On the Cusp of The Cutting Edge!

Chris French here at Modern Midwest Entertainment! It’s not everyday that I get the chance to talk shop with a “Musical Pioneer”, but that is just what I have been doing for the last week! For those of you that are unfamiliar at the moment with the Vintage Movement in music and fashion, you soon will be. Right now, if you’re in Europe and reading this blog, you already know what I’m talking about. Those of you that are reading this in the US, let me explain a bit about the Vintage Movement.

According to David Gasten, the producer of the album This is Vintage Now, The Vintage Movement is a social movement that broke in the UK in 2010 that centers around an interest in reliving the lifestyle of years past, especially the 1940’s, 1950’ and early to mid-1960’s. Much of the initial interest has been in the ladies’ clothing fashions of those periods, but the interest spreads into many other aspects of the period, including the magazines, movies, homemaking, décor, furniture, and music. The music arm of the Vintage Movement is still making inroads, but it appears that once it sets in, it will be the banner that gathers people together and sets the tone for the movement as a whole.

As I stated earlier, Gasten is being referred to as a musical pioneer, and in talking with him, I’ve gotten to learn a lot about just who David Gasten is. The This is Vintage Now compilation album came about nearly single-handedly from the efforts spurred on by David Gasten. Already being referred to as “The Architect of Vintage”, David Gasten has been responsible for helping define and set a new standard in Vintage that connects people with the depth, quality, and genuine vibe that people come to Vintage for. Gasten has been a music fan since the age of twelve, but it was DJ’ing during the Nineties Swing Revival that made Gasten fall for what would eventually be referred to as Vintage. Gasten devoted a number of years to trying to understand the mechanics behind the type of swing music that clicked with people at swing dances, and realized that what they were looking for was jump blues, the style of R&B music the immediately preceded rock and roll. This, combined with his mentoring by a post-vaudeville entertainer, led him to found the group David Gasten & the City Kids. David had discovered a number of other artists that were also dedicated to a genuine Vintage-style sound in other genres that translates well to today, and brought those artists together under one roof with the This is Vintage Now compilation. The compilation was created in 2010 and released on June 2011, and has been almost universally acclaimed and recognized for its high quality and vibrant delivery of nostalgic sounds that feels as though it is picking up where the original Vintage left off in the mid-1960’s.

This is Vintage Now gathers together artists from yesterday and today who understand the spirit and vibe of the original period and re-engineers the sounds the needs of current audiences without compromising the sound with punk, techno, or hip-hop. Some of the artists on the compilation include saxophone legend Big Jay McMeely, Dutch hitmaker Caro Emerald, modern exotica group The Waitiki 7, infectious cult singer Beverly Kenney, and five more. The album was released on MP3 format June 21st, 2011, and is available on CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon MP3, and other online retailers.

The compilation’s official website, ThisisVintageNow.com, is a beautifully-designed information site that is the equivalent of falling down the rabbit hole into the new and exciting world of Vintage. There are pages on each one of the This is Vintage Now artists, a detailed links page featuring the best in Vintage music and lifestyle, an Our Heroes section with rare and otherwise little known information on classic Vintage artists like Louis Prima and Bill Haley, and much more.

So there, NOW you’re in the know, and NOW you’re on the cutting edge! You’re welcome! I want to personally thank David Gasten for his assistance in this blog, and I will say that I am extremely looking forward to working with him, and seeing what the future holds for the Vintage Movement! Keep smiling, keep loving life, and keep on being the hep cats and kittens you already are!

SEE YA!

Reference:

Gasten, D. (2011). This is Vintage Now. Swing City Productions: Denver, CO.
      Retrieved from www.thisisvintagenow.com

Concerts: More goes into 'em than what you think.

Hello folks,

Chris French here at Modern Midwest Entertainment. As the manager of the band 4 Stroke, I have been working to get them some shows booked here in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Some of you are familiar with concert booking and have understanding of what all goes into a concert. I am still learning this, myself, as I have only helped so far with a show or two of 4 Stroke and am now in the process of setting up future shows. Let's look at what one performer, Michael Cooney, a folk singer with over 40 years of experience in the music business, has suggested we do when putting on a show.


The first thing that Mr. Cooney places emphasis on is attention to detail. Little things done right can mean a great deal to a performer when they have little time from the time they arrive to the venue, until the show starts. An at ease performer is a great performer.

Publicity is the greatest single element that can make or break a show. Having good publicity for a show, mist times, will bring in a good audience and make the performance that much better.

As far as staging, sound and lights go. Big names carry big equipment. Lesser known names can, and have gotten away with venue lighting and sound, or minimal lighting and sound. Most venues have a stage in them, so staging shouldn't be an issue.

During the show, care should be taken to make sure no-one is recording the show, as the show may be recorded for future release. Space should be made available for the band to sell recordings, DVDs, etc. of their work, somewhere in the venue. If the band takes a break, and music is played between sets, make sure the music is "background" music, as bands do not want to hear the next song they were planning to play being played by the venue PA during intermission. Start the show on time and keep opening acts limited to 4 songs or 15 minutes, whichever is shorter. One last suggestion Mr. Cooley makes for the performer who is going on too long. . .ask them politely once to make it their last song. . .if they still go on, pretend you blew a fuse.

Now the concert is over, but the job's not done yet. Hospitality is very important both before and after a concert. You want the band that you just hosted to come back to your venue, right? Then treat them like it. Before the show, have refreshments for them. After the show, do what you can to make them feel taken care of. If you can, have them over for a nice home cooked meal, or treat them to a nice meal at a local eatery. If you, as the promoter, have the money, put the band up in a nice hotel, so they can get some rest after the show, before heading back out on the road.

This sampling of tips of what to do when putting on a show can be used as a guideline for putting on your own concert production. I hope this has been helpful. Thank you Michael Cooney, for your website and the well thought out tips you have helped me share with a larger audience. Keep smiling, keep loving life, and keep looking ahead to that next concert!

SEE YA!

Reference

Cooney, M. (ND). Suggestions for Concert Presenters. Retrieved from
              http://www.michaelcooney.com/MC1P011.html