Promotional Head's Up, Please

When a band books a gig at Phog, I supply a litany of information.
A list of things that happen, or are expected to happen before, during, and after a show.

We discuss money, posters, and promotion.

This third thing, promotion, is something I find myself having to ask bands for information about. Actually, to be more clear, I find myself stumbling onto Twitter posts from bands declaring their upcoming shows at Phog. Then, and only then, am I made aware that they even HAVE A TWITTER ACCOUNT.

Some of you are rolling you reyes.

For me, this is key to show promotion.
If I don't know that you have a band/musician Twitter account, blog, Facebook Fan Page, or FLAVORS.ME page, it hinders the promotional opportunities. People can't follow your progress on tour, photos from your other shows, video blog posts, tour video diaries, promotional giveaways, ANYTHING unless they ALREADY follow you (good luck) or if the promoter (me) can help let people know that you exist in these realms.

This week, I found a post from The Matavaras. A band from Halifax playing Phog on Saturday December 19th. Found. I didn't know they had a Twitter account. It's @thematavaras by the way. If I knew earlier, I could list it in the Facebook event listing, the blog, the calendar, etc. Since this example is leading me to making a list...I will begin doing so for you, the music fans of Windsor who ALSO embrace the tech connection.

Musicians, at the very least, I can help funnel people to your stuff if they are already interested in following or knowing more about your band, progress, and tour.

Please tell me, bands, if you are coming here, OR NOT, that you exist in these places so that I can help fans know more about your promotional efforts. This way, when you HAVE Windsor music fans following you, YOU can ask THEM great places to eat, buy guitar strings, rent a hotel room, or to find a floor of a fan to sleep on. It wouldn't be a bad idea to enact these suggestions in the cities you travel to frequently, as the only people who stand to benefit from this is you, your fans, and the venues you're playing.

Any thoughts?
Can anyone tell me ANY Canadian bands, Windsor or otherwise, that are currently using Twitter?
I will collect them for a little while, and then post them subsequently.
Thanks in advance!

EDIT - We have been gifted the answer...the list...by Brenda Lee (@kn0ttyn3rb), an awesome Canadian Music fan from Vancouver. She replied within minutes of this post with this unbelievable link to NONE OTHER than North By East West - the Canadian Music Blog SUPREME!

Here's the link to the ultimate Canadian music Twitter list. I need to add around 200 bands now...

Thanks Brenda, and thanks NXEW.ca

An open call to other venue owners in Canada...

I have been talking about this for a while.
A collaboration.
But there are physical barriers.
So I'm using this to reach you...venue owners!
Especially those who fell into the CBC Radio 3 Searchlight contest for their special attention to live music hosting.

Here I am, on a Wednesday night, in the winter, with nothing booked.
That means it's usually quiet in the early evening, picking up in the last half-hour.
But I know something's going on somewhere else in the country tonight.

I would LOVE to start showing LIVE broadcasts of bands playing in other venues, cities, provinces. Phog has been live-streaming shows, on and off, for a good while now. We just need an internet connection, a camera of some kind that will connect to your computer (I use a FireWire to a Sony Handycam circa. 1995). Then you need an external microphone with a USB connection to your computer. Ustream.com and other streaming sites make it pretty easy to set-up the video and audio...and then once you've got your settings...you keep them the same and simply adjust audio for volume.

I wish, wish, wish that another venue was willing to broadcast some stuff, so that I could PROJECT it onto our big screen on the nights when we don't have something booked.
I'd actually put it in the listing as something people could come and watch LIVE.
Touring bands could hit two audiences at once.

Is this a pipe dream, or is there someone out there willing to get the ball rolling by trying it out with one show?

If you're reading this and you have contact with a venue owner who might be open to this, send them to this post, or have them e-mail me at phoglounge@gmail.com.

It'd be killer to catch Said The Whale or Joel Plaskett or Jill Barber playing some other venue in Canada, knowing that they were playing to two audiences.

What do you think of this idea?

The Wooden Sky (Toronto) w/ MICHOU & Evening Hymns (Peterborough)

http://www.myspace.com/thewoodensky
http://www.myspace.com/eveninghymns
http://www.myspace.com/itsnicetomichou

Okay, look.

The Wooden Sky just played for a month, touring with Elliott Brood. Windsor's own Ryan Fields, who's been touring with both of them has been doing sound on this tour. He messaged me on Twitter to say that this is easily one of his favourite bands right now, after watching them 24 nights in a row.

Simply put, this band has been evolving steadily since its days as Friday Morning's Regret, when they played Phog every 3 months.
This is a super-gifted band, bringing super gifted friends, Evening Hymns, from Peterborough. Their myspace music is HAUNTING, and BEAUTIFUL, and will totally KILL in Phog's little audio-space. GO LISTEN!

And to add to the madness...the UBER-talented MICHOU will be playing on the bill also! Love these fellas.
This is an all-ages show.
You should come.


Below, is three parts of a slick documentary being shot about The Wooden Sky. I encourage you to take a look.

See you Saturday!
The Wooden Sky - A Documentary in Pieces - PART ONE (HD) from Black Box Vimeo on Vimeo.


The Wooden Sky - A Documentary in Pieces PART TWO (HD) from Black Box Vimeo on Vimeo.


The Wooden Sky - A Documentary in Pieces PART THREE (HD) from Black Box Vimeo on Vimeo.

CBC Radio 3's New Music Canada - Where is Windsor?

Okay, I have been singing the praises of CBC Radio 3 for a loooong time.

When the DJs at Radio 3 look to play bands or performers from Windsor, they are looking at a very short list.

They can only play bands that are registered on New Music Canada (Radio 3's database of Canadian bands and performers).

When they go to that list, and there's 12 bands, it leads to the conclusion that there is little or nothing happening in Windsor musically. And this is foolish. There are TONS of bands who garner very important exposure through this site, their web radio, and their Sirius Satellite Radio Channel.

This is my request to you, your band in Windsor (or Canada).
If you are not yet registered with New Music Canada, go to CBC Radio 3's website, find New Music Canada (NMC) and get the initial application done, for your own sake, and for Windsor's.

Represent this town you have stuck with...by making your music and talent known.
No excuses.
Just go there and do it.
They will only play the music you upload to the site...so give them your best...and make Windsor proud. They're coming here to celebrate with us on July 11th, 2009 and it'd be nice if they had a few new favourite band members to meet.

Let the CBC Radio 3 Celebration suggestions begin!!

Well, it's time to make a wish-list.

It's called a WISH list for a reason.

The CBC Radio 3 celebration will be coming before too long (date to be released soon), and we need to know WHO you want to see play.

So, I need as many recommendations as possible left as comments on this blog post.
I've been asked to create a wish list, and now, as the folks who made this possible, I need your suggestions which may become a reality.

BEGIN!