If you don't want to read my ramblings here is a link. thank you very much:
Hello, my friends.
Marketing—music marketing included—has reached a convergence point where the content is the ad, and the ad is the content. There’s no longer a clear separation between the TV show and the commercials, so to speak. It’s clever, covert, subtle, and indirect.
I’m having a hard time participating in that right now, and I’m hoping to avoid it with the tour directory. The premise is simple: If there’s a place where enough people want to see me perform, I’ll do my best to go there.
This not only simplifies my life—it frees me from total reliance on internet marketing. I don’t have to depend solely on social media to get the word out about shows. With the directory, there’s no in-between; just an email from me to you. Peaceful. Simple. Old school.
It might sound dramatic, but registering in the directory is one of the most substantial ways to support this project. It empowers me in a very real and direct way. If I have the directory, who else do I really need? I can bring my own sound system, rent my own space, and set my own rules.
For example, I was hellbent on making the Long Overdue tour predominantly all-ages. But most venues make their money at the bar—people under 21 aren’t worth much to them. So I rented little theaters instead. And I could do that because of the tour directory. If I’d been working with an agent and said, “I only want to play all-ages venues,” that would’ve sounded ridiculous. That immediately wipes a huge swath of venues off the list. But I didn’t need an agent to book everything for me. I had the directory.
And so, the tour became less about bringing in alcohol revenue and more about what I actually wanted: putting on a good show. A lot of my fans live with mental illness, and the last thing I want is to put them in a place where all roads lead to the bar.
Because of the directory, I didn’t have to. I’m blessed to have fans and listeners who support me in this way. Thank you. Wherever you are, I hope to see you soon.
- Roland