Music venues are incredible havens for artistic expression and an escape from everyday life. They are a fun night out on most any day of the week, and sometimes offer perks like food and drink to go along with the band.
The acts they host can be national or local and span any genre of music. Though national acts tend to pull in a large crowd, you may also find that seeking out local live bands for hire can pull in just as big an audience!
Many local bands have loyal followers within the area who try to show up at every show possible. These people will come to not only support the band but your business. You can count on them to partake in food or drink you may offer, and you may even snag a repeat customer or two if they enjoy the venue enough.
There could be a gold mine of local talent in your backyard, but you just don’t know it. How do you find and tap into these local entertainers?
Get Social
Odds are, you have a social media account or two for your venue. This is a great way to not only advertise your business but utilize the internet to make connections to potential acts.
Do a hashtag search for your area to see what types of entertainers come up. There may be local media personalities who are part of the entertainment scene that you can follow to discover who they are seeing live.
Look to Local Media
Speaking of local media, check out any listings in papers or radio and newspaper websites. Many local media still run listings that note events going on weekly.
As noted, many local personalities may also have favorite entertainers in town. Consider reaching out to them for recommendations.
View other Venues
Take note of who the venues around you are booking. These can be venues in the immediate vicinity as well as those that are more regional.
You might also want to attend shows when you can. There’s no better way to gauge if a band is the right fit for your venue than experiencing them first-hand. Plus, you’re scoping out venue competition while you’re there.
Use Your Contacts
Odds are you know a lot of people in the local entertainment space, many of which may have been on the scene longer than you.
Reach out and ask for recommendations. Outside of seeing the band for yourself, these personal suggestions are the best way to get a feel for an act.
Google It
As with so many things in life, you can turn to a search engine for what you seek.
Input the music genre you’re looking for along with your town or state name. Once an act comes up, do a deeper dive into them to look for reviews, video clips, or their own website or social media accounts.
A search engine is a great way to compile a well-rounded picture of an act before you take the plunge and reach out to book them.
