All posts in: Secret Project Robot

23 Sep 2010

Shows Go Underground

Picture this:

Your favorite musicians and bands are no longer playing large venues and arenas. The only time you will ever see them perform in that type of setting will be at a music festival. What if musicians and bands started playing at smaller venues – the same type of venues that gave them their start? Ticket prices would be much less than the close to $100 you are paying now. Instead, they’ll be $10 or not even. The bands will take requests for songs that you want to hear. A few feet will be all that separates you from them. These shows will be more exclusive of course, but well worth it. In fact, these are what your favorite bands want. They WANT these intimate shows with their fans.

The times are changing people.

This past summer, Rocky Votolato hosted a number of “Living Room Shows” in the homes of his fans. Tickets were limited, but you really can’t get any more intimate than that right there. The Rocket Summer is touring the country at much smaller venues starting this fall and is leaving their full band behind and only taking along a few of Bryce’s instruments. Earlier this week we heard about the secret shows from Deerhunter and Neon Trees. Ben Gibbard is playing a small show in November that is already sold out with proceeds benefiting Teen Feed. Now, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s is next to jump on the band wagon. To celebrate their tenth anniversary, they hosted a surprise show at Secret Project Robot located in Brooklyn.

In their announcement, the band explained their choice of tiny venue, saying “Our birthday wish is to play a show as small- or smaller- than back in the day.”

Unfortunately, the show was sold out and happened two nights ago. If you don’t want to miss out on any of these secret shows, take my advice and sign up for mailing lists of your favorite bands. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, etc because if they’re going to let a gig slip – this is where they will do it.