AMP Music Marketing & Publicity Workshop at The Grey Eagle on Tue, Aug 25th – Free!

Asheville Music Professionals Presents:
Music Marketing and Publicity Workshop
at The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, August 25th
Free Event! 6-8pm
185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
www.TheGreyEagle.com

RSVP on Facebook
Find out more at www.AshevilleMusicProfessionals.com

Join Asheville Music Professionals (AMP) at The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, August 25th for a free workshop on the best practices of marketing for musicians with publicists Crissa Requate and Erin Scholze, author and editor Alli Marshall, as well as non-profit director and events publicist Josh Stack. The workshop goes from 6-8pm and will feature a panel discussion exploring topics ranging from when to hire a publicist, what a publicity campaign consists of, and creative ways to promote your band through social media.

Seyrn performs that evening at 9pm, just after the workshop. Expect a dynamic show featuring layered textures of guitars, ukulele, accordion, bass, violin, banjo and various percussion. The Dallas Observer raves the band displays “beautiful arrangements (both in instrumentation and in vocal harmonies) and an epic “big sky” sound that, at times, seems more fitting washing over dilapidated wooden pews in an old church than the usual torn-up couches, vinyl booths and barstools of area venues.” As a special for AMP attendees, The Grey Eagle is offering a discounted $8 ticket price to the show (reg price $10 ADV / $12 DOS).

Topics covered in the AMP Music Marketing and Publicity Workshop include:

• How to work with media, when to send a press release and what it should entail, best ways to ensure coverage and what NOT to do
• Assembling a music team: What are the first steps and each person’s role? How the team ties in to the whole process of growing a band (ie. management, booking agents, publicists, radio promoters and their relationships to venues promoters, journalists, radio programmers, photographers, etc.)
• When is the right time to hire a publicist?
• What does a publicist do?
• What your publicist needs from you
• What are the press materials band needs for promotion? (ie. professionally written and current bio, high resolution press shots, music videos, tour posters, etc.)
• The cycle of working a record
• The importance of radio promotion
• Cross promoting: when and when not to join forces with another band/nonprofit/business to increase media exposure and draw
• The importance of social media

More about each panelist:

Crissa Requate is CEO and Founder of Mason Jar Media. Based in Asheville, NC, Mason Jar Media provides creative publicity and radio promotions campaigns for festivals, artists, events, and brands. Requate has over 10 years experience as a music publicist and moved to Asheville in 2007 from Brooklyn, NY. Her current client roster includes Bonnaroo, Forecastle, Shaky Knees And Shaky Boots, Brewgrass, Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa Festival in Mexico and the WayHome Festival in Toronto. Artists on the Mason Jar Media roster include ALO, Perpetual Groove, TAUK, Earphunk, Rising Appalachia, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, and The Hip Abduction. www.masonjarmedia.com

Erin Scholze is Founder and Sole-Proprietor of Dreamspider Publicity. She offers services to musicians which include album promotion and national publicity for touring bands as well as festival and event marketing, social networking and consultations about the basics of self-promotion. Her current clients include Donna the Buffalo, Everyone Orchestra, The Duhks, Town Mountain, The Honeycutters, Tellico, Jon Stickley Trio, Suwannee Springfest, Magnolia Fest, and Songlines Americana and AAA Radio Promotion. She’s represented a variety of other acts throughout the years, including many from Asheville. Erin headed up LAAFF as Stage Entertainment and Marketing Director from 2002-2010 and also has planned, promoted, and/ or consulted on a plethora of other music events during her career. www.dreamspider.net

Alli Marshall is the Arts Section Editor at Mountain Xpress. She’s been on staff with the local publication since 2003. Alli grew up in Western New York and moved to North Carolina to attend Warren Wilson College. She’s been published in music and lifestyle magazines such as Our State, Metro Pop, Shuffle and Blurt!; her debut novel is How to Talk to Rockstars. www.alli-marshall.com

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Josh Stack is Founder and Executive Director of local nonprofit FATE – Funding America Through Entertainment, which media campaigns to publicize corporate philanthropic activity in conjunction with high profile entertainment events. Stack has worked professionally as a musician, and enjoyed PR success in the corporate, nonprofit, and entertainment industries. Clients that he works with include Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bruce Hornsby, Jim James, amongst others. www.supportfate.org

Asheville Music Professionals aims to set the standard for good music business practices while acting as a common voice for the Asheville music industry. AMP offers membership educational workshops, fun events and socials all targeted at advancing local music business. With a focus that extends from touring bands to recording studios, venues to festivals, and gear manufacturers to instrument repair shops, this hard working group of volunteers intends to make a positive impact on the lives of musicians and music lovers like you. The Mission is to provide education, advocacy, connection and collaboration for the people who work and thrive in music in Buncombe County.

Find out more about Asheville Music Professionals and how to get involved at www.AshevilleMusicProfessionals.com

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Alli Marshall Debuts ‘How to Talk To Rockstars’, Launches Indiegogo Campaign, Book Signing

Asheville-based Writer Alli Marshall Releases Debut Novel ‘How to Talk To Rockstars’  Through Logosophia Books in June 2015

Launches Indiegogo Campaign to Help Fund an East Coast Author Tour
www.indiegogo.com/projects/how-to-talk-to-rockstars-book-launch-and-tour

How to Talk to Rockstars’ cover artwork is by Joshua Spiceland, the design is by Susan Yost.

ASHEVILLE, NC — Music is a universal language. But sometimes it needs an interpreter. That’s the idea behind How to Talk to Rockstars, a novel about love, loneliness and rock ‘n’ roll. The debut of Alli Marshall, an Asheville-based author, journalist and editor, it’s available in the spring of 2015 from Logosophia Books.  In the words of author Charles Frazier (Cold Mountain, Nightwoods), “This bright, fleet novel is a true delight—an engaging, perceptive, precisely observed and slyly funny meditation on fame and love, in particular the love of music.”

Alli has written for the Mountain Xpress, an altweekly in Asheville, NC, since 2001 and has filled the role of the Arts & Entertainment editor since 2013. How to Talk to Rockstars is based in part on her 14-or-so years spent interviewing artists of all genres, but especially touring musicians.

The novel — think Almost Famous meets The History of Love — follows wallflower-turned-journalist Bryn Thompson. She has a dream job: she interviews rock stars. Bryn’s professionalism keeps her on track, but also emotionally removed from the gritty world of backstage, bars and drugs that she writes about. That is, until she meets musician Jude Archer, whose songs haunt her. As an unlikely friendship grows out of Bryn’s obsession with Jude’s album, Bryn begins to rethink all of the carefully-contrived rules that until now have helped her maintain a professional distance.

Musician and artist, Joseph Arthur calls the book, “A very interesting take on the world of rock ’n’ roll. An unheard perspective.”

The launch party for How to Talk to Rockstars takes place at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St., Asheville, N.C., on Friday, May 15. Festivities begin at 7pm with treats, a reading, a Q&A session, and live music by singer-songwriter Vickie Burrick of Warm the Bell. The event is free and open to the public.

Writing a novel takes time, time, time, patience, determination and at least a little bit of insanity. It takes months — possibly years — of missed parties, late nights and early mornings. It takes many hours in front of a computer screen, and a stronger eyeglasses prescription. Now that How to Talk to Rockstars exists on the page, it’s time to get it into bookstores and (more importantly) into the hands of readers. This takes money, so Alli launched an Indiegogo Campaign. The funds raised will go to a creatively sourced publicity campaign including print media, radio, blogs, podcasts and TV. The other part of the publicity campaign is author events such as readings and further book signings, talks, appearances at book clubs and festivals (both literary and music-oriented), as well as libraries, schools, and heck, maybe street corners!

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More about the Author
Alli Marshall grew up in Western New York and has called the mountains of North Carolina home for more than 20 years. She’s a Warren Wilson College graduate and completed her MFA in creative writing at Goddard College. She’s been named the best arts reporter in Western North Carolina in the annual Best of WNC reader’s poll, 2011-2014. She received awards in editorial reporting from the North Carolina Press Association in 2005 and 2014, and from the International Festivals & Events Association in 2004. She also took home top honors in the Cupcakes for the Cure bake-off (local ingredient category) — but that’s another story. And though Alli doesn’t like to brag or anything, over the course of her career she’s interviewed Yoko Ono, Cyndi Lauper, Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Aimee Mann, Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Britt Daniel (Spoon), Michael Franti, Neko Case, Daniel Lanois, Ziggy Marley, Peter Murphy, Grace Potter, Jamie Lidell, Kishi Bashi and many, many others.

For more information, please visit: www.alli-marshall.com and http://www.logosophiabooks.com.

Stay up-to-date with news from Alli at www.facebook.com/allimarshallauthor, www.twitter.com/alli_marshall and www.instagram.com/alli_marshall.

Read more of her feature articles at www.mountainx.com/author/amarshall.

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The Honeycutters Debut New Song on WNCW! Kickstarter Campaign Update

The Honeycutters Debut New Song on WNCW!
Kickstarter Campaign Update, Tour Dates

CLICK to Visit The Honeycutters’ Kickstarter Site!

The Honeycutters just debuted a new song on WNCW, are about to embark on an extensive tour throughout the northwest, and are in the last ten days of their Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a Spring 2014 album release! The band is fronted by vocalist and songwriter, Amanda Anne Platt and lead guitarist/ producer Peter James and includes Tal Taylor on mandolin, bassist Rick Cooper, and Josh Milligan on drums. For a FREE download of a sampler of The Honeycutters’ music, visit NoiseTrade: http://bit.ly/honeycuttersntm.

Last weekend was great week for The Honeycutters! They had a pair of hometown shows at the Isis Music Hall in Asheville with a more formal sit down dinner crowd on Friday night and a sold-out standing room only show on Saturday night. Check out this great review of the show in the Mountain Xpress by Alli Marshall. They’ll be LIVE on WGWG in Boiling Springs, NC at 2 PM Eastern on Thursday, May 30th. You can listen here!!

They just introduced a brand new song “Wedding Song” and have been thinking of putting it on the new record but haven’t made up their minds yet! Please let us know what you think of it by posted a comment below or leave a note on their facebook wall! Watch the performance of the song below.

The Honeycutters – Wedding Song (Live at WNCW on 5/15/13)

The Honeycutters are currently being featured on CMT Concrete Country!! CMT got a few videos of the band playing at their headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee with performances of “Oh Me, Oh My,” “Waiting in the Morning” and “90 Miles.”

There is still time to jump on The Honeycutters honey train to raise funds for their 4th album through Kickstarter. They’ve had over 180 fans pledge over $19,000 but they need to make it to $28,000 in 10 days or they don’t get any of it :(. You can pledge by going to the Honeycutters Kickstarter page and pledging whatever you can give in support of their next record. There are many great incentives at every level including a day at the studio w/ The Honeycutters; handwritten lyrics booklets to accompany the album; house concerts featuring The Honeycutters; an invitation to a either a guitar workshop w/ Peter James or a songwriting workshop w/ Amanda Anne Platt; a special edition poster; pre-release copies of the album; stickers; digital downloads and more.

Upcoming Honeycutters Shows:
May 29, 2013 – Raleigh, NC @ The Berkeley Cafe
May 30, 2013 – Charlotte, NC @ US National Whitewater Center
Jun 1, 2013 – Nelsonville, OH @ Hocking College – Nelsonville Music Festival
Jun 5, 2013 – Bend, OR @ Old Saint Francis/Father Luke’s
Jun 6, 2013 – Portland, OR @ Kennedy School
Jun 7, 2013 – McMinnville, OR @ Hotel Oregon
Jun 8, 2013 – Bainbridge Island, WA @ Treehouse Cafe
Jun 9, 2013 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Jun 11, 2013 – Centralia, WA @ Oly Club
Jun 12, 2013 – Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield Little Red Shed
Jun 13, 2013 – Gearhart, OR @ Sand Trap Pub
Jun 14, 2013 – Forest Grove, OR @ Grand Lodge
Jun 15, 2013 – Seattle, WA @ Conor Byrne Pub
Jun 16, 2013 – Bellingham, WA @ The Green Frog Cafe and Acoustic Tavern
Jun 27, 2013 – Cullowhee, NC @ Univ Ctr. Central Plaza – WCU’s Summer Concert Series
Jun 28, 2013 – Lexington, NC @ High Rock Outfitters
Jun 29, 2013 – Knoxville, TN @ Barley’s (Amanda Anne Platt solo)
Jul 4, 2013 – Athens, GA @ The Melting Point – Classic City American Music Festival
Jul 5, 2013 – Isle Of Palms, SC @ Windjammer
Jul 11, 2013 – Opelika, AL @ The Overall Company
Jul 12, 2013 – Birmingham, AL @ Moonlight on The Mountain Concert Series
Jul 19, 2013 – Juliette, GA @ Juliette Opry
Jul 20, 2013 –  Eastman, GA @ The Magnolia Theater
Aug 10, 2013 – Willits, CA @ Dead on the Creek – Dead on the Creek Music Weekend
Aug 23, 2013 – Tryon, NC @ Rogers Park Summer Tracks Concert Series
Aug 25, 2013 – Flat Rock, NC @ Music by the Lake Concert Series at Blue Ridge Community College
Sep 6, 2013 – Nelsonville, OH @ Stuart’s Opera House
Sep 7, 2013 –   Harmony, PA @ Harmony Music Festival
Mar 30, 2014 – Fripp Island, SC @ Fripp Island Community Center

WHEN BITTER MET SWEET

If you haven’t already, pick up a copy at a show or on Amazon!

You can also stream the album on Spotify!

For more updates visit: www.thehoneycutters.com

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LAAFF’in in 2011– 10 Year Anniversary for this All Asheville Free Street Festival!

The 10th annual LAAFF is right around the corner in Downtown Asheville on Labor Day Weekend Sept 3-4th on Lexington Ave. 

A handful of Dreamspider bands and friends are performing at the Fest:

• Stephaniesid is doing their CD release at their show on Saturday Sept 3d at 7:30 on the main stage.
• Galen Kipar Project plays on Sunday 2:45-3:30 pm on the main stage
• Jonathan Scales Fourchestra on Sunday 5:45-6:30pm on the Mai Stage
• Spork! on Sunday 1:15-2pm on the Main stage

Also, be sure to check out 23 Skidoo & The Family Band (Sat 11am Main Stage), Santos (Sat. 1pm bobo stage) , Paper Tiger (Sat 3:15 Main Stage), Vertigo Jazz Project (Sat 4:15 Main Stage), The Secret B-Sides (Sun 6pm bobo stage), Lotion (Sun 2:30-3:10 Mountain Xpress Walnut Stage), GFE (Sun 8:15 MX WaLnut Stage), Ten Cent Poetry (Sun 11:45- 12:30 Main Stage), Jeff Santiago y Los Gatos Negros (Sun 1:45- 2:30 main stage), Zansa (Sun 6:30-7:15 Main Stage), Moses Atwood Band (Sun 4:45-5:30 main Stage) and lots of oither great stuff.

For the full schedule and lots more fantastic Asheville bands check out the Mountain Xpress: http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2011/083111laaff-bandsschedule#.Tl-jfWoglIE

The Xpress also did this wonderful interview with Stephaniesid about their album release:

The new Stephaniesid album, Starfruit — despite its name-association with things tropical and celestial — was conceived in a dark basement. “A universe leapt out of the grayness,” says front woman Stephanie Morgan.

An advance listen of the album reveals lush pop, layered vocals, rich horn parts and a certain velvety darkness (perhaps it’s the snarl of baritone sax or echoes of reverb ). But even through an edge of bitterness (despite dance beats and bells, the track “Starf—ker” is not without teeth), the record is backlit by undeniable sparkle.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2011/083111ripe-for-the-picking#.Tl-m_WoglIE

LAAFF is not only a music festival, it is also a arts and fun festival.. So be sure to wander around and stumble into many other fabulously freaky things that will happen both day! Here are some fantactic pics of last years LAAFF by local Photographer Lissy Whelan with Bright Life Photography:

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Find out more about All Go West Festival: Video Interview with Jeremiah Greer Live!

All Go West Music festival to take on its second installment, located in the streets west Asheville NC. On April 23rd, 2011, The Festival will uniquely offer an array of musical talent, BBQ, and local Brew. Free!

In the second annual running of All Go West, anticipation builds for the integrating a great deal of local artistic talent to create a superior festival based upon community. The street party takes place on April 23rd, 2011 from 12 PM until 10 PM in west Asheville, in front of Harvest Records. All Go West is a festival embracing ideals of Asheville’s naturally creative progression, offering local art, food, beer vendors, and musicians. The festival’s admission remains free, hoping to enrich the cities ethos as an outstanding venue, gifted in a strong imaginative talent.

This year, All Go West is excited to introduce the newest installment, Beer and BBQ Tasting, featuring Luella’s Barbeque. The 2011 Beer vendors include Pisgah Brewing, Highland Brewing Company, Foothills Brewery, Forty Back Brewery, and more TBA. The city of west Asheville has opened up the streets of Waynesville Road and Westwood Place to local vendors, fashion boutiques, and artists for the public to contribute their own artistic venture.

The most significant feature to the festival is the broad range of musical talent to take over the Mountain Xpress and Pisgah Stage located on Waynesville Road. Spanning a vast range of different genres, All Go West incorporates everything from hip-hop, blue-grass, electronic, and even rock.

This year’s installment includes the musical likes of:

Josh Phillips Folk Festival
Floating Action

Do it to Julia
Uncle Mountain
The New Familiars

Supercollider

RBTS WIN
Wages
Sirius B
Secret B Sides
The Critters
Aaron “Woody” Wood
Doc Aquatic
Common Foundation
10 Cent Poetry
For The Birds
Lyric

www.allgowest.com

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Video of Donna the Buffalo by Asheville’s Mountain Xpress

Here’s a performance of Donna the Buffalo’s “Movin’ On” shot at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. It was filmed on January 28, 2010 for Mountain Xpress. The video was shot and edited entirely by Jesse Ham. Enjoy!

The Mountain Xpress Reports on DtB

www.mountainx.com

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