“Band A” had their album release party on Thursday night. I inflated 99 helium balloons. I actually inflated about 50 balloons, made the band blow up 25 balloons and toss them around, and that was it. It looked like a demented kids birthday party – especially as the bass player, who resembles a grumpy Bilbo Baggins, wore a floral frock and combat boots. The stage dynamic is based on the bass player trying to steal some attention from the much more glamorous lead singer – and failing. The drummer is a total maniac. And the two guitarists roll their eyes at this foolishness. But it works. 
“Band A” is a pop band. That’s how I describe them now – new wave, garage rock, as catchy and as poppy as anything from the indie 80s scene. An updating of the 80s underground, like The Strokes or Sharon Van Etten’s latest album. I handed out cards with codes to download “Band A’s” first two albums. The singer made buttons to pass out. A few friends jumped up on stage with them. It was the best show in months. 
So what now in terms of band management? Well, sending out their single to college radio stations has worked. I sent out emails to 25 stations and it is on rotation at 2 stations. The music director of the largest indie radio station in NYC has shared the song with her DJs. The first album review will be out at the end of June. And then I take this information to more radio stations, to get more reviews, to get them to play at festivals, onto an indie label, one million dollars… I’m ordering 50 CDs because some radio stations actually ask for CDs.
So what now in terms of this blog? I was talking about this with Cinnamon Kennedy on the way to see Wyla and Fantømex show at the Sly Grog Lounge on Saturday night. Musicians/artists are no good at this. Interacting with radio stations, publications, labels. Management is the opposite of creativity. But I’ve worked with the New York Times, sat at meetings with them. I know how to speak their language, to tell them a story they want to hear. This is what I want for my favorite bands – you know who you are – I want you to just be artists, to just make music, to beat the system and win. I am going to take screen shots of my emails to the radio stations, a list of the stations I approached, their responses, my interactions with publications, put it all up on instagram and the website… Someday Holy Crap Records may be a label – and this year long investigation into management may lead to that – but in the meantime I want to give you everything I have done, if you want to copy it, or not…