JPF Home Page Forums Just Plain Folks Roadtrips Music Venue Forum A Word About Playing Cafe Coco.....I moved the post to here.

This is about playing out at one of Nashville's best but maybe least known (popular?) venues.....copied from their MySpace page.

"A word about playing Cafe Coco


Café Coco is a fantastic venue for all kinds of bands, poets, hip hop artists and singer/songwriters to play. We have a Bose sound system, real stage, excellent menu, coffee and beer selection, etc. If you are interested in getting booked here's what you should do:..:

1. If you are a solo performer, duo, trio or band, play our Open Mic Thursday Nights. Sign up at 6pm. Show starts at 7pm. If you are a jazz musician or vocalist play our jazz jam every Sunday 4:30-7:30. Singers, spoken word, hip hop check out Wide Open with Biscuits and Gravy once a month or Hip Hop open mic freestyle on Saturday at 11pm. Spoken Word poets and slam contestants Tuesday Night Poetry.

2. Submit your materials online through Sonicbids! If you are not yet a Sonicbids member and want to submit online, visit sonicbids and sign-up for the Sonicbids Combo Package (includes your submission AND a discounted Sonicbids membership). If you are already a Sonicbids member, log in to your account and visit the Promoter Drop Box to submit. Sonicbids submissions will be given 1st priority.

3. Your submission should contain pertinent information about your band such as contact name/number/email, a written description of what you do, website/myspace address, where you have played, who you have played with, press, photographs, and/or whatever else you think we should know.

3. Give us three to four weeks to listen to it. Many, many artists want to play Back Stage and we try to listen to all submissions, but it takes time. Please follow up via e-mail. We can't get back to everyone, but we will respond if we want you to perform Back Stage.

4. Please do not call the bar! E-mail only,unless you are a reputible agent: booking@cafecoco.com

Attention Everyone!

If you wants to be successful at Café Coco here are some *important* things to keep in mind:

You are responsible for bringing customers to the club on the night of your show. That means you must promote your band, and bring paying customers to the cafe to see you play. If we give you a show and it is not well attended we will be less inclined to have you back. If you pack our club, we will love you!
Nashville is a very different markets from other cities. We do advertise but it's up to you to get a crowd out. If you are a touring band from you must work a little harder to make sure that your fans from Nashville come out to see you, or you must work hard to make fans before you get here. There are a few ways you can do this. You can seek out Nashville-based or Nashville-drawing bands to put on a bill with you, and suggest them to us when looking for a night to play. You can also send your music and promotional materials to our media list. You can also use not only your myspace friends but ours as well to get the word out. Get a package out to the Nashville press and media. Create a story…tell them why people should come and see you and not the other 100 shows playing all over town!

If you are friendly,and support the cafe you will be that much more desirable to us when we are looking for bands to book. A bad attitude with our staff and clientele is enough to make us never want to have anything to do with you again… sorry, but it's true!

How will we know you are friendly? We see you at Coco's, supporting the scene and the Cafe!

If you see a night on our calendar you would fit on, let us know. If you have an idea for a full line up for your show, let us know that too!

Playing a show isn't as simple as showing up and plugging in. We ask that ALL bands and artists promote their shows as best as possible. After all, it's you on stage- why not have a full room in front of you. Here are some quick tips on how to work it:

1. Make POSTERS and HANDBILLS to bring to the club at LEAST one month before the show. If it is much later than that they may not get put up and it's a waste of your time and money. Please mail them to the booking managers attention or bring them to the office during weekday hours. DO NOT give them to the bartender or hang them yourself. While you're at it, make them attractive and legible. Don't stop there, flyer everywhere you can. Bring your handbills to shows you are attending, hand them out there. Some bands send CD's to give away along with handbills, you give them to us we'll make sure the Café patrons get them but don't be afraid to come in and promote your show here to our clientele before you perform.
2. Tell everyone you know to come see you play. The more buzz, the better. Family, friends, etc. - they're all potential fans. Don't underestimate word of mouth promotions!
3. Contact the press and don't forget the internet media!!!
4. Do all you can to get information to local record stores, shops, cafes other venues, colleges and bars... in other words FLYER! FLYER! FLYER!"


_________________________

Sounds good!
Have you played there?

Emily