All the sites, blogs and articles I have been pouring through seems to all mention connecting to people and the power of just one connection. It reminded me about on particular day in particular.
(cue dreamy harp music and roll flashback)
We were asked to play a spring music festival in Madison, WI which is a really large, amazing and very well attended. We were told we would be playing last next to the lake in the middle of town at sunset and we were totally excited. A young band couldn't ask for more.
As it turned out, as soon as the sun starts going down at that festival, people start heading to the bars. There we were on a stage next to a lake with the staff picking up trash & packing things up. There were roughly 10 people watching us and for some reason we played our songs like this was the greatest day of our lives. It was such a ridiculous scene but no one complained.
Fast forward about a year. We were that same struggling band who had just gotten a record deal and still was playing to crowds of 10 people. We were in Hoboken, NJ, on a short tour with a punk band with some buzz. At the show a guy came up to us and said he wanted to be our booking agent and he turned out to be a heavy hitter in the music business.
He found us because his friends sister saw us play next to a lake in Madison, WI. She passed the word on to her brother and then to him. She was 1 of the only 10 people.
This event changed everything for us and it seems that a bit of social networking works.
Go figure.
•• dave
