Back To Basics

This past weekend was filled with music for me. I was blessed to play both Friday and Saturday. Friday night was at a little bar in the West Side of Cleveland. Verlie's is a small neighborhood bar that has been family owned for over 40 years. I was blessed to have my friend Alexis Antes play with me that night. I wasn't sure how my new solo material would go over there. In the back of my mind I guess I was expecting the night to be like most small bars, however nothing could have been further from that experience. Vickie and Ken (owners) are musicians, they have transformed that lil cafe into a simply wonderful place where people actually come to listen to the music. Go there and find out for yourself. You won't be dissapointed. Saturday night was at a nother special place in Akron. Scott's Folkatorium is basically a flea market and concert hall. Scott the owner is a very special person who is living his dream to have this place. I asked my new friends Sacred Fiction to come and play. I also asked an old friend Joyce Elliot to play the violin with me. The music was great. The only problem is that NO ONE CAME. I guess I just not get the promotion job done. Writing the songs, building your website, recording promos and booking gigs is just part of the whole picture. The other is promotion. The difference between the turn outs is interesting. At Verlie's there is a built in audience that is used to having a real mix of musicians. When I walked in the place a guy was playing a guitar sitting at the bar and a fiddle player was jamming along. At Scott's you would think that given all of the great local talent that has performed there you would have a similar situation. No, you can not tale promotion for granted. Without promotion there is no crowd, without a crowd there is no sales, without the sales there is no place to promote. I mean I know this like I know my name, I guess I need to work ecven harder at this part of the process.