestly, it it’s kind of evolved is ever evolving. Being in the position that I’m in, it’s it’s very hard to put into perspective like exactly
spk_0:
14:21
what? D’oh! I
spk_1:
14:23
know to me because I’m I experienced the same thing cause I run my own business. So it’s kind of like you You kind of have all these different hats. And this is, you know, this is kind of something that why talk about in this show so often is how important is niche down and outsource things. But at the same time, when you’re running a business, you do have to, oh, wear multiple hats and be able to kind of do multiple things, just in case. You need to kind of pick up the pace for someone or something. Um, and you need to make sure things get down. I’m sure it’s the same case for just about everyone involved in the business is it’s kinda like you all relatively share responsibilities and are having to get things done in an orderly manner. So if someone needs to get something done, I’m sure someone’s able to do it. I’d like to move on Thio Brandon, if you want to kind of give your background and talk a little bit about how you got started and you know how you got to this point as Well, I’d love to hear your story.
spk_0:
15:20
Yeah. So starting out music production is a lot of the same story that Dylan had when I was 16. I decided I’m gonna Donald F L Studio and start reading music because I already had a musical background. I hearing all these songs out, just impressed music. What’s happening on these songs? How can I make this? So I’m gonna channel the energy, my myself. And so I went along and had produced music for about 16 to when I was 21 I met Dylan, and at that point, we like Dylan, suddenly started so called as a deejay producer deal because our, you know, my strengths were the opposite of his tricks. And so instead of correcting our weaknesses, we went in and decided Let’s just invest in our strengths and specialize instead of trying to, like, you say it’ll be a jack of all trades, um, and then going on from that, you know, we started so called productions just like Dylan said. And yeah, there’s actually too much interesting on my story, um, for roles in the company again, we take the same idea. We all specialize. So for me. I always try to take pride. And how is the live sound at the venue? How am I gonna make sure that everything sounds good that everyone’s having a good experience? Um, no one, right. You special is mostly in graphic design and life running the light of it as well. Yeah, we have another member, Ben. He works mostly with our lights, and he’s actually the is with antics studio, I believe, right? Yeah. Antic, antic CIA. He, uh, runs most of her lights. So each one each member has a specialized job to dio we all focus on investing in our strengths and lesson. Trying to correct that weakness is right, Right? I love that I
spk_1:
17:06
love that. It’s like a really It’s a really valuable thing. Thio seek out is just working. There’s this book called Strengths Finder two point. Oh, have you guys ever heard of it? No. No, it is great. Highly recommended. I’ll put that link in the show notes, but basically it’s like $20. You buy it and it gives you a code that each book comes with and you go online and you It’s kind of like this personality test that you take takes like 45 minutes, and it tells you what your top five strengths are. And like there’s an intro for the book. It’s like 30 or 40 pages long that you read, and it talks about this philosophy of just focusing on your strengths and how important focusing on your strength aren’t rather than trying to build up your weaknesses. And so it’s got like, 30 or 40 different strengths in the book. And so we need to take the personality test that tells you what your top five strengths are and how you can focus on those and just work on those to build those up and make those even stronger so that you can provide Maurine, you’re way more efficient than you normally would be. Just trying to build up your weaknesses. Really, really good book. But I mean, you guys are kind of already basing your business philosophy on that, so it’s really great to see Nolan. You want to kind of give your background and how you got thrown into this mix because it seems like they kind of had everything started and
spk_0:
18:30
then I kind
spk_1:
18:31
of jumped in.
spk_3:
18:32
Um, I mean? Well, I got into music production, making hip hop beats for kids who wanted to rap when I was in high school, and I just never was one that likes talking to a mike a whole lot. Um, I’ve gotten better at that through shows and all that, but, uh, since then it kind of evolved more in the dance music because I’ve always had a love for it as well as like, hip hop. And you can find that influenced in my own tunes that I make. I met Dylan and Brandon through our ah Music production club at UW Stout. I don’t know, we were never, like, really close or anything like that going through it. But then, you know, we we got to go through the same, like, small scene at house parties. How shows and stuff like that, and, ah, I I’d actually like, played a small event, I think a little bit before at the abbey for one of our friends graduations, and that they eventually hit me up when they started getting more involved with the abbey. And then I think just maybe because I already, you know, had some experience. We both did Ben’s music and indifferent, you know, ways because I normally do a house music, and ah, then from there when they started doing it more consistently at the Abbey, I was pretty much involved, like from the From the first couple on I I really, like, kind of stepped up on Dhe stepped in to, like, help out with what they’re doing because I personally really enjoyed it. I always loved playing shows and getting my stuff out there, and, uh, I guess it’s it’s been it’s been a good ride ever since. That’s kind of how I got into it with these guys.
spk_1:
20:06
Nice. I love it. I love you guys stories. They’re all there. I mean, obviously Dillon and Brand and you guys kind of have the same story because it seems like you guys have been together since the beginning, but, um, I mean, just the come up of the well, I would say what’s interesting is most production companies kind of have the same story. They see this, this hole in the market, and this is why I wanted to have you guys on. We’re actually why I want to do a second episode with you guys to talk about how to actually run a production company. But they see a hole in the market where no one’s doing anything and they go. You know what? I can do this, that I see somewhere where I can make a difference and I can bring a change. And you guys saw that and started just throwing frat party shows. Throwing House party shows And this almost across the board, is how it starts. Someone’s just like, Hey, pay me 200 bucks. I’ll come over, I’ll bring my stuff over. We’ll bring couple DJs and we’ll just party all night And then you go. You know what? I want to legitimize this because it does have your cops are cracking down on the shows. You get noise complaints and all this all these other things. Um, and then you can have sketchy liability issues, too. If you’re like, you know, saying Hey, come over here. We’re hosting this party. Then it’s like, Oh, you guys air responsible for everyone here, Um, and then you go, Well, let’s legitimizes that’s find a venue and let’s actually get in with someone who has a liquor license. Who can sell liquor where we can be loud until two or three in the morning. I just love the story of going from Let’s throw frat house parties too. Now we’re throwing a fucking festival. Two years later, it’s it’s awesome. And I appreciate it and respect it so much. You guys are located in Minnesota,
spk_0:
21:52
Is that correct? Um, both. Minnesota, Wisconsin,
spk_3:
21:55
Yeah. Yeah, where we generally throw shows is in Wisconsin And, uh, okay, Like the night on the border? Yeah, Yeah, we’re about, like, an hour drive away from Minneapolis.
spk_1:
22:05
Let’s get into the first part of this. And this was kind of my first idea for the episode was my thought process was Well, I know people want to get booked. Well, who’s doing the booking most of time? Well, I mean, unless you know a booking agent at a venue or you know, someone who just does booking a venue, that’s kind of gonna be difficult to get ahold of those people because they’re so damn busy. Next step down is usually promoters. Promoters air usually how helping out with the booking and finding artists. So what primarily R promoters or Booker’s looking for in general when they’re looking for an artist. And what kind of break this down in different slots? Opening slot, middle levels? Ah, yeah. Middle slaw and then a headlining slot. But primarily, what are you guys looking for? I mean, obviously, Do you want someone with a history of production? Probably someone who can bring heads in the door, Do they? Do you guys require that artists actually sell tickets? Because that is usually a trend in this scene. Especially when you’re just getting involved in wanting to get your first show. They go. Okay, well, you need to bring heads in cell, 20 tickets, and you’ve got a slot.
spk_3:
23:20
I I Honestly, I hate that approach to shows. I’ve had to do it before to other places, and and they’re really good about it. At least in Minneapolis. They don’t ever make you do that. The major venues there. Oh, nice. Good. Yeah. I’ve never heard it practiced in Annapolis at all.
spk_2:
23:39
Yes. So, like, I don’t know, I guess I can speak on like so when we’re looking for an opener act. First off, we have to meet this person. We’re a very tight knit family in the nominee as far as like the local scene of its kind of, ah, one of those one of those things where, you know, if you if you don’t seem like a genuine person or a good person like we really don’t want to risk our branding and our image on an opening deejay that we paid $20 for the night, you know? So we try to find, you know, our friends of friends or somebody who, like was at a house party randomly, like the same upbringing, like these kids are still playing these underground shows that we don’t even know about. And now we want to bring them up. The problem being is a lot of our opening acts weren’t 21. And this being a 21 plus venue, it becomes an issue. So then we we have to wait until they’re 21 to come out and play. And this is just the venue’s kind of policy. It’s not really our policy. We have done kind of underground, like Hush hush. Don’t say anything. Don’t drink while you’re here. But you can come and play. Um but yes, Christian, You touched on it. Uh, can you bring heads in the door. Will you promote our show, or will you promote your show? So like sharing Facebook events is a big thing for us. We’ve let a couple of those incidences slide in the past, but now we are really cracking down on people just, you know, getting booked for these shows, not promoting. Then they wonder why. Like nobody shows up further time slot as faras. Like who? How we’ve gone, like booking local acts for other different, not just like D J sets, but like bands and stuff. It’s it’s kind of Ah, a little bit trickier process. I would say Bands are really hard. There’s not a whole lot of them out in our scene right now. Well, there is. But you know, it’s a band. It’s gonna cost Maur. And then how do we define how many people are gonna come in the door that way with a deejay, like it’s really easy. It’s one person and they’re probably 15 friends. They’re gonna come out for their slot, but then, after you know, we do run events like open decks, which allows these newer DJs producers whatever to come in, use our gear and that gets up on approach where we get to meet them on a platform where they’re pretty much showing off their talent for 30 minutes. Oh, yeah, It’s a really cool idea. Um, and I can’t even say that we came up with it. Um, that was really how me and Brandon first kind of got into playing shows in Minneapolis is we didn’t open deck night just before we had a show that we’re booked out for that had see DJs and we wanted to get practice on him. So we took that same idea brought in to our production, and now we get, you know, new artists from the city’s a nominee Eau Claire area. And it it works really well because those shows always do really well. For some reason, I don’t know if it’s
spk_1:
26:47
open deck shows.
spk_0:
26:48
Yes, they do. Really well, yeah, yeah, that’s
spk_3:
26:51
definitely in part two people bringing out, you know, friends. And there’s, like, seven people that play that night, because
spk_0:
26:57
it’s only I think I think that has
spk_1:
26:59
Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I do think that that kind of is the key elements that cause it’s like open decks, they go, Oh, shit. I can go play like I’m not necessarily booked, but I could potentially go play. Hey, they all of a sudden hit up 10 friends and go, Hey, I’m gonna go try playing the show. Let’s go there. And the next thing you know, you have a packed house. That’s that’s fucking awesome. I love that idea, and that’s it. It really does help out the local scene and artists who are wanting to show off like, Hey, I can do this. And this is a way for them to prove to the people who are looking shows. So I mean to any artists out there looking your city. Look up. If there’s open decks, um, opened. I mean, obviously you guys said Minneapolis does it. So if you’re in Minneapolis struggling to find a show, look for something like that where you can showcase and that’s a great time to network,
spk_0:
27:49
because there are so many different so many
spk_1:
27:52
different producers, so many different DJs in there. So even if you don’t want to go play, that’s probably going to be your best place to go network with all the people you need to meet in your local scene to help you get to where you want to be or to help out other people.
spk_3:
28:06
Yeah, Yeah, it’s essentially, it’s essentially tryouts. But for D.
spk_0:
28:09
J, it’s awesome. And I love my Yeah, and like that, that whole
spk_2:
28:15
open deck saying like it worked out really well, even from the jump. Um, and it’s hard because, like, we get, like, are headlining locals that want to come out and play open decks. And we have to be like, No, like, this isn’t for you. Like we get it. You want to come out and play and, you know, test run stuff, but like, these shows aren’t designed for you. So no, we’re gonna pass on booking you for these. Like you’ve got a headlining show in two weeks. Yeah, Yeah. Come out and play your show and then save everybody that the 30 minutes of your set that they’re going to see in the next two weeks, right? But honestly, like those open deck nights are really nice for us, because when we get to meet all the people, we get to see how many heads they’re gonna bring in, um, we get just like I think of one of our biggest problems that we’ve dealt with in the past is he’s opening acts show up for their time slot at whatever nine or 10 o’clock, and then as soon as they’re sets done, they leave with all their friends. And so, yeah, so that’s head’s coming in and leaving immediately. And it’s like, Okay, so now, like that puts a sour taste in our mouth like, Okay, we’re not gonna book you for shows past, you know, 11 o’clock, because you’re not You’re not gonna stick around.
spk_1:
29:34
I mean, here’s pro tip number one for anyone who has an opening slot or you’re gonna play an opening slot, bring people and don’t let them leave for at least another couple of hours. I mean, this is I didn’t even think of that being the case at all and how important that not just to bring heads the door too, but to keep heads in the door. Um, especially if you’re doing these open deck times like you’re getting a free time slot. The best way to repay that is to make sure your friends are staying. You and your friends were staying now Obviously you don’t want to hold your friends hostage. But the best way to do that is if you’re going into one of these open deck events or you’re going into, um ah, an opening slot. Make sure you’ll know plenty of time, you know, unless it’s an open deck event. If you have a show coming up, you’ll probably know what a month or two months in advance. So you have a show coming up. Start saving some money enough money to buy all of your friends that you’re bringing at least a couple round of drinks that’s gonna get Get your friends to stay, especially if you feed every single one of your friends to drinks and they buy his drink themselves. It’s three drinks in there, pretty tipsy at that point there at a venue there, listening to good music that they like. They’re more than likely going to stay at that point.
spk_2:
30:53
Yeah, absolutely. Um,
spk_3:
30:55
I think it’s already done, but yeah, I think that’s honestly just one of the best tips for anybody getting started out or who wants to get booked is just go to the shows and hang out. You gotta you can’t really expect someone to want to help support. You know what you want to do If you don’t support what they want to do, It’s kind of a give and take sort of situation. And then, you know, once you’re showing up with shows and your friends were there, then they’re gonna want to come with you sometimes and that’ll help out the events even more.
spk_1:
31:24
Yeah, that’s that’s something. I talked to producers personally myself all the time when they were like, I just can’t get shows booked. I can’t do this. I can’t do that. And I say in this is again something I preach in the podcast constantly. What are you doing in your local scene? Is Yes. Like what? And so many producers are thinking Big picture. They’re thinking, OK, I want to be this touring artist. I I live in Seattle, but I want to play in New York where I live in New York, but I want to play in L. A. And yes, that’s possible. But it’s so much more difficult to expand and think big like that and try connecting with those people that are way across the US rather than again focusing on one thing. You focus on just your local scene. And what are you doing in that local seem to provide any sort of value where people are going to support you? And when once you can get that local support, it becomes way easier to get that regional support. And then once you get that regional support, it’s even easier to go national. But, yeah, the key. The local support is Are you going to shows? Go to show, shake hands with the promoter, shake hands with the venue owner, shake hands with the deejay every time you go introduced like don’t I mean, you can reintroduce yourself would be like, Hey, I met you at this show so they continually remember your face in your name. So then they’ll be like, Oh, this guy’s showing up consistently. He’s providing value to me because he’s ahead of the Doory spending money at the show. He’s doing this, this and that, and then they’re gonna be 1000 times more willing to scratch your back at that point. Absolutely.
spk_2:
32:56
Yeah, you’re 100% right, Christian. Um, I think that’s the biggest thing for us. Like come and meet us like we’re all really nice people for the most part, Like, yeah, Most of the time I come off to be a pretty big dickhead, but that’s all you like. If I’m under a lot of stress like Abby, Pollux Za, if you’re going to come up to me and be like, hey, man like, book me for a show like I’m probably going to stab you like
spk_0:
33:18
that I don’t want to open up with that way. Proved so Well, yeah,
spk_2:
33:22
and like, I’m not gonna name drop or anything like that. But we’ve had DJs in the past like d m e on Snapchat, which is not the way to go. But, like, I gotta admire the hustle by, like, the d m e. And they’d be like, band, like you’re sleeping on me, bro. Like I know I
spk_0:
33:39
can kill it. It’s
spk_2:
33:41
It’s like, All right, well, one check yourself because, like we, you know, grinded like Brandon and I, and Nolan and Jake and all these other people grinded playing house parties and like learning the ins and outs of how to be a good D J. Before we got to this public platform where were, you know, at capacity every time we play a show that has our name on
spk_0:
34:07
every other time we played like an empty crowd have also done that in the past two, like you have to have your share of, like, sensi player to an empty. Then you. It’s gonna happen if you’re opening TJ it. Well, it doesn’t even happen.
spk_1:
34:20
Thio. I mean, not only opening, there’s big artists where it happened to I, a buddy who, um, occasionally tours with Try Tonal. And he played a show in a major city opening up for Try Tonal. Well, he’s on tour with them empty floor, and he’s like he’s I mean, he’s got a significant amount of listeners on Spotify. He’s he’s a successful artist, and I mean, there was another female D. J. Just like six months ago. I got her name who posted a picture of her playing a show, and I beat huh to an empty room it late, and she’s a major touring artist worldwide, so it’s like it’ll happen to you when you’re even bigger than just an opening slot. But, yeah, you do have to pay. You kind of have to pay your dues like you have to play those shows. Those were the best times to experiment to until, like, do new and fun things when no one’s there to be like, Oh, that’s a fuck
spk_0:
35:14
up with that. Do those fuck ups
spk_1:
35:18
and get those fuck ups out. That way you can move on from that and become better and learn from it.
spk_2:
35:23
Well, you’re you’re absolutely right. Um, and like that’s like what we like to see as promoters because obviously, like were there before the opening act. Even comes on to turn all the lights on and get everything set up. So, like, if this opener comes in and he sees an empty room, but he’s planned some really not. Not necessarily like fire or bangers, but really good atmosphere, I think.
spk_0:
35:49
Good consistency with what’s Yeah, how the room is.
spk_2:
35:53
Yes, like playing to the room. So, like if it’s an empty room like don’t play the number one rhythm song in the world like that’s just yeah, that one like one. I don’t want to hear it because I’m not a fan and two
spk_0:
36:06
comes is Red like the energy. The energy level doesn’t match you know. Yeah, you’re playing
spk_2:
36:13
too, Like knowing that you have an opening slot and you’re playing that energy level is is going to make the promoter one look at you in a completely different light. Other than just some kid off the street who likes to play out the best tunes that are getting played out right now, if you can curate an actual set of like, Okay, I have a 10 PM slot. I know there’s not gonna be a lot of people out other than my friends. I’m gonna play some stuff that’s gonna build the energy for the next act after me and then right, like so on and so on. All it does is one makes you look really professional and to the promoters more likely to book you again, probably a little bit later in the night, because you’re playing tracks that either the promoter hasn’t heard and it’s well put together, or it’s maybe the tracks that they wanted to hear for that time slot, and it’s still really well put together,
spk_1:
37:12
uh, eat. So I guess, let’s move into because we’re kind of already talking about opening slots and how to get opening slots. So, you know, obviously I think Step one is go to the show’s shake hands of the promoters shake hands of the DJs consistently go to show if there’s a show every couple of weeks, go to that show or every week. If you can make it, go to it, hang out there for a couple of hours and bring friends to you can bring friends every single time that also shows. Okay, this guy’s bringing in heads From that point on. What is the next step for the for someone to take? Do they come up to you in person and say, Hey, I’d like to play a show cause
spk_0:
37:53
I think this is This is kind of
spk_1:
37:55
the gray area where a lot of producers and D J struggle because it’s like they might be doing everything right. They might not be, um, jumping the gun and just going, Hey, you’re you know you’re sleeping on me. Book me. Can you book me? Is this show open? I think that’s where they have the most trouble. So if they’re coming to the shows, the bringing people, they’re doing everything right in that state. In that sense, what should their next step be should they be more involved with the DJs and have the DJs recommend them to you or what? What would you say?
spk_0:
38:29
Well, I mean, I can kind of chronicle like how me and Dylan did it, because so, like, we went to the shows, we’ve been going to the venue in the Twin Cities. The bigger venue is scaly feet of the loft. Um, we met the promoter at this venue, and we were at the show. He met the guy connected through social media, kind of touching on an episode. I think I think it was one of you did liking their stuff on social media, commenting on I’m startinto, make sure that he knows your name or here she little bit promoters. They know your name. And then at some point, once you’ve built a little bit of reports like okay, this artist that you have headlining on such and such date, my style would go really well with this artist. Like it knows the house artist like abstracts playing at this event like, yeah, I want to be an opener for me like Dylan, future based Abid Temple. Like oh, um rez are our Vincent’s playing at the law flick. I want open for that. Cool. So we actually, we did the open decks. We did an opening slot from Member like like super early in the night. And then we played 8 p.m. For two friends. It was a sold out show, but we were like, first artists in the door, like Alexis Crystal on in the venue. And we started playing and we started a crowd of what, 10 of our friends and at the end of our set, like 8 55 50 there, about 30 35 people there, right? So, like, we did a good job of building the energy. And we like way would approve that promoter like, Hey, we know our shit. And so now when we play at that venue, we’re playing like 10 11 Midnight. So it’s kind of that whole gets another promoter builder pour on social media build report in person, and then it’s like, Okay, let me open up the venue like, let me be the first guy there and play to nobody and let me prove to you, like I’m not gonna fuck this up, Okay? I know we did it.
spk_1:
40:22
Yeah, I think that I think that’s a good approach. I think getting the both the physical on online approach is great. And yes, no, that’s something I preach all the time. Before you ever ask anyone for anything, you should obviously be getting to know them. That’s you. Build a relationship first and then find out how you can provide value at the same time. Right? Obviously shows you’re not even plan. No, no, if you go to the show and that, I mean going to the show and hanging out and bringing heads there is providing value, too. Not just the promoter of the venue owner, but the deejays. They’re also playing too. So if you get to know the DJs, that could open you up into a whole nother world as well. But then, yeah, you know, when you’re online, don’t don’t jump in their inbox like their stuff, comment on their stuff and find where you guys have similar tastes. And that way they get to know your face. And maybe they’ll like your comment here and there or reply to your comment and then you can, you know, when you see an opportunity, and I would say Do that for solid two months or so because you really wanted Bill establish a foundation for this relationship, and then you’re actually able to slide in there d ems and say, Hey, I think this, you know, the show is coming up. I think this is a good opportunity to show you that. I think, you know, I can pull this together and I can bring heads to the show. Um, don’t Do you have anything to say to that?
spk_2:
41:45
Yeah. Pro tip. How to get on a promoter’s good side, share the promotions for the Facebook.
spk_0:
41:52
Yes, yes, yeah.
spk_2:
41:54
We’ve got tons of local DJs and opening acts that share it. And trust me, we see it, and it makes us feel really highly of that person. Like, even if it’s not your show, if you share an event, we will notice it like 100%. We see those shares come through, and we’re like, Okay, like, this kid is sharing all of our events regardless, if he’s opening for it, he doesn’t hit us up or the at all to get booked anymore. Let’s book him for a show just to kind of its The music industry is so quid pro quo like yes and honestly, like it’s a double edged sword in that sense, like all right, And we’re dealing with that right now on our own personal, like, internal stuff. But like if you scratch somebody’s back, they’re more likely to scratch yours. And really one it’s gonna get you booked Maur if you have the talent. But if you’re just going above and beyond with your promotion and helping other people get heads in the door and helping them like the production company, get heads in the door, you will be noticed 100%.
spk_1:
43:09
It’s all about providing value, everything we do as musicians and entrepreneurs or business people in the music world. It is 100% about how you are providing value to the person that you want to provide value to, or that you want to be on their good side. If in I mean, Dylan just said it, sharing a face if all it takes is sharing a Facebook event for a promoter to be like I fucking love this dude, that is the most simple thing that you can do where you are providing some of the most value possible to that person. Ah, yeah, I fucking love it. It’s It is so, so, so, so detrimental to be providing value in however many assets that you can. We’ve been kind of talking about all the things to do to get booked as an opener. What about the things not to do? Because I think that is just as important, if not Maur important to talk about what you should not do If you’re trying to get booked for a show,
spk_0:
44:13
Okay? You clocked up and punch the promoter. Uh, we’re fighting one of our numbers. U S. O. S
spk_2:
44:25
biggest thing is, as as an artist that’s trying to get booked for shows. The company you keep reflects about you as a person. So it doesn’t It doesn’t matter if you weren’t there with them. If somebody says, hey, like, I know this person like he’ll vouch for me and I just caught you trying to steal something from me. Like that’s 100% a way not to get booked anymore and quite possibly screamed at outside a venue on the biggest event that we’ve ever thrown in our lives like
spk_0:
45:05
it didn’t happen. Uh um uh, honestly, it
spk_2:
45:10
like, don’t don’t hit me up at 2 a.m. Asking to get booked when you’re drunk. It’s shit after you just, you know, we’re at a show. Don’t don’t have any ego like no your place. Like if you’re If you’re very humble when you approach me and be like, Hey, man, like I really like what you guys are doing. I would love to be booked for a show is a way better way of saying it. Then you’re sleeping on me, bro. Like I could fucking kill it. And then you show up and you completely bomb on that night. And it’s like, All right, well, you didn’t kill it. You’re not. I’m not just some guy off the street. I’ve been doing this for little almost a decade, if not more than a decade, like you’re not gonna impress me by doing that.
spk_1:
45:55
Ego’s a big one. Ego is huge. It’s interesting because where you see the most ego is in some of the smallest artists and then also the biggest artists. And where you see a lot of that ego disappears kind of in that middle when like you’re relatively successful, but you’re not incredibly well known, and I think that has a lot to do with. Like if you take care of if you check your ego early enough in the game, it’ll take you way further than anything else will. But then, as that success rapidly picks up, that ego just immediately comes back in the place. One to think you’re the shit and you’re on top of the world. So egos an important one. And I would say to anyone, If you don’t know if you have issues with ego, read Ego is the enemy egos the enemy. I just finished that book like the other day. And have you guys read that one at all? No. You guys, it’s it’s fucking incredible. It is. It helps you check your ego and make sure that, like in all these different facets of your life, ah, you’re making sure that ego is not what’s taking over and making you make rash, bad, rational decisions. And it’s the one thing that will definitely help you overcome this, this stick of ego that you might have early on in the game and it helps you kind of check it when you’re sending messages to people, especially if you’re wanting to get something, you’ll you’ll catch yourself being like, I think my ego is playing into this response right now or this message that I’m about to send. So that’s another really good book. I’ll put that in the show notes
spk_3:
47:38
actually going off of that ego thing, too. I think something that ah lot of people don’t really think about, too is. You know, if you are on social media with, said Promoter, that you’re trying to get booked by or something just be about your business online. There’s so many people who are, you know, overinflated personalities online. They’re always causing issues and getting into drama with people. That’s a big tip, too. Show promoters like that. They don’t really want to deal with you if you’re gonna be out causing issues all the time on social media, calling people out, criticizing the way things are in the industry, stuff like that.
spk_1:
48:13
Yes, no one wants to work with someone who’s negative all the time. This is, you know, this is something that I was told by some my old mentors back and like 2014. I was posting a bunch of political stuff all the time, and I was super new to production in just the scene, Not the scene in general, but mostly production getting into deejaying. And, um, there were like, Stop, stop posting political stuff online. They’re like, people see that in people if they have a sucks, because if people have a different opinion than you and they don’t like that opinion, they’re gonna completely blacklist you cause they don’t like your political, especially in this political climate, to there’s so many people that will just outright blacklist you for having a specific opinion. And so ever since they told me that was I really kind of looked at it, I was like, Yeah, kind of makes sense that people don’t want, you know, that’s unfortunately the world working, especially as creatives. You can work with whoever you want and however you want. So, um, ever since then I didn’t I’ve never posted another political post in my public Facebook page, ever. And even then I started looking at Lake. I just stopped posting on Facebook pretty much all together, most social media sites. Unless I really liked something that I was looking at her. I thought it was funny, Um, or something for my artists page. So other than that, I just go on social media to consume. I don’t ever put. I rarely post things on there, and I see that constantly to I. I see people who are involved in the music industry who are constantly talking about political stuff and other things, and it’s not so much that I have a different opinion than someone. It’s just the sheer arrogance. I feel as if it’s this ego check. It’s where they feel like they got. Their opinion is right. They’re going to shove it in your face, and I see them in their comments, arguing with a bunch of people, and then that puts a bad taste in my mouth where I’m like, Yeah, this is I thought this might be someone that I might want to work with, but now I don’t think so at all because you see so many red flags scroll through. This is one of the reasons why employers will look through your social media feeds because if they see red flags, they can see that as causing issues in the workplace environment, which is the last thing that they want involved with HR. So I’m sure remote. It’s even more public when you’re friends with the promoter. You’re trying to get booked at a show with and they can see all the nasty shit you’re putting on your Facebook page. Yeah,
spk_2:
50:48
that’s like a really good point and even beyond, like Social Media like, if you are in the vicinity of somebody who controls your deejay career in that town, whether it’s the promoters or friends of the promoters, you need to know your audience 100% because it doesn’t take of more than 15 word text message and you’re canceled and it’s like it’s it’s so crazy because, like, you know, ah, lot of, ah, lot of the artist that we book we’re all friends with for the most part and like we’ve dealt with issues in the past where they’ll say something that is outrageous, like not okay, and we’ve confronted them, and it’s gotten to the point where it’s like almost ended in an altercation. But you know, ourselves knowing like this could completely screw up what we have going on for our business, like this is like we need to, you know, check our ego at the door as well and make sure we’re not gonna do anything that jeopardizes our future’s. So we confront them, we say, Hey, like we’re not gonna book you for shows because like this, if this is your legitimate viewpoint and you think this is funny, like that’s not okay, Like you need to understand that what you’re doing is wrong and it’s going to affect your future. And that goes as faras like racism, sexual harassment, sexual assault, anything like and and that’s a very good point to kind of touch on. It’s like you see it every day like there’s a new allegation that’s out there. And I never thought I’d have to deal with this in the production world and like throwing shows because, like, I didn’t think that there was really that many bad people in the world. And now I’m starting to see like Okay, wow, people are really shitty, like this isn’t and I don’t understand why, because you know myself, like, I would never do something like that, and I but I’m not the best person in the world by any means I’m not perfect whatever, but I know I have a moral compass. I know what right and wrong is, and it just seems like a couple of people that we’ve had issues with in the past, like we don’t I want a book you anymore because it makes us look bad. And as as on Opening actor as a deejay that’s getting booked by a promoter like it’s not the time or place to argue with a promoter about something like that. If he brings it to your knowledge like, Hey, it’s X Person that wants to do J for us like we have just been told this about you, we can no, you can’t confirm nor deny that it happened. But we’re bringing it to light and going forward. We cannot be in a business relationship with you because of said reasons. It’s going to harm Our brand is going to harm our image, because if our production company or our company starts putting on shows with people that are known or alleged, no sex offenders like that makes us look really bad. And I’m not in the business of making myself look bad.
spk_0:
54:10
Yeah, yeah, and that’s and, well, that’s that’s
spk_1:
54:13
the glory of running your own business is you can pick and choose who you want to do business with, which is super important. Um, four situations like that. Ah, I have I have a question that, um I think that I always I never know whether or not Ah, this is a good idea. Drinking or no drinking as either, I would say, because, I mean, if you’re a headliner, a big headliner, you obviously can kind of do whatever you want if you’re running the show. But for someone who’s like a mid level slot or a an opener, drinking or no drinking and I do feel like that does depend on the person running the show if they give a shit. But how do you guys feel about an opener drinking at this show?
spk_3:
55:00
So I don’t really care?
spk_0:
55:02
Yeah, we’re from Wisconsin, like it’s a part of that. So long as you can control it like, yeah, I just don’t get fucked up to the point where you can’t control yourself or you’re throw
spk_2:
55:12
up on Nolan.
spk_0:
55:14
Wait, guys, they’re running the show whatever we owe, but you know, like don’t do drugs that are gonna mess you up if you’re gonna do that or if you’re gonna drink or whatever, just like if you’re gonna make a fool of yourself and be horrible than that’s gonna be a reflection on your next said if you’re gonna get one, you know, But after you want to get fucked up and drink and party with the crowd like that’s fine and I like that’s what the point of whole thing is, you know, just as long as you
spk_3:
55:48
can complete your set and be done with it. And, you know, do it well to the best of your abilities. Like sure, have a couple drinks. I really could care less.
spk_2:
55:58
I mean, there’s there’s definite times were like, I’ve played shows that I’ve put on and like I’ve been asleep for what I believe is like 20 minutes of my show. And there’s video evidence of my eyes being closed and
spk_0:
56:10
what we’re doing, right? Like you don’t sleep so I could be James. Yeah, it’s I don’t know, man like yeah,
spk_2:
56:20
like, know your limits when you’re an opening act. I mean, if you’re coming out at 10 o’clock to open a show and you’re completely wasted. Like, yes, it’s going to reflect poorly on you. Um,
spk_1:
56:34
unless you play an amazing set right
spk_2:
56:44
if you throw down like that’s That’s one thing like all right,
spk_0:
56:47
cool. But now that you’re this drunk mass, because it your
spk_2:
56:51
your impression by the promoter doesn’t and after your set ends, it’s it’s honestly just began. So, like from the milk the moment you walk in to the moment that you walk out like you are under the watchful eye off those promoters. And that’s a big, big thing to understand as an opening artists. So whether you come in with an inflated ego and think you’re gonna throw down at 10 o’clock to five of your friends that you brought in and then you immediately leave at 11 when your time slots up like it’s that is going to look so bad on your part. If you did, and another thing that I would say it’s like if you do get you know, messed up or you have a little too much fun, go and seek out the promoter. Whether it’s in person in person is always better. It’s definitely better to apologize in person because then you get the sincerity and be like, Hey, man, like I’m really sorry for my actions last week like that will never happen again. I I just I went a little too overboard. And the biggest thing is like, Don’t don’t give excuses. Give solutions to the problem. It’s And as a promoter, you will. You’re going to see that this person is sincere and it also allows us to kind of I understand you as a person because impressions are a huge thing in the music industry, especially when you’re getting booked as a local
spk_1:
58:26
and respect, really. I mean, it comes down to respect. I mean, if you were in the same position as the promoter, how would you feel? You know, and how would you want someone to approach the situation? You would want them to show just a CZ much respect or even I mean, Hell’s think of it. If you’re free friend was way fucked up at a show, you were just opening and being ridiculous and outrageous. How would you want them to approach the situation the next day or the next week? Um, that’s, you know, ultimately, how you would want to deal with situations as well. You want to make sure that you’re showing as much respect as possible, especially when it’s someone’s, you know, they’re working there doing their job. They’re trying to be professional and you don’t want to. You make the opposite of them. You don’t want to show them as being unprofessional, not a good situation being absolutely in any way. Um, so I guess with the with like middle slot, would you say, kind of moving up to the middle slot and even going up to the headliner slot? It’s just about the consistency of providing value and reaching out and building the relationships a little bit more.
spk_3:
59:37
Definitely. I would definitely say that’s accurate. I mean, you’re not you’re not gonna get there unless you know you are consistently showing up being at the shows, playing good sets like no one will really believe in you. If you know you show up, you play an opener slot and you could barely beat match two songs together way and you know that does happen.
spk_0:
20:00:02
I’ve seen that this’d happen
spk_2:
20:00:04
a lot, going from middle or mid tier kind of your direct support slot to headlining is 100% about providing value. So, like as an opener, you know your first lot. Like if you bring 15 people in consistently for your opening slot, that’s that’s really good numbers in our eyes. Um, if you’re a mid tier artists and you bring in 30 to 50 people, that’s a that’s a really good standpoint to be at. That’s a good benchmark to be at. So from mid tier two headlining, it’s it’s all about. Are you going to pack the house and is this going to be financially worth it for us? So well, you see Oh,
spk_1:
20:00:52
sorry. Do you see that happening with local artists? And you’re seeing that were like they were openers mid level. And now you’re actually booking them as headliners because they’re starting to build for Yeah, Yeah,
spk_2:
20:01:05
I can. I can name one right off the top of my head, our body. Garrett, who goes by Flamingo Joe. He played one opening, maybe to opening slots, and then he was immediately a headliner because
spk_3:
20:01:15
oh, wow,
spk_2:
20:01:16
The room was packed from start to finish of his center and he stayed and everybody that he brought out stayed for that show.
spk_3:
20:01:24
Damn yeah, And he consistently puts together just fire sets. And he works so hard. Yeah, absolutely. There’s this last semester while we were running shows he would show up before the shows and ask us to learn how to set up like AM is just like he’s on the grind and it’s shown
spk_0:
20:01:45
in the shower. He’s moving up now to the point where he’s plank in the Twin Cities, right? I’d have been a bigger city at a bigger venue, and he still plays, of course, with us. But he’s playing that, you know, the venue is time of Skylar. The loft was playing in twin cities. So, like if you kind of like rapping like football side like if you put all these things together and you show up and you stay and you bring your friends out and you play fire sets like it’s gonna happen, you just have to work your ass off. Yeah, I was just gonna come to you, but in, like, showing up like that. It just it
spk_3:
20:02:16
gets you that good report with some people. Where is like, I don’t really think that Garrett knew the promoters in Minneapolis like that. But we were able to give a good faith recommendation that he was gonna show up in Minneapolis and put on a good show for them. So then, since then, we’ve, you know, like, help him out there, too. And he’s continuing to get booked out there by himself now,
spk_1:
20:02:36
Yeah, I think the big thing here we’re that we’re talking about two is the consistency in time. This isn’t probably, you know, you’re more than likely Now I say this a lot. It’s It’s like a majority of the time. You’re not going to go from an opener playing no shows to a headlining slot in a year now. Sometimes you do get the occasional person who plays to opening slots and then immediately goes to a headlining slot. And that that does happen occasionally. And you, whoever’s listening to this episode right now, you might be that person. If so, fucking awesome, more power to you work it. But a majority of the people listening this show are not gonna be in that situation. And so you do have to understand that it takes takes a long time for you to build this support in the local scene and be consistent at it and really grinding and working hard at it. And I would say you guys could probably confirm or deny this, that I think, ah, large part of going from that mid level slot to that headliner slides all about not just going to those shows that you’re wanting to be booked at, but going to the other shows that are not throwing the shows that are booking you so that you can continue to network, continue to meet people, continue to meet more friends that aren’t going to shows that you’re playing so that you can bring them to the show that you’re playing or you meet new people and go Oh, yeah, I’m also an artist. I’m playing at this venue in two days. You should come to the show and they’re drunk and saying, Yeah, what’s your number? What’s your Snapchat? Let me know and then I’ll bring my friends and that’s how just cascades from there.
spk_2:
20:04:11
Absolutely. And the thing about Garrett is like key is that every single show. If he’s not booked out in Minneapolis like he’s at our venue and he’s partying with us and the other thing that goes a long way with, like going from mid tier tohave lining, Um, is gratitude saying thank you. Takes five seconds and 1/4 of a breath if you show an ounce of gratitude and not, like, you know, kissing our ass. But just be like, hey, like, Garrett was super sincere. Like when we moved him from an opener, too. A ah ah headlining slot like he was speechless. He’s like, Are you serious? Like what? What do you mean you like? I don’t know if I’m ready to do it. We’re like, No, Like you’re ready. Just take the slot, Play it, you will, you’ll kill it. We believe in you. And in all he said was, Thanks, man, like I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity and he reminds us of that every time we see him and it’s one. It makes us feel super good as promoters and to like, he doesn’t have an ego. And it’s all kind of like coming full circle with this conversation. I think like not having an ego and being, you know, very gratuitous. That’s word, right?
spk_0:
20:05:29
Yeah, I think I’m very grateful.
spk_2:
20:05:33
Those air is really good, Coyner said. Get you from opener to mid tier and even mid tier two headlining, um and honestly like it? I can’t stress that enough.
spk_1:
20:05:46
Gratefulness is an interesting one because it’s it goes hand in hand with ego. Um, and being grateful is such a simple thing, but it can be very difficult for a lot of people spent in this goes in with, you know, watching people on Facebook. You see people constantly complaining, complaining. But then you you go do do you need to step back and sniff the flowers? Because, I mean, you’re sitting here in your house complaining about the world around you while you’re on your iPhone on Facebook front, not grateful for toe like not set. Sit back for just even 10 seconds and just picture how grateful that is. Uh, it’s a shame, and I’m dropping all the books in this episode. So my girlfriend for Christmas she gave me her Amazon Ah, Christmas list, and she’s like, Yeah, just get stuff on there. And so I’m constantly sharing the books that I read with her and trying trying to get her to read the books like that. We talked about ego is the enemy and whatnot. And, uh, she had a book on there called The Six Minute Diary. So I was like, Okay, I want to get something that’s like, kind of self help E S O I she had no idea what it was. I had no idea what was. So I get it for her in come Christmas time. We’re looking at the book, and it is bucking. Amazing. Another one that I highly recommend people get. Anyone in general should get this book. So it’s There’s a 66 page intro and it’s about how to use the diary. And you’re supposed to use the diary six minutes a day, three minutes for the first entry in the morning in three minutes for the second entry in the evening. And the whole diary is based on making getting you to be more mindful and grateful for the small and little things around you. And the theory behind the book is, as you appreciate everything that you have and the good things that you do it. It physically changes your mentality and how you look at the world and how you approach things and how much more just appreciative you are to everything in your mood, Dude immediately changes. It’s incredible. The first There’s like three different section sections that you write down for each entry. And like the beginning of the day, you write down three things you’re grateful for, how you’ll make today, grey. And then the 3rd 1 is ah, positive affirmation. And then at the end of the day, you write down three great things. You experienced a good deed that you did the that day and how you’re gonna improve. It is phenomenal. I got I immediately got a book for myself, and I’ve been doing it for almost a month now. And within the first week, my mood immediately changed where I’d start realizing I’m like, I’m having good days like I’m ending the day. Well, I’m starting it. Well, I’m not in a bad mood. I’m not getting as frustrated as I normally d’oh! And then the second I didn’t do an entry one day like two days, I didn’t do an entry. I started there was like on that third day, I was very short tempered, getting really frustrated, and I was like, Why the fuck of my feeling like this because I haven’t felt like this in a while. And then I realized I’ve been doing any of my journal entries. My diary entries. I was like That’s when it hit me where I was like, Oh, wow. Like I’m actually seeing a change in the gratefulness. And if you can get a tackle on being grateful for things around you that again just like the ego thing releasing your ego is going to take you so much further because, yes, if you could be grateful for the people who are helping you out and helping you get to the places you want to be, just like we were talking about before scratch someone’s back, they’ll scratch yours. If you’re providing value, they’re gonna wanna work with you, Maur. If you show how appreciative you are if you’re positive and your are just you like people like being around you, that alone is going to take you a 1,000,000 times further than the guy cursing out the promoter because he said no to booking him,
spk_3:
20:09:44
right? Yeah, you pretty much just nailed it right on the head
spk_0:
20:09:48
there. Well, there is one more thing that week. I think all three of us talked about before to get you moved to that. Next level is there’s a certain threshold yet you have to be a producer to get 00 yeah. They’re like, how many DJs do you know who don’t produce music but headline like, I guess to be dramatically headlining festivals? Yeah, let’s go to every time you can’t just keep using him. One of the greatest deed is I will call Cox is one of the greatest DJs who was,
spk_1:
20:10:28
um, deejay who had the, like, Chucky mask forever.
spk_0:
20:10:32
What was his name? What? You don’t know? Because What about Colonel? Sir, that opened, My Lord. That was terrible. No. Who is that? People are
spk_1:
20:10:46
going to yell at me because I’m because people are yelling at their phones right now is telling me the name D J. God was you had, like, a chucking ah, like mask They were. But you got famous because he threw down on YouTube deejay videos, who’s making like, his bedroom and then immediately started selling out venues. Just deejaying. And he and then he started producing. But I think he was getting actual ghost production done.
spk_0:
20:11:11
Do you know you’re You’re right. Oh, who This guy D j blend E j playing? Yes, That zj blend. Oh, good lord. Yes, he He’s I
spk_1:
20:11:23
mean, one of the very few people who was able to just immediately go to a headline slot just deejaying. But where is he now? I mean, all None of us knew his name for, like, a solid two minutes there,
spk_0:
20:11:35
So we had to struggle. Like, how many days can you name up that headline and produce music like we could go on all night? Yes. Yeah, it’s your right.
spk_1:
20:11:44
The production is so important to get you to that headlining slot you need to be playing originals. You need to be playing songs, that people are getting the fuck down too. And they have never heard ever in their entire life.
spk_3:
20:11:57
That’s really what? What sets you apart, too?
spk_2:
20:11:59
Yeah, like that’s a great but like key topic. Especially like if you’re opening and there’s a dead room, how many times do you get to play out one of your originals on a closed system doing do it like you don’t even have to be behind the decks. Like if the room’s empty like us is promoters like we don’t care that Throw on your new e p and test it like, Yeah, sweet. We
spk_0:
20:12:23
want to hear it. We want to
spk_2:
20:12:24
hear it too. So, like, we’ll give you feedback in the room as well. Like Oh, man, like, all right, I would change this system this like or if you have a ton of tracks that you’re playing out and you you don’t even have to, like, say, like, Oh, I want some feedback on this, like just play him out and then, like, come up to us and be like, Hey, man, like, what do you think of these three tracks like, Oh, here’s what we think. This is what we would do to make it sound better on our club system. Then you go back and change it. But a CE faras like by personal preference and like we’ve got friends that are just, you know, DJs and and it’s it’s one thing, like they’re great. Don’t get me wrong, people. Yes, there’s There’s a lot of talent in deejaying alone, like if you can curate a really good set and just born a deejay, and that’s what you’re good at Awesome. Keep doing that. Keep driving to get better. But Brandon is 100% right. Like there is a threshold to where? If you’re just a deejay, nobody at. At least in this day and age, I shouldn’t say nobody but a majority of people don’t want to come out and see you as just a deejay. Your fan base as a producer that they’re going to be listening to your original tracks. Your singles,
spk_1:
20:13:36
you ones they haven’t heard.
spk_2:
20:13:38
Yes, like consistently releasing music. And they build a fan base that way. And then all of a sudden, like you’re playing a live show in their town like they’re gonna come out and see you and there they want to see that as a deejay, like you’re 55 minutes mixed cloud mix of the same 18 rhythm tracks that I heard last week like, That’s not gonna make me really want to come out and see your live show because you just played it for me on the Internet. I didn’t have to go out and spend $50 on liquor. And, you
spk_3:
20:14:08
know, there’s ah, there’s always, like, the famous counterpoint to that. A lot of people you know who don’t produce music use and that’s it’s totally true. Is there’s some people who produce music or God awful
spk_0:
20:14:22
the oh yes, Metro woman. But what? But I
spk_3:
20:14:29
mean, like for for the majority of those situations there is if you can produce music, you can learn how to be an effective deejay and play out tunes in a club and throw a good show. I mean it there, you know, handed hand necessarily. But like if one’s definitely easier than the other one.
spk_1:
20:14:49
Yeah. I mean, this is something we talked about in the episode with Shawn Johnson, um, about getting started with deejaying. I mean, bias $70 controller and just learn to be male you got to do is just learn to beat match, and then the rest can come. You can
spk_0:
20:15:07
get a $7
spk_1:
20:15:08
$70 controller. It it doesn’t matter about the gear, because guess what. You can find someone who has better gear that can teach you that. You know, if you’re needing to play on CD J’s Goto local shows, find someone who has see DJs friend up with them and ask him to teach you how to play on CD Jay’s It’s Pretty. I mean, you can kind of you can figure it out. It’s easy. It’s just you got to get to that point. So I mean, if you have $70 to spend, you don’t know how to deejay by a small controller and just learn how to beat match and then take it from there. But you’re 100% right. Deejaying is only going to get you. So far, you have to produce as well. In this day and age, it’s no longer the nineties. You have to be producing and deejaying in order for you to move up.
spk_3:
20:15:55
Yeah, I think, sure, I think with that Carl Cox Point I made earlier he was at a point where deejaying was emerging as like a big selling point in parties and raves. And that’s when the rave culture was really rising up. So he rode that wave and was able to get in at a point where he just got famous on being an awesome curator where I don’t really think that in an hour sets right. Yeah, that lasts until you know 12 the next day. But
spk_0:
20:16:23
good. Like Carl Cox you could do that. If you’re gonna hit a ceiling, works like Okay, what’s next? But you’re acting. You’re just gonna hit this ceiling?
spk_1:
20:16:32
Yeah. Yeah, you have to. I mean, you’re in the day and age where you have to do both. You really don’t have an option Unless you just wanted play local gigs and just deejay for 50 people every once in a while. And you want to do that as a side thing? If you’re wanting to be a successful D jame producer, you have to do both.
spk_2:
20:16:51
And that’s another thing with, like with, like just being a deejay. In my personal opinion, if you’re going to local shows and trying to get booked for local shows, don’t ask for more than $100. My personal opinion like that. Yeah. You don’t bring anything more to the table than being a curator. Check your ego at the door. Yeah, you might know everybody in this scene and they come out and see you and you can sell tickets. Cool. But just because you can curate but like the best, you know, top 15 base house tracks off of B port and throw him into a set every week or every time you get booked does not mean that you are worth $500 bottle service.
spk_3:
20:17:34
It’s the E M equivalent of being a cover band
spk_1:
20:17:37
s. Oh, yes, it is. This Okay, this is a really good, But this is a point that I wanted to bring up because I think it’s important for us to look out for producers and DJs as well. Um, what should they be charging at your during opening D J. You can bring 15 heads to the door. What should they be asking for? Cause I want to make sure because I I don’t believe that you should be playing for free because you are taking time to, you know, learn a craft. You’re taking time out of your day to make sure you’re putting on a good show, so you should be compensated. Um, now, obviously, $500 is ridiculous for an opening slot, especially if you look at your playing an hour show. That means you’re making $500 an hour. I mean,
spk_2:
20:18:24
on top of the service. And
spk_1:
20:18:25
yeah, that’s that’s unrealistic. What would you say? Four. I’m an opening D J. I’m bringing 15 heads that are going to stay for two hours. Um, and Aiken, Aiken, D. J. I know how to deejay.
spk_0:
20:18:39
It depends on the ticket price to understand you two. Like if it’s Minneapolis and it’s $25 cover like you might get more than if it’s my nominee and it’s a free event, right? So it’s a hard question to answer, but the venue would pick that, Um, I don’t know anywhere between 20 and maybe like 60. If it’s like the
spk_2:
20:18:59
sixties even pushing it for me, man, like we
spk_0:
20:19:02
we open Big Minneapolis. And so,
spk_2:
20:19:05
like when we got booked out for our two friends show, which was our very first show in Minneapolis, like we got paid $40 like that wasn’t at 8 p.m. Two drinks, Yeah, and two drinks. And it was like, Okay, like, this is eye opening for us because, you know, we comped all the drinks for the deejay while they’re playing and kind of like when they’re leading around like that, maybe like an hour or half hour on either side of their set, like we comped their drinks and we pay him 20 bucks. But that’s for a local opener. Like, just be Just be glad that you got a slot for a show in your town.
spk_0:
20:19:44
You will get paid. There’s no playing for free. We don’t We don’t do that. The
spk_2:
20:19:48
only people that play for free at our shows are ourselves
spk_3:
20:19:53
people that help us see. Uh, yeah, people who really want to see us succeed and though will work for free with us.
spk_1:
20:20:01
Yeah. So then how about a mid level slot? What do you think payment should be for a mid bubble slough it like at that point, should you be looking at more towards, like 1 to $200?
spk_2:
20:20:12
Oh, man. Again, like it’s it goes back to the venue dictates that for us, it’s anywhere between 60 and 80. Um, with comped drinks, it’s, um I don’t know. It’s hard for us to really pinpoint that because, like obviously, we would love to pay the same amount that these DJs air getting paid out in these bigger cities. But we just we can’t physically support that because our budget doesn’t allow for that. What we try to really help is, um, these mid tier acts is try to get them to the next level of like, preparing to go to a bigger city. So we’re going to get you more exposure. We’re still gonna pay you a pretty decent wage to come out and play music in your town and then kind of help you, Um, fine tune your sets and how you present yourself to, ah, larger promoter in a bigger city. Yeah. I
spk_3:
20:21:03
mean, I’ve I played a direct support slot. It was for electric out of the loft, and I got a little bit less than 100 bucks for that. And I mean, honestly, at that point, I was pretty astounded that I even was awarded that slot. But, you know, I I was really If you’re in it for the music and all that, like, sure, getting paid for your time is a bonus. But, like, just it goes back to, you know, like, be appreciative for you get to play out there, And then people get to, like, see you doing that and that That helps you as well, like definitely don’t play for, uh, What did they say? Playing for exposure. That’s that’s not really a real thing. It works to us an extent depending on the venue or the time you placed her play. But like, it’s, you know, ultimately, you’re doing it as a passion. And like, once you get to that level where you’re playing bigger shows and stuff like that, expect more money, but also still be appreciative of the opportunity to open for people who you really respect.
spk_0:
20:22:09
It just for reference. What did you get for? Because you did doors for joy ride, right? It was Yeah. Would you get for that? So you’re open
spk_3:
20:22:16
Over. Um, it Whoa. Okay, so that was a venue that they pay you percentage based on people. You get the door, which I
spk_0:
20:22:26
don’t normally eso like, $4. Hey, no, actually, about actually, I I
spk_3:
20:22:34
got paid more for that set. Then I get paid for most shows that I played Minneapolis. It worked
spk_0:
20:22:41
out. I sold some tickets, boys. Wave red, light way. Um, well, let’s get into
spk_1:
20:22:51
just, you know, the last topic here, which is I think this one will be fair, a fairly quick one, because we’ve kind of nailed everything here, but for residencies, people who want to play consistently consistent shows once week, once every couple of weeks at a club or a venue. Again, I feel like that’s probably Maur about providing more value, building strong relationships with who’s doing the booking. Um, and then if that availability is obviously there and someone slips out, um, where you know that residency spot opens up? You guys have any advice? Is there anything a little bit more to getting that residency?
spk_0:
20:23:28
It’s I mean, number one, like would like you said, is the relationship, but two is no the venue. Like Know what that Ben you want Stay here. Because if you’re a resident like odds are you’re playing a You’re not like the same style, everything but a very similar style, you know, like, Okay, I’m going to Ah, whatever venue. Like I know if I go, I’m gonna hear this kind of music. So, like consistency and then, like, super duper, it’s like superstar relationships because, like you’re gonna play every night like that’s a big ask. It’s a big buy into the venue. Another, Another step
spk_3:
20:23:59
with that is just straightened marketability of your ah, of your brand and how you represent yourself and you know how the promoter feels about your potential as an artist or D J or one of you want to
spk_1:
20:24:11
be. Yeah, I think that I think we covered Aton of that in that episode was Shawn Johnson, because, like I said, he plays out. He does residencies out in, Ah, Baltimore, Baltimore, where he lives. So he’s very, very brand herbal. I mean, his whole thing is a brand, and one of the things he brought up for marketing was to actually, if the because a lot of those clubs their budget is so cheap or they’ll only pay you a couple 100 bucks to play the show. And so in, if you ask too much and they say no, a lot of the times, What he’ll do is he’ll make a shit ton of coups, ese or something like that. And tell the venue owner Okay, well, you can’t pay me that. How about you pay me this? Plus, here all these cruises past these out to everyone. If they get a beer and it’s his branded coups, ease with his name and all that shit. On a great day, everyone’s walking around the club with the cooze ease with his name on it and they’re remembering him, Rim remembering that night and then on top of it, I was talking to him about it was when was the last fucking time? You gotta Cuzzi, that you just threw it away Because I have never thrown a Cuzzi away.
spk_0:
20:25:24
That’s like throwing away money. Yes, a large majority. A lot
spk_1:
20:25:28
large majority. Those people are going to take that Cuzzi home and then two weeks later, they’re going to be hanging out at the pool with their friends with the coup Z’s on. And the people are gonna be like, Who’s this guy? And they’re going to be like, I was at this fucking club two weeks ago. He was passing out. These Cuzzi is this guy was throwing down. They go like his Facebook page. Now you have more fans
spk_2:
20:25:48
kind of like the last thing that I would say about residency because we just, um announced that we’re going to start having a residency at our venue for this semester. And it was just kind of an idea that I was throwing around because we took a lot of these opening acts, or like mid tier acts that weren’t quite yet ready for a headlining slot. So So they were, like, right on the threshold. And I thought that, you know, this is a way where these guys are really talented at deejaying, and every time they come out, they throw a really good show. But they just don’t have the numbers to get to that headlining slot Yet, even though they’ve played so many different shows for us, and every time we’ve had nothing but good things to say about them, they just needed to get their face out there more and get the so called exposure, I would say. And now that we’re gonna have them, Yeah,
spk_0:
20:26:46
okay, you got a way. That makes it nice. You can pick up
spk_2:
20:26:55
a lot of background. Yeah, like the they’re going to get this exposure. It’s gonna be a good experience because they’re there longer time periods, then normal hour long set that they would play for us at a headlining level. And it’s gonna allow multiple people that come to our venue on a Friday night, which is usually are slower nights, and it’s going to turn into okay, they’re seeing these guys consistently. Instead of doing it at a House party. It’s at a public venue where they’re they’re with their friends. They can drink legally all this other stuff. And then as they move forward into the next semester, like we won’t have these same residents next semester, we’ll have different residents, and these guys will be more, um, accustomed to getting their headlining slots on Saturdays or whatever.
spk_1:
20:27:43
That’s that’s actually really sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt you, but that’s genius. You’re you’re taking these artists who are almost that headlining slot, giving them that timeto where they can build more of a family. It’s playing music consistently, and then when the time comes, you can transistor transition them into that headliner slot and then move the next guy’s up from those opening or midline midlevel slots up to the headliner. You know, the the, um, the residency slots to do the trick that’s doing that’s providing so much value to artists and your guys this scene that is fucking incredible. I really love that, that there’s a really good idea.
spk_2:
20:28:22
Yeah, I mean, it’s it’s like grooming. Um, it’s like
spk_0:
20:28:27
grooming people. You’re setting people up for success is
spk_1:
20:28:30
what you guys are doing
spk_2:
20:28:32
exactly So it’s like taking, um, like a freshman on the football team and like he starts out in, like, the C team or or the practice squad. And he’s just learning how to do this stuff. And then he goes to junior varsity and then he sits on J V for a couple of years or a year or whatever it is. But he’s showing a lot of promise. So maybe as like a junior, like he’s on varsity and he’s playing as a starter. But it it it takes the work in the effort off that actual deejay because we’re not gonna give it to people that one don’t deserve it. And two don’t show really any interest in playing, um, these shows for us. So, like, obviously, we have a ton of people that want to play shows every weekend. They wish they could because, like obviously, it’s a lot of fun to play music, and all of our artists have a huge passion for music and they love playing shows. But it doesn’t really matter to us because they don’t show that it’s the it factor. I would have to say like what? That the a
spk_1:
20:29:33
driving force behind an artist that’s actually gonna make them successful, right?
spk_2:
20:29:37
And it We saw that with our 1st 3 artists that we kind of all came to a consensus because I brought this idea up to the team and I was like, Hey, like, let’s do a residency on Friday nights like those air historically like really poor nights for us as faras like opening acceding shows and getting people out there like Let’s not spend money on booking out somebody from the Twin Cities like Minneapolis area to come down and play these shows on Friday nights because they’re always going to be a little bit lighter due to other bars in this scene that just kind of control that. And so let’s have just local DJs that’ll come out once a month on a three week rotation, and let’s groom them to be our perfect headliner for the next semester, and hopefully it works out. We
spk_0:
20:30:22
don’t know this is a test run, but
spk_2:
20:30:25
overall like it’s I’m excited to see what happens. Obviously, like I have to do it from Afghanistan. But, you know, um yeah, that’s the biggest thing and I think that that leads into, like, kind of how we book out for, like, our festival and stuff because, like if you’re not, even if you’re a bid to your artists, like a good mid to your artist barely makes doors for our festival like you have to be something special to get on that line up. And I feel like a lot of artists. It’s crazy like and it just keeps going back to like when we book like we don’t ever release our lineup for these bigger events until, like, probably a month out. And even then it’s It’s how every other festival does it. It’s like Tier one like your headliners, then your meds and then your everybody else. And, you know, we get text messages like Day one of us even announcing the festival of book me, bro. Book me, bro. You’re sleeping Mommy,
spk_0:
20:31:22
baby, and it’s like, Oh my God, I sleep in on me, bro. Like we don’t We haven’t even finalized the lineup for it yet, like we don’t even know who’s headlining
spk_2:
20:31:30
it. We just put the graphics out there to get people hyped up about it, but
spk_1:
20:31:33
so would you say the festival slots. It’s like kind. Keep your eye on it, but don’t pay too much attention to it till you’re hitting that headlining slot.
spk_2:
20:31:43
Yes, one especially for us. Like don’t don’t ask to be booked for the festival, um, one, because we already have the lineup that we’re gonna book out, or at least attempt to book out a year in advance like we have been talking about this like, three weeks after the festival ended last year. So it’s kind of like one of those things where it’s like you unless you deserve it. And we feel that you deserve it like you’re probably not gonna get booked. We do, however, um, always offer up a contest slot, which is a really cool way to get, you know, artist super hyped up about that like, Well, throw his contest out here because we leave one slot open that we couldn’t find out and figure out anybody that we want to feel. So whatever you get an early time slot at a festival. But the thing about this festival is it. It brings everybody out like it is packed wall to wall pretty much from 10 Thio 2 a.m. Every single time. And now it That is a great way as an artist, especially in your local scene. Like if you hit up these competitions every chance you get find a competition. Even if you don’t win like the’s, local promoters will probably see your name coming through. Come back. Okay, like I’ve seen this kid a couple of times in these contests. Lots. Maybe your stuff’s just not up to par on. That’s the other thing is like getting feedback about your mixing styles and stuff like that’s gonna make leaps and bounds but kind of getting off track here. It’s far.
spk_1:
20:33:15
No, no, you’re good. I mean, that’s what we do on the podcast. Just kind of Go on. Um, now I think I think the key thing with those festivals is definitely building the relationships with people who are working them and kind of getting in with that crowd. You know, as with most things you gotta provide Valium, build those relationships. How many people did you have in attendance last year for your festival
spk_2:
20:33:39
Ji’s fault. So the first time we threw it was in February and Wisconsin, and mind you, the week prior. It was negative. 12 out snowing like crazy dude. Yeah. So, like our stress levels are through the roof. We’re coming into this. We’re like, Oh, my God. Like we are praying that it’s gonna work out. Day of show 35 degrees and sunny. It’s beautiful. It’s still chilly out, mind you. So we’ve got we’ve got the outdoor venue and we’re throwing it outdoors too. So it’s like, Ah, big nightmare. So we have to heat it. Well, our tarp class of bunch of equipment got snow on it. It was a huge deal, but, um, we sold out, which is I think we had, like, 450 tickets by 11 p.m. And the
spk_0:
20:34:29
first year. Yes. Yeah, it was crazy.
spk_2:
20:34:32
But like every time we throw this festival like we put so much on the line and like so much for us is like a couple of grand and we’re like, Are we gonna make our money back like we don’t go in like, Oh, yeah, we’re gonna sell out, like, 100%.
spk_1:
20:34:45
Yeah, you just want to make that money back,
spk_2:
20:34:48
right? And we just keep counting, like as we go through like, Okay, How many people do we have here, like all right? Like, have we sold enough tickets where we’re making our money back? And then at 11:30 p.m. like right before me and Brandon Go on, I bring my whole team on stage, and I’m like, Guess what? We just sold the fuck out like this is insane. And it was such a surreal moment because, like, as a promoter, when you see all this hard work that you’ve put something and it finally comes to fruition and it not only comes to fruition, it’s just overwhelming success like you. You don’t even know what to feel at that point. And all you can do is just be grateful for everybody that’s standing in front of you and everybody that you have behind you. But yeah, I think. Did we sell out this year? Nolan, I wasn’t around. So,
spk_3:
20:35:36
um, I mean, we bought a lot more responds this time around, but we’re like, we’ve gotta bulk but way sold. Probably about the same,
spk_0:
20:35:45
I think 404. 50 roughly. Yeah. Yeah, we and he was like, four
spk_1:
20:35:50
100. That’s fucking awesome. There, guys I mean,
spk_3:
20:35:52
I I love the hustle.
spk_1:
20:35:54
I appreciate it so much. You guys are working hard and grinding, and, um, yeah. I mean, you guys are doing everything right. I This is something I was talking to Brandon about on the phone. Why? I wanted to have you guys on because Brandon was like, Oh, I’m not sure if, like, you know, what we’re doing is really all the right answers. Wherever I’m like, you guys are doing something right. You guys keep doing it and it’s getting bigger. It’s getting better. People are showing up. You’re paying artists like you’re moving in the right direction. You’re making the right moves. Um, and I see this success. I mean, you guys are already wildly successful. It can only improve from here. So I really love it.
spk_2:
20:36:34
Yeah, for sure. And honestly, like, thank you. Like kind words are always really, really nice to hear, because, I mean, we’re we’re so short sighted when it comes to these events. Like it. It’s kind of
spk_1:
20:36:46
got tunnel vision. You’re just focusing on one thing at a time. You have time to look at everything else. Very. There’s very few moments you can,
spk_2:
20:36:54
and that’s like and like we kind of talked about earlier, like there’s no way one person could run a production like I tried doing it when we first started out, and it killed me like I was so stressed out every single time. Like I didn’t like showing up. And then, like my team Brandon, Nolan, Jake, Ben, all those guys, they got involved, more involved. And now I am pretty confident in the ability of like, if one of those guys was there and they had to do it by themselves, they could. It wouldn’t be fun, but they could do
spk_1:
20:37:24
it. And then you have trust.
spk_2:
20:37:26
Yes, and it’s that that is a huge thing. Is trust in your team members and the people that you have behind you, because when it comes time to throw your first festival as a production company, you are going to be so stressed out with everything that goes on and is right, it just it becomes
spk_1:
20:37:49
overwhelming. Yeah, yeah, well, that’s why um I wanna have you guys on for a second episode. Because I think, um, I kind of want to do a part two to this because You know, we focused on getting an artist book. But now I’d love to go into the subject of actually running a production company because I think there’s plenty of people listening to this podcast now where they might be in a small town or even, you know, a medium sized town that’s they can get people in. There are shows going on, but not great shows. And if you see that opening in the market, you have the opportunity to build a team and take it. Do it because you never know what could happen from it. And, um, I definitely want to have you guys on for a second episode. I think we should definitely end it there. Um, we we got a lot of good information in Dillon. Do you want to plug anything for you and Brandon? You guys artists tougher for so called this episode. So right now we’re recording on January 24th. This episodes coming out February 8. So I don’t know
spk_0:
20:38:50
who, uh, great timing. That’s like perfect timing
spk_2:
20:38:56
for a lot of us. Um,
spk_0:
20:38:57
yeah. What? Plug away.
spk_2:
20:38:59
Yeah. Ah, so you can follow us on. Facebook will plug the production company first. So it’s at SCP Midwest. That’s instagram Facebook. Well, we’re on instagram jail right now.
spk_0:
20:39:13
Uh, yeah, it’s a long story. Was still on his feet. Picks It was a hold, uh, is
spk_2:
20:39:24
a hole, but yeah, you can follow us there if ah, you want to follow. So called as the artist Duo Production company production duo, it’s at so called DJs on Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook Instagram We are not an instagram jail on our production age, so that’s good. Um, we do have ah new single coming out or a couple of new single’s coming out in the next couple of weeks. So stay tuned for that were Brandon and I have been experimenting with this whole new mid temple sound and honestly, we love it. But, um, we’ve been primarily future based guys and, like, started listening to 17. 88 l or 1788 l and rez And honestly, like, Oh, it’s what we got coming out is pretty cool. Like I was very happy with what we developed, and it’s gonna be super sweet. We’re going to be on Bondi Beach Radio, which is an Australian Internet radio station. We have um we’ve got a Collab coming out with our boy custom out of Australia. So shut up. Marco is amazing. We’re playing up his students forever. Um, what else?
spk_0:
20:40:36
I’m working on a tune with our boy. Elden goes by Mersa I don’t know how long that’s gonna take. As sure as you could talk about no one. Elder Ellen takes a while to work through his tunes, but we’ll get there l
spk_1:
20:40:49
and work on the tunes. Where you
spk_0:
20:40:51
doing, man? Theo, Work it. Work it. Super talented guy. Just, you know, let’s take some time back. Book was made in the eighties. There it is. There it is. No
spk_1:
20:41:06
one. Do you have anything you’d like to plug, Man?
spk_3:
20:41:09
Um I mean, you can follow me at no elephant. That’s an O l e p H a N t on all of my social media’s. It’s just whatever. It’s slash No, Ethan, um, coming out with a new song in a couple of weeks. So I’m just gonna self release. I’ve got, um, a label released lined up that I don’t know if I can even announce that yet, but, uh, that’s coming up in, like, April and Yeah, I guess. Who followed SCP page, too? Because we’re always doing stuff there.
spk_0:
20:41:41
Lots of shows coming up, Grandage. Yeah, well, maybe that was Fuhrman And Blank on the date is very not first is the bigger eighth preshow. I got pulled the calendar. Not gonna wait.
spk_2:
20:41:55
Aren’t you guys playing for, like, black Tiger sex machine coming up the
spk_1:
20:41:58
oh. Oh, you guys were playing to be t sm Show.
spk_0:
20:42:03
Yeah, it’s on the side stage, but we’ve got Where? Where? Where? Ah win today. Skyway Theater on Ah, March 14th night, March 14. Skyway Theatre. Studio B. Yep. Like
spk_1:
20:42:17
Tiger sex machine opening up for them. Do go. Anyone who’s in Minneapolis, I’m sure if you listen to this, you’re probably going to go to the show. Definitely go to that show. Well,
spk_0:
20:42:27
yes, we’re starting. Our first night is February 7th for having our resident sini out on that Friday night and then on the eighth for having a band out, actually, Nixon’s ghost. Um, that’s our first weekend. Peppery underneath with the 14th. We’re having a resident avoidance plants of Friday. Yeah.
spk_3:
20:42:45
Yeah, we’re kind of a slow rolling start into the year.
spk_0:
20:42:48
That’s yeah. we already do is when it’s colder. We do less shows in which
spk_3:
20:42:53
one We do more
spk_0:
20:42:53
shows because people wanna be outside and party.
spk_1:
20:42:56
Okay. Yeah, well, if anyone’s in that area, I mean, go to their Facebook page, follow them, go to their show, support them if you’re no if your deejay listening this show and you haven’t met these guys go to their show, shake their hands, Um, in show up, bring people. Ah, you guys. Thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate especially you, Dylan, Since your overseas. Right now, um, I really appreciate you guys coming in. So
spk_2:
20:43:20
it’s 5:45 a.m. right now. I’ve been, uh, been up since 2 30 So that’s good.
spk_0:
20:43:27
Oh, boy, I don’t know.
spk_1:
20:43:28
You staying up, man?
spk_2:
20:43:29
Uh, all the thanks to you, man. Like, I was really hyped up when Brandon said that he got us on a podcast like this is super cool for us. This is the first podcast that we’ve really been on a SZ faras. Like being able to talk about a production company. Um, it was honestly, I can’t be I can’t thank you enough, man. It’s great. I love listening to it. I’ve been listening to a lot of the episodes. I listen to the one with Shawn Johnson. It was an awesome episode. Um, and like I listen to another one about focusing on one thing and like hiring out, mixing and mastering engineers and stuff like that. You’re really knowledgeable and everything you talk about a spot on
spk_1:
20:44:06
sweet Thank you so much. I appreciate that. But, um, yeah, we’ll have to get together for another episode. All of your guys is stuff. I’ll reach out and I’ll grab links. So, uh, anyone who’s interested in following their socials if you didn’t catch them, they’ll be on the in the show notes at www dot envious audio dot com slash episode 20. But yeah, thank you guys so much. I appreciate it and we’ll
spk_0:
20:44:31
keep in touch. Absolutely. Thank you. Thanks for having us Take care, guys. Thank you so much for checking out the show guys. As always, head to facebook dot com. Look up. Electronic dance money. Community joined the group. We’re talking business in there at the iTunes and Apple podcast to rate review The show. I would really appreciate it and I’ll see you guys next time

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