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OnlineRock Guest Column  





On the Road with OnlineRock

Late last fall, OnlineRock Records released �Spirit and Decibels� from the Gregory Paul Group. The group hails from Rochester, New York and has been described by Billboard Magazine as "a hybrid of atmospheric ambiance and powerful acoustics." Their hard work and artistic efforts are starting to get them noticed throughout the East Coast and the Midwest. They play at colleges, clubs and festivals and were chosen to showcase at the 2002 NACA South Regional Conference in Tulsa, OK last fall.

This July they will embark on their first tour to the West Coast. In addition to the live gigs the group will be doing, they will also do in-store performances and promotional appearances at popular tourist areas. Although it took a lot of phone calls, a profession demo kit and much postage, the tour looks like it will possibly break even. In addition, any CDs that the group will sell will add to the bottom line.

As I mentioned, it was a lot of hard work but any band or musicians with some persistence can set-up a tour for themselves. We started getting things together about six months before we planned on traveling. The first thing we did was look at where we wanted to reach. We chose Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. We then compiled a list of possible venues to play in those cities. Some basic research on the Internet made this step pretty easy. We also used Map Quest to figure out travel times and miles between the cities.

After sending out an initial email to the venues, we followed up with a press kit to those clubs that expressed interest. The press kit included a CD, reviews of the CD and live performances, a bio, a picture and a cover letter. We also contacted independent music stores requesting to be include in their listening booths and offering a free in-store performance.

After the dates were set we printed posters and flyers to advertise the gigs. They were distributed to each venue. We also sent the dates into calendars and music reviewers in each city and posted the dates on music web sites such as Jambase.com. Most importantly we contacted everyone we knew in each city and asked for their help. Now the group is ready to hit the road.

Although it took a lot of time and effort, we feel that the exposure during the tour will prove to be worth it. We will use this formula to set-up additional tours whether a few miles for our home town or across the country. While we are out on the road, we ask for your support also. Please feel free to check out any of the shows listed below. We look forward to seeing you.

07/19 Brain Wash in San Francisco, CA at 9:30 P.M.
07/20 Club Fais Do Do in Los Angeles, CA at 9:45 P.M.
07/21 Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles, CA at 9:30 P.M.
07/22 Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, CA at 5:30 P.M.
07/22 SLO Brewing Co. in San Luis Obispo, CA at 9:00 P.M.
07/25 Q's Music Hall in Ashland, OR at 10:00 P.M.
07/26 Music Millennium Records in Portland, OR at 1:00 P.M.
07/26 Bitter End Pub in Portland, OR at 6:00 P.M.
07/27 Easy Street Records in Seattle, WA at 4:00 P.M.
07/27 Tractor Tavern in Seattle, WA (GP Solo) at 8:30 P.M.
07/28 Conor Byrne Pub in Seattle, WA at 8:30 P.M. with Sugartown
07/29 Sunset Tavern in Seattle, WA at 8:00 P.M. with Sugartown
07/30 Bitter End Pub in Portland, OR at 6:00 P.M.
07/30 The Rabbit Hole in Portland, OR at 11:00 P.M.
08/01 KFJC Radio Broadcast on the Web at 3:00 P.M.
08/01 Pete�s 881 Club in San Rafael, CA at 9:00 P.M.
08/02 Cannery Court in San Francisco, CA at 4:00 P.M.
08/02 St. Stephen's Green in Los Altos, CA at 9:00 P.M.


 
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