GREG WHITE JR.
Feel The Love Group Membership
Long Road!
What It Takes To Be The Best Country Band In Florida
Who is the best country band in Florida?
I get asked all the time what my goals are with my career. One of my answers is to be a household name for country music here in Florida! I love Florida and it's why I chose to focus my career on Floridians instead of running off to Nashville like all the other wannabes.
So who is the best country band in Florida? First, let's take a gander at what it takes to be a damn-good, rip-roaring, party-starting country band!
That's right! I chose Florida Country over Nashville Country.
In my career so far, I have noticed a few things that make me say, "That band is damn good!"
First is that the sound needs to be under control. Blasting the audience away with a wall of sound is not the best thing for a country band (or any band, for that matter). If you want to be taken seriously as a band, make sure to pay attention to what the audience is hearing. I suggest having a quality sound engineer be a part of live shows.
Keep playing music! Huge lulls in the music to say something clever or shamelessly promote merch and social media is a buzz killer and an opportunity for the audience to realize they're tired and want to go home. Basically, if the music stops, so does the party. If something needs to be said, make it quick and start playing again. I've noted that silence leaves the audience anticipating what is coming next. Sometimes there is no need to say anything at all. Announcements and shameless promotion can wait until breaks.
Interact with the audience! Bring them into the show. If somebody isn't paying attention, ask them for a request, play their request, and then thank them with a free goodie from the merch table. It doesn't have to be an expensive item. A simple sticker will bring a smile to someone's face and make them pay attention to the music.
Speaking of playing requests, it is really important to the audience that the band gives them what they want! It's not about the band at all. As an entertainer, I have noticed that some bands only care about their setlist and their show. Let me say that if Garth Brooks can stop in the middle of a song to care about (and play) what one single fan wants to hear, so can any band out there.
In a live show, it's about the fans, period.
Those are just a few notes on live performance that I have noticed gain the compliments and affection of new and existing fans. How do you know if you are performing well and gaining that affection? There are many things that can be observed from the bandstand (as long as the stage lighting isn't blinding) that can indicate you are doing well. Here are a few...
The audience is singing along.
The audience is taking pictures and video with their phones. (Make sure to ask them to post and tag the band!)
The manager gives you a thumbs up.
People are dancing.
People are asking you to play a request.
The tip jar is getting a whole lotta love.
But is it enough to just perform well?
It isn't enough to just perform well. It's important, but to be the best country music band in Florida, more has to be done!
Let's face it, when the music starts, most people do not know who is on stage. That's why it has to be announced many, many, many times! Play well and pound it into their heads who is playing such wonderful music.
The same goes for off-stage performance. Most people are not going to Google and searching for a specific band. Instead, their search phrase will look something like this...
"Best Country Band (city) Florida"
...or something along those lines. Who shows up when the enter button is pushed? A presence on top booking sites is crucial. A review from a local blogger is crucial. Paying attention to a band/artist website's search ranking and SEO is crucial.
Too many great talents brush these points off and say, "I don't know how." Then they will continue to ignore the problem and they will miss out on many opportunities to grow their brand. There are many people out there that can help accomplish anything a band or artist isn't good at. Build a team of pros and get these things done!
Here are a few back of the house things to pay attention to:
Website ranking for specific search terms and phrases
Presence on booking websites (Gig Salad to name one)
Social media content. How much stuff is specific to music? Are the posts always pitching and selling?
Income and expenses. Being in music is an expensive hobby. Paying attention to cash is the only way to make it a business and a career.
What are other pros saying about the music and live performance?
Contract details. Don't just rely on words and a handshake in this business. When the stress gets high, if there is no contract details, somebody is getting screwed.
Build a professional team.
Website design and SEO
Merch manager
and a damn good band!
I always say this, " I can't be the best if I don't work with the best!"
So who's the best country band in Florida?
It will be the one who does all of these things and more very effectively! Grind, grit, and a whole lot of passion will help, but that's just the start. Good luck out there!
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I'm a "Florida Country" music Artist- songwriter, Christian, family man, Navy Vet, and a lover of all things creative.
Copyright 2017 Greg White Jr. All rights reserved.