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Making Your Talent Feel Appreciated

CO30Guest post by Brandon Collins and Mike Brown of Comedy Outliers. They offer advice to comedians and performers on how to survive and thrive in today’s competitive artistic climate.

A few years ago, when we were producing one of our first independent comedy club shows we were asked by a comic performing on my show, “So since you’re charging a cover how much am I making for my set?” At that time we were so ignorant to the business of stand-up comedy, we had no idea what they were talking about. But after speaking with some veteran comics whose opinions we greatly respected, we came to learn that the common rule of thumb with comedy shows is: if you charge a cover, you SHOULD pay your talent. Of course there are some show producers that don’t follow that rule and some comics don’t expect to get paid for every bit of stage-time. This is because stage-time and money are both valuable to a working stand-up comic. When we ran our “Comedy Outliers” show without a cover, there was never any expectation to pay our comics with anything besides a free beer and a sincere “thank you” for their time and talent. The only comic we would pay during that time was the headliner as they were usually a highly regarded comic who had several credits and added a certain amount of hype to help build the “Comedy Outliers” brand. We would pay for these comics out of pocket, which became expensive after nearly two years of being an entirely free show.

One of the main reasons we began charging a cover (we try to keep it as affordable as possible btw, use discount code “Summer” for $5 tickets) was because we wanted to be able to pay ALL of our performing comics. Another reason was to build the brand through better podcast equipment and merchandise, but we can only continue to produce great shows and content if we have exceptional talent. By creating a budget as producers and knowing our limits in what we can pay for talent has forced us to produce a much tighter show that provides a high quality experience for our audience. It is important to remember as producers that your talent needs to feel like their time and talent is being appreciated. When we were just a free bar show, the performing comics were just happy to be in front of a great crowd that was both diverse and energetic. Now we can offer that pay them for their time that they could’ve spent at another show. This has helped us build a stronger relationship with the comedy community in NYC that we love so dearly. They are always appreciative of the gesture and that’s a great feeling to have as a show producer. Keep that in mind when you produce your new show…spread the wealth!

Comedy Outliers’ next show is at Brick NYC (22 Warren Street) on Saturday, July 26th at 7pm. The show has a $10 cover with no drink minimum. Pay only $5 for advanced tickets if you use the discount code “Summer” for $5 tickets! You can also support their efforts by hitting the “Donate” button on their website or by listening to their weekly podcast.

 

Comedy >

Hot Tickets: Seattle

valentinesdaydinneranddanceHere are this week’s Hot Tickets in the Seattle area. Check back every Thursday at noon, PST for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

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Friday, February 14 I Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dance

“Accompanied by his four-piece band, Kline brings a little humor and a lot of swagger to the old standards with a fresh vitality and offers a great opportunity for couples to kick up their heels in support of a great local institution.”

“Get your kicks” on Route 66, but wine and dine your Valentine on Orcas!

Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to swing to the sounds of Half Pack LIVE!, a Vegas-style show band that’s bouncy, fun and well-delivered entertainment reminiscent of the old Vegas Strip when Frank and Dino were kings. Veteran singer and entertainer Troy Kline will be performing in a Valentine’s Day benefit for Orcas Island Children’s House at the The Rosario Resort Beachhouse (Discovery House).

Accompanied by his four-piece band, Kline brings a little humor and a lot of swagger to the old standards with a fresh vitality and offers a great opportunity for couples to kick up their heels in support of a great local institution.

Local favorite Gene Nery will provide additional musical talent to the Seattle-based band! And look for additional local entertainment throughout the evening, including magician Matthew Laslo and young songstress Stormy Hildreth.

A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the event.


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Brown Paper Tickets Wins Best Customer Service Award for Performing Arts

Best Customer Service AwardBrown Paper Tickets was awarded an “Oscar” for Best Customer Service for the Performing Arts. It was awarded to us at Live Blessay 2013, an Oscar-style show for local dance, produced by Bay Area Dance Watch, a website that shares essay portraits of local San Francisco dancers and performances, and SAFEhouse (Save Art From Extinction), a nonprofit incubator for new performing artists.

Brown Paper Tickets has set the gold standard and set it first, for all ticket sales companies to follow their lead,” said Jim Tobin, founder of Bay Area Dance Watch. “Dance companies and local theaters need to pay attention to which ticketing service is preferred by their patrons, because ticket buyers are their biggest supporters.”

We are humbled and honored.

The Best Customer Service award was based on 5 criteria:

1. Easy-to-use website architecture with robust features, such as a personal page for ticket buyers to review all tickets bought; mobile, print-at-home or US mail delivery all for the same price; and more.
2. Round-the-clock, 24/7 hotline for customer support.
3. Transparency in pricing.
4. Donating 5 percent of Brown Paper Tickets’ profits to nonprofits in categories of each ticket buyer’s choice.
5. Lowest ticketing fee in the industry.

Brown Paper Tickets was the first to provide ticketing and event registration tools and 24-hour live customer service completely free of charge to event organizers 14 years ago.

While we’d like to thank the academy, it’s more important to thank you—event planners, venues, independent artists, musicians, community organizers and small businesses. We know you choose for your ticket buyers what experience they (and you) will have. We pay close attention to creating a premium experience for all involved, leaving more cash in your and your ticket buyers’ wallets.

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The Pronto Podcast — Brown Paper Tickets’ Event Guide for Seattle

BPT_buttonWelcome to The Pronto! Brown Paper Ticket’s event guide for Seattle.

Tune in every Tuesday to check out a few of our favorite events in the Emerald City! You can check back to the blog every Tuesday at 10am or hit “subscribe” on the player and get each week’s Pronto delivered right to your computer.

Have a friend that’s visiting Seattle this week? Why not share this podcast with them and give them ideas of something to do? 

This week’s podcast features burlesque calendar girls, Thai food recipes and marketing tips for indie authors. 

Tonight, Tuesday, January 7, it’s time for Self Defense 101 for Women at University Heights Community Center or Phinney Neighborhood Center. In this six week class you’ll learn everything you need to know to stay safe and defend yourself.

If this is the year you’re going to publish your book, you definitely want to make an appearance at Sell Your eBooks and Drive Reviews at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture also tonight, Tuesday, January 7. Listen to best selling author Ingrid Ricks share everything she knows about being a successful indie author.
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The Mid-Week Beat: Rachel Wong – Here’s to the Indies!

rachel_wong_9This week on the Mid-Week Beat, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to say how thankful we are for all the incredible independent musicians out there. We are thankful that these musicians continue to get out there and  make great original music despite all the hardships that go into trying to build a music career.

If you are an independent artist, don’t get discouraged if you haven’t achieved “success” in the industry sense of the word. You are doing something that most folks don’t get an opportunity to do: pursuing your dream. You do what you love, often times while working day jobs, raising kids and enduring all the other stresses of daily life.

Independent musicians’ undying perseverance is something to be admired. Many nights are spent loading gear in and out of venues, waiting around for hours during soundchecks, sometimes to only play to a handful of people. But if they weren’t out there persevering, music fans would never be fortunate enough to discover the musical gems that sometimes appear out of nowhere. Chances are your favorite artists had many years of hard work behind them before they got the recognition they deserved.

Case in point, Brown Paper Tickets’ own Rachel Wong. When Rachel isn’t working wonders with our digital marketing, she’s often found playing her unique brand of acoustic pop in local coffee shops, at community festivals or, sometimes, on TV!

Influenced by the late Michael Jackson, John Mayer, Lauryn Hill, James Morrison and Sara Bareilles, Rachel mixes a soulful vocal style with beautiful pop melodies. Her music is infused with self-determined passion and her unique perspective as an Asian American woman. This determination has helped her garner international recognition as tracks off of her debut album Curtain Fall can now be heard on radio stations in Canada and the Philippines.

Rachel beat out over 3,000 bands in the US to secure her top 12 finalist spot for Ford’s Gimme the Gig II Contest. As part of the contest, she was able to showcase her original music in front of Grammy-award winning producer Don Was and renowned sound engineer Krish Sharma for a KTLA TV feature.


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Artist Ticket Picks: Jazz Icons, Greek Burlesque, Musical Shakespeare and more!

GERALD_1_Ben_WolfWelcome to this week’s Artist Ticket Picks! The Artist Ticket program gives our customers a way to donate to causes that we care about.

If you’re an event producer, you can allow your ticket buyers to purchase limited-edition tickets printed with original artwork in your event settings. The ticket buyer will pay a small, additional charge of $0.25 and receive a limited edition, collectible ticket imprinted with original artwork. The current charity of our choosing will receive 100% of the additional charge. Physical tickets must be enabled on the event.

If you’re a ticket buyer, you can check to see if the limited edition ticket is available to you at the beginning of the ticket checkout process or by visiting the Artist Ticket page. You receive a small piece of collectible art and support a valuable cause just by checking the box in the Artist Ticket widget when you’re purchasing your tickets!

See a full list of events carrying the tickets on the Artist Ticket page, as well as find out more about the beneficiary for the current run of Artist Tickets.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s Artist Ticket picks:

Thursday, November 14 I The Gerald Clayton, Ben Williams, Kendrick Scott TrioSeattle, Washington   NEXT pianist Gerald Clayton and bassist Ben Williams will perform at the Experience Music Project in a trio setting with the sensational drummer Kendrick Scott, all leaders in a new generation of jazz. A combo of Seattle High School Jazz All-Stars will workshop with the artists and open the concert. Presented in collaboration with Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense with support from The Argus Fund.


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The Tuesday Tease: Horrible and Hot – Halloween Burlesque Part 2!

Here it is, the final roundup of horrible and hot burlesque events happening on Halloween proper and on Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd, the period often referred to as the “Day of the Dead” in Mexican culture. The Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos in Spanish), focuses on gatherings of family and friends who pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, which honor the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. It’s nice to see this tradition honored in burlesque performances this year as I’ve always felt that the imagery associated with the holiday is so striking and dramatic.

I must say this has been the biggest burlesque Halloween that we’ve seen at Brown Paper Tickets and it’s just further proof that burlesque is growing, expanding and thriving all over the country. No need to honor the death of burlesque this Day of the Dead. This sparkly beast is showing no signs of passing away any time soon. Let’s raise a glass of tequila and suck on a sparkly sugar skull in honor of the hottest Halloween season yet!

Now get your costumes together, get your tickets and support your local spooky strippers!
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Comedy Outliers: The Three Books That Influenced Us

CO21final2Today we feature another guest post from Brandon Collins and Mike Brown of Comedy Outliers. Brandon and Mike offer great advice to comedians, or performers in general, on how to survive and thrive in today’s competitive artistic climate.

The Comedy Outliers have a show coming up this Saturday, October 26 at Lily O’Brien‘s in New York City. Their shows are free but we highly recommend you pick up tickets so you don’t show up to a full house.

If you’re in New York or headed that way, be sure to check out their show. It’s rare to see comedy of this calibre without a cover charge or drink minimum. That said, if you want them to continue bringing these great shows to the Big Apple, we highly encourage you to support their efforts by hitting the “Donate” button on their website.

So, without further ado, I give you Brandon and Mike of The Comedy Outliers:

We love to read and are always looking for books that will give us a unique perspective on comedy, life, and successful people. For this month’s blog, we figured we would share the top three books that have influenced our stand-up comedy and the way we view want the brand of “Comedy Outliers” to develop.
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Comedy >

Artist Ticket Picks: NW Film Forum’s Music Craft series, The Round, cupcakes and more!

NW-Film-ForumWelcome to this week’s Artist Ticket Picks! The Artist Ticket program gives our customers a way to donate to causes that we care about.

If you’re an event producer, you can allow your ticket buyers to purchase limited-edition tickets printed with original artwork in your event settings. The ticket buyer will pay a small, additional charge of $0.25 and receive a limited edition, collectible ticket imprinted with original artwork. The current charity of our choosing will receive 100% of the additional charge. Physical tickets must be enabled on the event.

If you’re a ticket buyer, you can check to see if the limited edition ticket is available to you at the beginning of the ticket checkout process or by visiting the Artist Ticket page. You receive a small piece of collectible art and support a valuable cause just by checking the box in the Artist Ticket widget when you’re purchasing your tickets!

See a full list of events carrying the tickets on the Artist Ticket page, as well as find out more about the beneficiary for the current run of Artist Tickets.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s Artist Ticket picks:

HALLOWEEN! Thursday, October 31 Music Craft: Nine Inch NailsSeattle, Washington   This Portland stop was near the 2008 tour’s end for Nine Inch Nails. Reznor’s 2007-2008 albums supplied the majority of the set at the Rose Garden, where NIN played a vast musical vocabulary with transfixing lighting and set design. Part of Music Craft, Northwest Film Forum’s ongoing series featuring rare concert footage from music legends.

** WARNING! This video contains language that may be offensive to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. **


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Seattle! Celebrate the Sound of Tomorrow at the Pike Place Market!

SoundOfTom_FBNext Tuesday, October 15, two very important things are happening:

1. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will open an application window for thousands of low power FM radio frequencies (LPFM) across the United States.

2. Sabrina Roach, Brown Paper Tickets Doer, specializing in Public Media, will be producing a lunch to celebrate Puget Sound applicants!

We here at Brown Paper Tickets have been working for two and a half years to get the word out to non-profits around the country about the possibilities that LPFM offers — we see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shift our media landscape on both a local and national level. That’s why we’ve been collaborating with local public agencies to help support applicants.

All that work has paid off, and on this coming Tuesday, October 15th, we’re bringing together a celebration of the local organizations that could soon be popping up on your radio dial. Consider this your invitation to meet the LPFM applicants in your neighborhood, get your own map of the proposed new media landscape in the Puget Sound, and enjoy some free food while you’re at it.

They’re our airwaves. What’s your vision?

*What: Celebrate the Sound of Tomorrow: A Brown Paper Tickets Neighborhood Radio Party*

*Where:  Pike Place Market Elliott Bay Room on the top floor of the Economy Market Atrium.

*When: Tuesday, October 15th , 2013 at noon.

*RSVP here!

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