Booking Shows

Being in a band has a lot of perks and high points, but at the same time there is a lot of leg work involved so you are able to play shows and get your music out there to people.  I deal with a lot of the leg work of the band because I find the business interesting and I want our band to get out there as much as possible.  When we first started out last year, we did a few "Open Mic" nights at clubs like the 8x10 and the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and that helped us out in a big way to get in good with the club, and now we play at the 8x10 on a monthly basis.  But a lot of the booking has to deal with pushing people, because club/bar owners are getting many e-mails a day inquiring for bands to play; so instead of just sending e-mails, I also call a lot of people as well to be a little more personable and tell people what our band is about and why it would be a successful night if we did.  And that usually does the trick, because if you remain nice and personable through the whole process of booking and then playing the show, that stands out to a club owner, and that has worked out in our band's advantage very well in the past year.  Another way we network and talk to other local bands is Myspace.  Myspace is CRUCIAL if you are in a local band because it gives information about the band, you can get a chance to listen to music and watch videos, and you get their contact numbers and e-mail address.  Right now all we have is Myspace, and it has done us very well but we are looking to advance and get a legitimate website, because it is more professional, and that's what people like to see. Because until you actually meet the people at the club, the only thing that represents you is a Myspace or a website.  Another way that we try to get shows is by checking other bands Myspace, and see what shows they are playing and see what clubs they are playing, so the we can contact a club we've never heard about, or we can try to share the stage with that band for that night.  Booking shows can be complicated at times, especially if you are struggling to get shows, but it has its high points as well, because you get to meet new people and see how the music business works. 

Santa Fe Cafe-2/7/09

This past Saturday night, Vespertine Movement got a last minute chance to play at one of our favorite places to play, The Santa Fe Cafe, in College Park, Maryland.  We have played there twice before, but both times have been on weekdays through a University of Maryland organization,  the Maryland Music Business Society.  This was a big opportunity for us, because it was a Saturday night show, and with the Santa Fe Cafe being one of the most popular bars and clubs in College Park, we knew we would be getting our music out to a lot of new faces.  Also, we were opening for a popular jam band from the Philadelphia area by the name of Codename.  This was our first show in a month because we have been in the studio recording and writing new music and getting back in the swing of things with the semester. When Saturday night rolled around, we were able to play an hour and 15 minute set, and in that time we were able to showcase a majority of our originals and a few covers.  The Santa Fe Cafe was packed with 100-200 people, and everybody was loving our music which made the night that much better.  It was a very successful night for us, and by the end of the night we made a lot money, new fans, and the chance to play another weekend Santa Fe Cafe show in the near future.  If you have not of the Santa Fe Cafe, I suggest you check it out because it is an awesome place and it always has a great crowd, and there are always great live bands coming through and playing there. This was one of the best shows we have had in a while and we are very thankful for getting such a great last minute opportunity.

To check out the Santa Fe Cafe, and all it has to offer go to:  www.santafecafe.com

Introduction and Band Name Origin

Being in a local band in Baltimore for the past year year has lead up to some of the best times in my life, and all the dreams and goals I had since a little kid are slowly but surely coming true.  I am the drummer in a band by the name of Vespertine Movement. I know the name may sound different and out there there, but that's why we went with it because it's unique and we wanted to set ourselves out a little bit from the rest of the bands. About a year ago, when this whole project started between three good friends of mine and I, we had everything but a name. The previous weekend, we had gone up to Mt. St. Mary's to play a show and we won the Battle of the Bands there, and after our show was over, people would come up and ask us what our name was, and we are as stumped as they were. So one night me and the lead guitar player and my roommate at the time were playing around with a dictionary trying to find interesting words with a good meaning and we landed on the word "vespertine" which for all of you that don't know, it is an adjective meaning "of, pertaining to, or occurring in the evening", and one thing lead to another and we just stuck with it. So for the past year, we have been making some noise in the Baltimore music scene playing as many clubs and parties as we can, because we want to get the word out there about our music, and we continue to do so for as long as we can.  

For more information about our band, you can check out www.myspace.com/vespertinemovement