JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Well it took a major label record deal, but I finally have some..

Shows in Texas!!!! We're starting to play there more and more, but I'm particularly excited about the following:

Thursday 10/25/07 Wild Country - Harker Heights TX

Friday 10/26/07 Billy Bobs - Ft Worth TX

Saturday 10/27/07 Coupland Inn & Dance Hall - Coupland TX

So Brian, you know I've always come here for advice. Anybody have any helpful hints on the Texas music scene? A label deal doesn't do a lot for most of the real music lovers in Texas - I learned that working at Cowboy's in Arlington before I got my deal, but I'd love to generate a crowd for the Harker Heights show and the Coupland show. I'm looking for some "outside the box" ideas.....

Chris,

First good to see you. You (along with your fellow award winners) put on a great show at the Bluebird when we were there. I loved your Lemon's song. You should definitely cut that and play it in Texas as well! = )

I think you need to get into the press/media. Local newspapers in the towns you're visiting and local drive time radio for sure. Cold call them if you must. Smaller market stations don't get friendly label artists in the studio in real time very often. Don't sell yourself short on the interest. I'd start with the largest stations and move down the order until you find stations in every city you're playing at that wants a visit and to do a segment or two with you. Next I would contact the local morning TV shows. Figure out which ones best serve your demographics and then do morning spots. Perhaps do a song with your band. Again, smaller market TV stations don't get many major label artists on their stations.

Next I would consider doing voice over call tags for any interested stations farther out (or that you don't have time to visit). I imagine you've done those before, but if not, they're just simple call tags of you announcing the station etc.

Next I would visit the largest malls in the area, perhaps Best Buy or whatever record store you can find (Wal-Mart would be a great option in Texas... ) and drum up excitement with some signings and even some performances. If you're CD is for sale, I can't imagine why they wouldn't be interested. A mall might be good as well simple because of the extra walking traffic.

Next I would visit any local colleges. Now if these are bar shows where they card, that would be a lower priority. I am not sure who can get into which shows, so it would be contingent on that. But College radio can be a great option if any of the shows allow under 21 ticket holders in. Playing the Lemon's song there along might really drum up some interest and let folks know you're one of them.

Another fall back could be something as simple as Borders Bookstore. Again, you have to prioritize, but if some of the top ideas don't work, you go to these as well.

Another possibility is to contact local government leaders and do a photo op with them. This is best done the day BEFORE the show so the local papers can run your photo getting a key to the city etc. Politicians LOVE any reason to be pictured with an up and coming entertainment star. I can't imagine a lot of them go to Coupland, TX for example.

This stuff all works for you because aside from being very talented, young and good looking (and a really nice guy) you have some television notoriety to go along with the music. It gives you an edge that you should definitely take advantage of for as long as you can.

That's off the top of my head. You may have tried all these things already or may have specific reason you don't want to do one of them. But hopefully that will give you some ideas.

If all those fail, I would even consider doing a quick free show at a local high school since those students have families/parents old enough to go to a bar to see the show. Again, how many high schools have a major label country star who's been a star on TV come do a 30 minute free show (or at their school?).

Beyond that, how about hooking up with a local charity and see how they might like to trade off your support of them for similar support? You could likely help each other out. Another idea would be contact some local companies who would like to sponsor (i.e. purchase) some tickets for their employees or war vets so they can get in free. In exchange you could make an appearance to meet with their company founders or management and do a couple songs.

You have a lot of unique things going for you, all which I think would be reasonably easy to exploit. If only all of us had all that going for us (and the talent to back it all up) it would be much easier to give suggestions/advice here.

We're getting ready to head to Europe on Monday morning for 7 weeks. But please let us know how it goes and good luck in Texas! We've always had wonderful support there. The most generous supporters of JPF by a large margin in our history were the folks in Houston. They more than doubled the next closest city.

Brian

PS: Another angle to is talk with marching band members at a high school about music.. or any unversity music programs nearby. You don't have to be an expert on everything, just simply tell them what your experiences have been and what you've learned.. that would be really interesting and practical real world info for most including the reality that even with a major label deal, you need to do a lot of the leg work for yourself still.

Thanks Brian - some of the ideas are not options for various reasons, but the school thing (both college and local high schools) is exactly what I was looking for but couldn't come up with. You still rock!

Thanks again for including me in the Bluebird show - it was a blast and have fun in Europe! Wish I was heading out there with you guys too.

Chris

Chris, that's awesome that you're playing Billy Bob's. Everyone who's anyone has played there, and it's sacred ground! To play there means you've truly "arrived". It's VERY cool that inspite of your success you still stay in touch with us "little" folks {LOL}. I wish you continued success, you deserve it young man!

Hi Chris,
When I was there in the early 60's they still liked music with a fiddle and steel guitar. However they may be as up to date as most other places today. If you can learn a Bob Wills tune or two it would probably still play pretty well. SAN ANTONIO ROSE and FADED LOVE are a couple. Otherwise do your show as you have been doing it and I'm sure it will go over well. The other thing of course is to see what others are playing if there are others booked at the same time you are playing.

Chris,

Here in Texas.......:)

For what it's Worth, (pun intended) -- Wear your hat, smile a lot and radiate mucho energy!

If you have time in the smaller towns, take your acoustic and "drop in" at several local stores unannounced and play them a couple songs -- not the big chain stores. Let em know your down to earth, invite them to the show and word spreads quickly among the locals. 5 years from now, they'll still be talking about you: "remember when Chris Young dropped by Mary's beauty salon?"
They won't say "remember when Chris Young popped in at Wal Mart"
(everyone does that)
An added touch -- buy several disposable cameras to bring along and give them away for pictures with you

That might get you the seat filled at the show and a few more CD sales!

That's my two cents..

You were our favorite on Nashville Star-- a well deserved win. We'd like to come see you in Coupland, but I've got a gig at Lake Livingston that night.

Best of Luck

Larry Weber
Palestine, Texas

Chris,

All very good advice from some pretty great people here. Since I am probably the last person here who could give you any worthwhile advice. I will only say that if all the nice things that Brian says about you are true then just keep on being who you really are... it has gotten you this far. Best wishes.

Kevin Pearson

Hi Chris,
There's a hotspot that'd be a good place to drop in right where 95 intersects with U.S.290 in Elgin just a stones throw down the road from Coupland.It's a meat packing place with a famous restaurant that has the best sausage you ever tasted and LOTS of folks eat there.It's a favorite with truckers. If you let them know,word would spread like wildfire on the CB all over Texas...I know this for a fact because I'm one of them.You might also want to make a stop in Taylor as well...lots of Country fans there.
There's a program on 99.5 "The Wolf" here in the D/FW Metroplex called "Front Porch" you should look into...it's hosted by Justin Frizzell.
Steel guitar and fiddles will ALWAYS be welcome in Texas!
BTW so will you amigo...hope this helps.
A big fan,
James

Hi Chris,
Looks like you've got lots a' good advice already.
To that, I might add if you figure a lot is riding on this, to consider having a professional get up a press release for you.
There's lots of companies that do that. I couild direct you to one I consider very good if they aren't too busy to do it.
Just another 2 cents.
Wy
(And good luck)
(Along the lines of what Ray said, I don't know if that old song-
"If you're gonna' play in Texas, ya' gotta have a fiddle in the band", still holds true or not. Might be something to arrange fot if you don't play fiddle, to line up someone for a number or two and see how it's received. Maybe even a local guy to the area. Might help your show go over)
Wy <Again)

Hey Chris!

Great to hear all the success you've been having! Knock em out in Texas!

John
(dhsongs), from the early days.

Chris
I really enjoyed seeing you at the Blue Bird. What a night that was.
I can't help you on Texas, I never been there. Brian has given you some good ones but I can see where you might be restricted on some.
Just be yourself and keep it honest, you will do fine.

Hey Chris:
Everyone has some good idea's here. I do like taking your guitar around and playing songs for folks. When we had the "Night Out" in the neighborhood last year, I got on my bicycle and stopped in a number of the neighborhood gatherings and played a few songs for folks and had a beer or a quick bite and moved on. People still show up to my shows and mention that so it very grassroots but effective. I'm bummed that I'll be in Texas when your in Minnesota and back in Minnesota when your in Texas. LOL. Hope to catch you sometime. Email me if you need some other venue possibilities in Minnesota to look into. Best of luck.

I consider myself somewhat a professional on the Texas bar scene...whether it consists of drinking, dancing, singing, etc., so my advice to you would be to try and hit some of the smaller college towns like College Station, Huntsville, and San Marcos. There are die hard music fans in these towns and once you make them your fan they're one for life! I can remember being in high school and falling in love with Pat Green's music at the state FFA convention. Also, we love original music, but the best way into a Texan's heart is to play us some George...he is our king down here, and yes...we do love a fiddle and steel guitar! I think Brian had a good suggestion about stopping in at some of the smaller stores. I live in a very small town and everyone is still talking about when George Strait played at the skating rink in 1984! There is a really good music scene where I live in El Campo. We have a population of only 9,000 but we have two really good venues and we always have Texas artists play, and occasionally a Nashville sound will drop in. The one I would say is the best is called Muldoons. You should check it out.

Hey Chris,

Congrats on the massive success. You should stop in and say hi and give us an update on what life is like at the top!

Are you coming though Indianapolis this year?

Brian

I just watched Chris's video "Man I want to be?". I'm not sure if it's the latest but I like it. Well done.

Fantastic and congrats...

Tom

Hey Chris,

Another idea that I think may or may not be something you wish to explore is contact any military bases in Texas that might be interested in doing a show on their base. I know Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio TX would most likely be responsive. They have all their boot camp trainees there who would do anything for a break to watch a concert and the base does shows there quite often.

Might be something to look into doing.

By the way bro, congratulations on all your success. I still have your demo CD from when you were 17 that you sent me back in the days when I was serving overseas in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. You've come a long way lil' brother. :-)

PM me whenever you have a moment. Would love to talk to you more one on one.

Much love and best wishes,

Gregory Watton
www.myspace.com/prosongwriter
gregory.watton@thesenateonline.com

I am hoping to see you guys in Raleigh, NC in June:) With Rascal Flats and Kelli!!! Looking forward to it, I didn't realize you were on this site...super cool!! Congrats on your success!!!

Kimberly