I cannot think of very many people in my life who have not complained about the money they earn. Sure, I know some very wealthy people, and many who earn $90,000+ a year who seemingly have no complaints about cash flow, but for the rest of us – yeah, no.
Musicians are independent contractors – or, in other words, independent sole proprietorship based businesses. They are not wage earners, and are therefore not subject to minimum wage laws. As wage earners we very often do not think of the cost of running a business. We really are only concerned about how much is in our paycheck, grousing if the “boss” makes a-whole-lot-more than we do, especially in very large companies where the disparity between the bottom and top are as great as we know it can be.
VERY VERY VERY few musicians have ever made a full time living at it. My father and my maternal grandfather were both “professional” musicians, going back to the 1920’s trad-jazz era. My father owned a jazz club in the 60s. Neither of them ever made a full time living out of playing music.
There is really only room at the top for a very few – a very lucky few, because luck has a lot to do with it. Local musicians have also almost never made any money from recordings. Most are fortunate to be able to recoup the cost of making the record – and instead rely on personal appearances to pay for the recordings and other necessary tools; profitability be damned.
We all like to go see our favorite band from high school and college. Many of us like to see bands from other states and countries. However, many people over the age of about 32 rarely go out to see a live local band unless they are personally connected somehow.
And yet in my personal experience most of the musicians playing those small rooms are over 35 .. and often over 40 years old. Many are still bemoaning the loss of the fans they remember seeing when they were 21-34 years old, who are now married with kids and full time jobs. – the very people who rarely go out to see live music, preferring a nice dinner out once a month and maybe a movie. The 1.5 shows they see every year are those national and international acts they grew up with.
Wanna talk money? That $5 we bitch about to see that local band in a local restaurant/bar = $500 if 100 people show up. In the 15 yrs I’ve done sound and booked local rooms in this region that is a very BIG “IF.” Not every band can draw 100 people – in fact, very few can, regardless of the room they play.
I cannot count the innumerable times I’ve stood and watched people walk away at a $5 cover charge.
Bar sales? Assume $5.50 a beer. Assume the average person in the room buys 2.25 beers (enough to earn you a DUI). That’s $12.37. Multiple that by the BIG IF 100 people … = $1237.00 in bar sales. If the band plays for 15% that’s $185.00 Let’s say there is no cover; will that change the scenario? Not in my experience. That average person in the room will still only drink 2.25 beers x $5.50.
The solution to earning more is to either get more people in the door, or increase the price of entry. After all, movie theaters now get $10 – why can’t we? Aren’t we worth it?
March marked the 5th birthday of this blog (March 2010). April marks the 9th birthday for The Colorado Sound (April 2006 / KRFC) and the 3rd birthday for The Colorado Sound Live365 (April 2012).
March, like Feb and Jan, hit historical highs for page views for the month. March also hit historic lows for the number of spins statewide for Colorado music, and the lowest number of stations spinning 10 or more titles since I began keeping track, nearly seven years ago now. I really struggled with that. March also registered the lowest number of hours listened to The Colorado Sound Live365, and the fewest number of people streaming the station.
Tracking spins is always challenging. Several of the smallest stations have no way of measuring or determining what titles they play. Most of the time there’s no central accounting system in place and there can be over 100 individuals on the air in any given month. Even some influential stations in the state have no effective means of tracking spins. That alone presents some interesting challenges, especially if those stations stream online, but that’s an entirely different set of problems best left undiscussed here.
Only seven of the fifteen stations surveyed managed to air ten “currents” (titles up to 18 months old). And the difference in the number of over- the-air “exposures” (spins per station x number of station frequencies x number of stations) between the top of the charts and the rest was significant enough for me to tell you about it.
That we had what I think is at or near an historic number of debuts (13) this month is due also, I believe, to the low number of titles being played per station in March. The number of titles tracked also fell to 187, the first time that number has fallen beneath 200 in over 3 years – although the total number of titles aired is about normal for the month at 108.
Bill Frisell‘s wonderful “Guitar In the Space Age” rocked the top spot for the 3rd consecutive month, out blasting the stellar new albums by heavyweights like Chris Daniels & the Kings who continued their assault on the top position for a second month, and the new Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco) release, “Hand in Hand,” that debuts at #6 this month. Jeff Austin manages to jump to #3 with “The Simple Truth,” remaining in the TOP 5 for the second month since his January release. Hot Rize also holds onto TOP 5 status since being released last September, a tremendous accomplishment to be fair.
Cracker made the cut for VIDEO PICKS OF THE MONTH with California Country Boy (sung by Johnny Hickman) shot as part of the Gondola Sessions at Aspen/Snowmass. Cracker is David Lowry and Johnny Hickman. Johnny Hickman lives in Northern Colorado. He also plays in the Hickman-Dalton Gang with Colorado native picker Jim Dalton, and has maintained a solo project with musicians here in the area. He has also been very involved with working with and supporting other Colorado acts, such as the Yawpers for whom he produced the single “Faith and Good Judgement” (SpokesBUZZ Vol. V). And fortunately for all of us here, we’re seeing the band play more here in Colorado. They just played the Moxi in Greeley recently, and will be appearing at the Mishawaka on June 6 as well as other dates regionally later in the summer. In the least, Cracker is considered to have a Colorado Connection (CC).
Please visit my friends’ sites. They keep this thing going.
Colorado Case Company a Fort Collins based, Colorado family owned business specializing in insulated soft cases, gig bags, case covers and rigid cases for most instruments, including hard to fit instruments.
SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado non-profit with a mission to develop the professionalism of artists, promote and connect progressive cultural destinations, amplify music scenes, and grow local economies. See event calendar for Spokesbuzz band shows.
The historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Northern Colorado’s Musical Playground, and seriously one of the most badass music venues in the state. I’m very happy to be on board co-presenting LOCALS x LOCALSfeaturing Cracker with Post Paradise, Winchester Holiday, and The Colorado Sound Saturday June 6th, 2015 4:00 PM (Doors at 3:00)AND Hazel Miller | Chris Daniels & the Kings with Goatz! (my band) and William’s Reserve (my son’s band) on Sunday Aug 9, 2015 4:30PM (Doors at 3:30) TICKETS ON SALE NOW for both events.
MARCH VIDEO PICKS
New cuts from Richie Furay, Cracker, and SHEL lead the picks this month that also includes music from Rocky Mountain Celts, along with new hip-hop from Glimmer Twins spin-off Grim & Darling, new electro-pop from Ronitt, and new country-folk from John Statz, who’s latest album “Tulsa” picked up a few stations in March. Enjoy.
TOP 40 Spins MARCH 2015
183 titles tracked
Titles tracked = released between Oct 1 2013 and March 27 2015
108 (59%) titles identified as played at least once in the reporting period
Stations/shows surveyed: 15
(CC) = Colorado Connection
(D) = album/ep/single debut on chart
(R) = re-enter
[date] = Date added to reporting list
(1) 1. Bill Frisell– Guitar In the Space Age (Okeh Records) Jazz/Instrumental [Nov 18, 2014] (CC)
(3) 2. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky To the Bone (Moon Voyage) Blues/funk [Jan 15, 2015]
(5) 3. Jeff Austin– The Simple Truth (Yep Roc) Rock/AAA, bluegrass [Jan 2, 2015]
(2) 4. Hot Rize – When I’m Free (Thirty Tigers) Bluegrass [Sept 15, 2014]
(27) 5. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters (self) Bluegrass [Oct 1, 2013]
(D) 6. Richie Furay – Hand In Hand (ENT ONE Music) Americana/country-rock [March 1, 2015]
(8) 7. Various– SpokesBUZZ Compilation V (SpokesBUZZ) Various [Dec 20, 2014]
(9) 8. Ark Life– The Dream of You & Me (Greater Than Collective) Rock/AAA [June 28, 2014]
(7) 9. Leftover Salmon–High Country (LoS) Rock/bluegrass [Nov 8, 2014]
(4) 10. Brothers Keeper– Todd Meadows (8150 Records) Rock/AAA [Dec 20, 2014]
(12) 11. 12. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey (self) Indie/New Alternative [April 26, 2014]
(31) 12. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake –Totem (self) Indie/New Alternative [Nov 8, 2014]
(D) 13. John Statz – Tulsa (self) Americana/country-folk [March 1, 2015]
(21) 14. Rose Quartz– Axis of Love [EP] (self) Pop/EDM [Feb 1, 2015]
(18) 15. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat (Communion Records) Indie/New Alternative [Aug 14, 2014]
(11) 16. The String Cheese Incident – Song in My Head (SCI Fidelity) Rock/AAA [April 14, 2014]
(31) 17. John Oates – Good Road to Follow (PS Records) Pop/Adult Contemporary [March 18, 2014]
(30) 18. Todd Adelman – Highways & Lowways (Porch Lantern Music) Americana/alt-country-rock [Jan 8, 2015]
(24) 19. Blake Brown & American Dust Choir –“3” (self) Rock/AAA [Aug 13, 2014]
(R) 20. Cary Morin – Tiny Town (self) Blues/folk [Jan 1, 2015]
(D) 21. Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project (Borealis Recording) Folk [March 27. 2015]
(D) 22. Taarka – Making Tracks Home (self) Folk [March 9, 2015]
(29) 23. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore– Love Runner (Remington Road Records) Americana/folk [Dec 21, 2013]
(D) 24. Dana Landry Quartet – Standard Elevation (self) Jazz/Instrumental [March 7. 2015]
(D) 25. Moors and McCumber – Pandemonium (self) Americana/country-folk [Feb 24 2015]
(R) 26. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [Feb 22, 2014]
(19) 27. Young Ancients– Y/A (self) Americana [Feb 11, 2014]
(22) 28. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive (Shout! Factory) Rock/blues-rock [Jan 25, 2014]
(R) 28. Rob Drabkin – Little Steps EP (self) Rock/AAA [Jan 1, 2014]
(25) 29. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – The Drawing Back of Curtains (Youngest Daughter Records) Folk [Jan 13, 2015]
(R) 29. Safe Boating Is No Accident – Bonus Features (self) Indie/New Alternative [Feb 20, 2014]
(D) 30. Trout Steak Revival – Brighter Every Day (self) Bluegrass [March 20. 2015]
(D) 31. Analog Son – Stomp and Shout! (self) Jazz/Funk [March 7, 2015]
(D) 32. Richard Dean – Accidental Human (Coastal Bend) Folk/folk-rock [March 14, 2015]
(D) 33. SHEL – The Lab Sessions (Moraine) Folk [March 20, 2015]
(D) 33. Toad In the Hole – Wallflower (self) Rock/AAA [March 21, 2015]
(6) 34. Land Lines – The Natural World (self) Indie/New Alternative [Jan 31, 2015]
(R) 35. Grant Farm– Plowin’ Time (self) Rock/country-rock [May 14, 2014]
(D) 35. In The Whale – Nate & Eric (self) Rock [March 9, 2015]
(D) 36. H2 Big Band – It Could Happen (Capri) Jazz/Instrumental [Feb 1, 2015]
FELL OUT OF TOP 40 IN MARCH
10. Reed Foehl – Lost in the West
13. Paul Mullikin – Time Is Now
14. Selasee & the Fafa Family – Time for Peace
15. Ben Markley-Clint Ashlock Quintet – The Return
16. Euforquestra – Fire
17. Nathaniel Rateliff – Closer EP
17. Strange Americans – That Kind of Luster
20. The Motet- The Motet
23. Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life
25. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
26. Gerald Albright – Slam Dunk
26. Gipsy Moon – Autumn’s Retreat
28. Musketeer Gripweed – Floods and Fires
31. Katie Herzig – Walk Through Walls
32. AMZY – We Don’t Walk, We Dance
32. Calder’s Revolvers – Sunday Morning
32. The Seers – Deaf in June
33. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Living Asleep
ADDED TO TRACKING IN MARCH Amy Kress – Secret Music
Analog Son – Stomp and Shout!
Anthony Ruptak – Between the Hangman and the Halo
Dana Landry Quartet – Standard Elevation
Fox St. – Something About You [single]
In The Whale – Nate & Eric
Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
John Statz – Tulsa
Michael Kirkpatrick – Honey Rider
Modern Suspects – Told You So [single]
Moors and McCumber – Pandemonium
Otis Taylor – Hey Joe Opus Red Meat
Plume Varia – Vernor | Forge
Ragged Union – Hard Row to Hoe
Richard Dean – Accidental Human
Richie Furay – Hand In Hand
Sean Curtis Band – Kind of Like Wyoming
SHEL – The Lab Sessions
Stelth Ulvang – and as always the infinite cosmos
Stephen Melton – S/T
Taarka – Making Tracks Home
Toad In the Hole – Wallflower
Trout Steak Revival – Brighter Every Day
STATION x STATION
[XX] = number of reported current year (Oct 2013-March 2015) titles Stations monitored for spins = KAFM, KBUT, KDUR, KGNU, KOTO, KRCC, KRFC, KRZA, KSJD, KSUT, KUNC, KVNF, OPENAIR 1340, Radio 94.9 Colorado, The Colorado Sound radio show and The Colorado Sound LIVE365. Stations with minimum 10 “currents” featured in breakout.
KAFM (Grand Junction) [15]
1. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone
2. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
3. Richie Furay – Hand In Hand
4. Paa Kow – Ask
5. The Longest Day of the Year – Carapace
KDUR (Durango) [12]
1. Kyle Hollingsworth – Speed of Life
2. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone
2. Grant Farm – Plowin’ Time
2. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Leftover Salmon – High Country
KGNU (Boulder) [15]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Gipsy Moon – Autumn’s Retreat
3. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone
3. Jayme Stone – Jayme Stone’s Lomax Project
3. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
KRFC (Fort Collins) [>100]
1. Pandas & People – S/T
2. Cary Morin – Tiny Town
3. Taarka – Making Tracks Home
4. John Statz – Tulsa
5. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone+
KUNC (Greeley) [15]
1. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone
1. Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth
2. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
3. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
4. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive
OPEN AIR 102.3 (Denver) [30]
1. Plum – Behind Your Man (single)
2. In The Whale – Nate & Eric
3. Various – SpokesBUZZ Compilation V
4. Land Lines – The Natural World
4. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Totem
THE COLORADO SOUND [32]
1. Rose Quartz – Axis of Love
2. Todd Adelmen – Highways and Lowways
2. Various – SpokesBUZZ Compilation V
3. Analog Son – Stomp and Shout!
3. Brothers Keeper – Todd Meadows
THE COLORADO SOUND LIVE365 – TOP SINGLE SPINS
Nathaniel Rateliff – Nothing to Show For
Fierce Bad Rabbit – Crystal Ball
Calder’s Revolvers – I Gotta Know
Richie Furay – We Were the Dreamers
Drew Schofield – Break It Down
RADIO 94.9FM – MARCH ADDS
Brothers Keeper – Why Do You Fall
Cary Morin – Tiny Town
Chris Daniels & The Kings – Something You Got
Fox St. – Somethin About You
Jeff Austin – What The Night Brings
John Statz – Any Town Will Do
Leftover Salmon – Two Highways
Modern Suspects – Told You So
The Motet – Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed
Rose Quartz – Medicine
SHEL – Please Come Home
Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Evil Eye
Strange Americans – Rocks Rolls
Tennis – Needle and a Knife
Todd Adelman – Right Before You Said Hello
REALLY??? Hazel Miller, who is celebrating her 30th year of music in Colorado has NEVER played the Historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre??. And SHE isn’t the only one. Turns out my pals in Chris Daniels & the Kings have never played there either. How the hell is that even possible???
No sooner had Hazel spoken those words than I knew we had to correct this historical mistake, so I called up another great friend and Colorado music lover, Mish owner Dani Grant and explained it to her … after all – 30 years .. wow … and she felt the same – like HOW is that even possible? RIGHT?! No hesitation – VERY PROUD to announce
THE COLORADO SOUND
&
THE MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATRE
PRESENT
THE HAZEL MILLER BAND | CHRIS DANIELS & THE KINGS featuring Freddi “Love” Gowdy (Freddi/Henchi Band)
and special guests Goatz! aka Chris K and Friends and Family
The last full band show my wife and I did was Oct 25, 2009 – our wedding – at Oskar Blues in Lyons. A few weeks ago our drummer, Carlos Newman (Angie Stevens & the Beautiful Wreck), FB’d a msg saying “it’s the year of the Goat – it’s time to play again.” Can’t argue with that. Absolutely looking forward to joining my friends Hazel and Chris for this historic performance on a beautiful summer afternoon and evening up the Poudre Canyon.
and that’s not all we’re up to this summer. SATURDAY JUNE 6 THE MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATRE & THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENT LOCALS X LOCALS More info on these and other great events this summer at www.themishawaka.com … I don’t want to spoil “the ending” LOL 😉
OFFSTAGE …BEYOND THE MUSIC
So that video segment with Hazel … normally I only leave the audio field recorder on when I’m sitting and chatting with my friends for episodes of Offstage…Beyond the Music, our monthly podcast series featuring Colorado musicians and music industry personalities. I turned the audio and video on for this one. We spent well over 2 hours chatting it up … here’s a tease.
VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK
I went looking for something from Hazel and Chris and found this one shot at Denver’s Gothic Theater in 2006. Looking fwd to seeing something come out of the Mish show in Aug … I think we might need someone to chronicle the night.
PLAYLIST S9|EP13 2015
HOUR1
Chuck Pyle “Jacked Up” from A Few Miles Back (2001) Harry Tuft & Friends “James Alley Blues” from Treasures Untold (2011) (N) Taarka “Heart and Song” from Making Tracks Home (2015)Rose Quartz “Medicine” from Axis of Love (2015) Mosey West “Old Stone” from Bermuda (2014) Instant Empire “Without Wires” from Instant Empire (2011) Eldren “We Just Want The World” from SpokesBUZZ Vol. V (2015) Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Resignation Superman” from Beautiful World (1997) Andy Rok & the Real Deal “Second Class Citizen” from Second Class Citizen (2014) Something Underground “She’s On Fire” from She’s On Fire (2011) (D) Trout Steak Revival “Get A Fire Going” from Brighter Every Day (2015) Ark Life “Rock & Roll (Take It Easy)” from The Dream of You and Me (2014) Gerald Albright “Slam Dunk” from Slam Dunk (2014)
HOUR2
Lannie Garrett “Pickin’ Up After You” from Comes Love (1995) Mollie O’Brien “Sign Your Name” from Tell It True (1996) (N) Brothers Keeper “Cold Rain” from Todd Meadows (2014)(N)Chris Daniels & the Kings “Something You Got” from Funky To the Bone (2015) Richie Furay “Real Love” from Heartbeat of Love (2006) Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels “Out of Beer” from Honky Tonk Bastard World (2013) The Patti Fiasco “Oil” from Small Town Lights (2013) You Me and Apollo “Oh My Molly” from You Me and Apollo (2012) (D) Dana Landry Quartet “Puttin’ On the Ritz” from Standard Elevation (2015)
March marked the 5th birthday of this blog (March 2010). April marks the 9th birthday for The Colorado Sound (April 2006 / KRFC) and the 3rd birthday for The Colorado Sound Live365 (April 2012).
Bill Frisell‘s wonderful “Guitar In the Space Age” rocked the top spot for the 3rd consecutive month, out blasting the stellar new albums by heavyweights like Chris Daniels & the Kings who continued their assault on the top position for a second month, and the new Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco) release, “Hand in Hand,” that debuts at #6 this month. Jeff Austin manages to jump to #3 with “The Simple Truth,” remaining in the TOP 5 for the second month since his January release. Hot Rize also holds onto TOP 5 status since being released last September, a tremendous accomplishment to be fair.
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 