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March 24, 2004

The Big Opener

The Big Opener. Every performing artist on the scene gets a chance at one at some point in their career. The Big Opener is when you land an opening slot for a larger, more well-known artist, thus providing an opportunity for wider exposure and CD sales. It’s not necessarily a make-or-break gig, but you’d be foolish to treat it as such.

The scruffy guy on the right is Josh Kelley, who’s touring in support of his Hollywood Records release For The Ride Home. I’m opening for Josh at Neumo’s on April 18th.

This show will probably sell out. Oh man.

What this means is that for one day next month, I get to step out of the comfortable world of cozy coffeehouses and open mics and into the shadowy, smoke-and-sawdust world of the live rock show. It’s a place I haven’t been in a long while, and due to a random exchange of business cards on the plane, I’m being catapulted headlong back into it for a brief moment.

Ask anyone who’s done a string of Big Openers and you’ll probably find that they’re not at all uncommon and maybe even anticlimactic. And now that I’ve wistfully blogged it here, I fully expect to see the show cancelled or to get booted from the bill for some reason. (The Mature Artist does not pin his or her hopes to any one Big Opener) But I want to mark this moment down, my first Big Opener, and this being my second trip down the DIY rock star trail, and I want to savor it just a bit more this time around. This is a weblog, after all.

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And Kevin Smokler did speak thusly:

Kick Ass! Rock your heart out, enjoy every minute of it, and bring a notebook for your mailing list. And CD’s to sell.
And scottandrew did speak thusly:

Word.
And Jerry Halstead did speak thusly:

Excellent, congrats!

Will you be similarly scruffy?
And brad sucks did speak thusly:

Congratulations, Scott! Good luck!
And Erik did speak thusly:

Awesome. Probably-sold-out 750-capacity club. That–will–be–something. I’ll be thinking of you back here in the comfortable world of cozy coffeehouses and open mics.

Actually, April 18th? I could even come up for the show. If it weren’t sold out. Hmmmm.
And lisa did speak thusly:

sounds like things are going your way! knock ‘em dead.
And Geoffrey Long did speak thusly:

I’d even hazard a bet that you could be one of those opening bands who wipes the floor with the main band! Take no prisoners, man — you’re so ready for the spotlight.

(Incidentally, you should also totally consider contacting PASTE magazine to try and get your stuff reviewed. Your music is right up their alley, and could even get included on their demo disc if they love it enough. I pick up a copy whenever I find one and there’s *always* at least one great new find on every sampler.)
And Sean Stirling did speak thusly:

Hey Scott - I saw your name in the Stanger in an ad for the show the other day! Nice going! I’ve got two gigs that day, so I won’t be able to see it. Keep in touch.
Sean Stirling, Musician Under Construction
http://seanstirling.stickist.com
And scottandrew did speak thusly:

Cool Sean, I’ll have to look for that ad and put it in a scrapbook or something (note to self: start scrapbook).

Geoffrey: yeah, a review in Paste would rock. I’d need to find a way around the slush pile, though. (I think the practice goes: buy an ad, get a review.) Actually, if I could get a local paper or ‘zine to do a review, that’d be just as great.
And Nakia did speak thusly:

You lucky dawg!!

Congratulations, bro!

Does this one up my Pete Yorn/tambourine experience?? DAMN!

Kia