live on penn cancelled...

Originally posted by Random Citizen:

Originally posted by redsock:
And I can't believe you compared Live on Penn to a Local 221 show. I'm not about to go into the merits, or shortcomings, of Local 221, but to compare their average draw (of what 50 people at most?), to Live on Penn is laughable.

And I can't believe you're assuming that the people who actively listen to radio stations like 103.7 would even be interested in checking out a local band.

First, that presumes they'll show up early in the day to actually see the local acts. Second, it assumes that they will venture into the club setting to see said local band again.

Also, considering the series was canceled due to poor ticket sales…how can you call 50 people attending a Local 221 show laughable. At least the show still happens.

The 107.3 crowd might not be interested, but they also might just happen to show up early, and be surprised by the locals. The thing is, even with poor ticket sales, you are talking about numbers in the 100s at least, which leaves room for getting some folks to be there to see and like the locals, just based on chance. They might or might not go see you again, but they also might buy a CD, or tell a friend about you.

The problem with local 221 is those 50 folks –and that was a high estimate – is that they are the same 50 folks by in large. And they are all muscicans or connected to the music scene. The key to success for these local bands is notoriety, and gaining a fan base. Hard to do that when you are always playing for the same folks. At least at a Live on Penn type event, you are playing to folks who have never heard you before. Many will likely not care, you're right, but some will.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
Where did Live on Penn do their promotions? Besides reading posts on this message board on the shows, I don't recall seeing anything else on it. No ads in the Metro stations like the Smithsonian does when they have a new exhibit. Was it plastered in the Post's Express or anything?

Big adds in the City Paper.

I saw an ad (banner) at the Metro Center metro station, and they advertised in the City Paper weekly.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
Where did Live on Penn do their promotions? Besides reading posts on this message board on the shows, I don't recall seeing anything else on it. No ads in the Metro stations like the Smithsonian does when they have a new exhibit. Was it plastered in the Post's Express or anything?

Originally posted by thirsty moore:
Who was Live on Penn's target audience?

People who graduated from college circa 1992 and were casual music fans in their early twenties. They are now thirty-somethings and wouldn't be interested in going to a commerce-free section of the city to sit in a fenced-off area listening to bands they've already seen half-a-dozen times.

Look at these "headliners"

Eve 6
Tonic
Sister Hazel
Cowboy Mouth
Pat McGee

The Live on Penn site has stopped working.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
The Live on Penn site has stopped working.

Still works for me.

Originally posted by thirsty moore:
Who was Live on Penn's target audience? It seems like whoever put this on just threw an event together and hoped people would go to it. Sure, you can't beat five bucks. But who wants to pay that for something they don't even listen to?

very true. whoever put this event together either had little money or hasnt listened to music much in the last 10 years. I have seen this happen with other kinds of music events. Music + beer doesnt ALWAYS equal ticket sales and money. you have to make people want to go. herding people in to a supposed "outdoor city concert" is pretty weak too.

Originally posted by redsock:
Still works for me.

Hit the refresh button. The site now features the logo, nothing else.

Whatever happened to "DC Sessions"? ..on H St. across from MCI Center 2 years ago (wow has it been that long?) They had national bands booked with local bands, and it was free. It seemed that they made their money from vendors and had advertising all over the place. (my guess would be that they didn't actually *make* money, or they would have done it again.) But yeah, and it's been said here a couple times before, but I think the logistics of the whole thing were wrong.. marketed to the wrong demographic, set at the wrong time of day, and putting bands on a bill that won't draw the intended crowds at the times/dates that they are booked. Unfortunately, when it all comes down to it, it's all about money for these folks who set stuff up like this. It seems to me like people start out with good intentions… "Hey.. let's have live music outdoors in the streets of Washington, and we'll couple major national acts with local acts, charge a *small* (arguable) admission, and we'll get lots of locals and tourists as well and it will be great!!!" …but then those who are involved in the money end of it, only see the potential profits part of it, and since it doesn't net a huge profit, they cancel the whole thing. Seems like the financial people and the promotion people need to get on the same page.. is the mix 107 crowd a DC crowd? ..in reading this board, I would think not.. so if you're going to book mix 107 bands, how do you expect to draw from the burbs on a Saturday afternoon and have them pay to see the show? Aren't they all at the beach? :) I mean, it seems to me that alot (not all) of the posts around this topic talk about how the bands all sucked, so, shouldn't they have booked bands that all of the cool people who post here (to me, seems like are mostly DC residents) would have wanted to see?

Ok, don't flame me, I'm just pointing out what I perceive to be where they went wrong in putting the whole thing together, and taking others' positions about what bands/cost/demographics/logistics were wrong with the whole thing, a step further. Not trying to insult anyone's locale whether it be DC or the burbs, or their tastes in music. (besides, the last time someone flamed me (MANKIE) he never backed it up by saying it to my face, anyway, so no need to do it again ;) ) …Mankie.. where've you been?

I don't have the answers, but it's just a shame that another attempt at live music that couples National acts with local DC acts fails. I wish I had the answers and could make something that would work.

Originally posted by Random Citizen:

Originally posted by redsock:
Still works for me.

Hit the refresh button. The site now features the logo, nothing else.

ah-ha…thanks. and looks like i was wrong, its the 104.1 audience they're going for, not the 107.3 :p

Well said. What may have been a more succesful approach is two concerts with a few good bands. Let that snowball into a popular summertime event and then go from there. Saturating the city with crappy music is no way to create "cultural events."

Eve 6 played at my college's annual concert to appease the students. I didn't bother attending the show.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
People who graduated from college circa 1992 and were casual music fans in their early twenties. They are now thirty-somethings and wouldn't be interested in going to a commerce-free section of the city to sit in a fenced-off area listening to bands they've already seen half-a-dozen times.

Look at these "headliners"

Eve 6
Tonic
Sister Hazel
Cowboy Mouth
Pat McGee

Originally posted by samsfresh5:
Whatever happened to "DC Sessions"? ..on H St. across from MCI Center 2 years ago (wow has it been that long?)

It has resurfaced as "McDonald's Sessions at Merriweather." Booking is by Mad Booking who do similar events in Atlanta and Nashville. Line-up isn't much more exciting than Live On Penn (Live, Twista, Fuel, etc.)

I was at the Fountains of Wayne/TMBG show and it seemed pretty well-attended to me. But that might have been an anamoly.

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:


Look at these "headliners"

Eve 6
Tonic
Sister Hazel
Cowboy Mouth
Pat McGee

i wouldnt pay $5 for ALL 5 of those bands together. unless there was free beer.

Originally posted by Lamb007:

Originally posted by samsfresh5:
Whatever happened to "DC Sessions"? ..on H St. across from MCI Center 2 years ago (wow has it been that long?)

It has resurfaced as "McDonald's Sessions at Merriweather." Booking is by Mad Booking who do similar events in Atlanta and Nashville. Line-up isn't much more exciting than Live On Penn (Live, Twista, Fuel, etc.)

Yeah, but you have to pay for those, and they are at a venue instead of in the middle of a DC street. (I mean, you answered my question, and I remember that Mad Booking did DC Sessions, but it's sad to think that that's what it turned into :( )

i went to one of the live on penn shows.
it was nothing special. 3 dollars for a bottle of water. the same for a slice of cold pizza.
it was like an older, smaller hfstival.
i wasn't impressed at all and i don't plan on going next year (if it happens next year.)

it does surprise me that it was cancelled. it's a bit silly for promoters to expect people to be buying tickets before the show, when it's much easier to do so on the day of the event.

when i went to live on penn, i didn't see it as dc trying to bring in some sort of "cultural event." unless dc culture involves a whole lot of beer (two ridiculous blow up bottles of beer right next to the stage), really UGLY cars (scion. aldgasdf.), and jams from 1982 (via the radio station being played between bands.)

on second thought…maybe it was a very cultured event.

Something's gotta loosen those policy wonks up. When you describe it this way, it makes it sound like a sad attempt at drawing a crowd to Penn Quarter.

Originally posted by granita:
when i went to live on penn, i didn't see it as dc trying to bring in some sort of "cultural event." unless dc culture involves a whole lot of beer (two ridiculous blow up bottles of beer right next to the stage), really UGLY cars (scion. aldgasdf.), and jams from 1982 (via the radio station being played between bands.)

Originally posted by redsock:

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
The Live on Penn site has stopped working.

Still works for me.

Works for me but the ticket buy doesn't work (just testing…)

It worked for me earlier this morning, but since 10:30 or so it has just been showing the homepage icon, and no entry to the site.

Originally posted by Sugartastic Tee Silk:

Originally posted by redsock:

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
The Live on Penn site has stopped working.

Still works for me.

Works for me but the ticket buy doesn't work (just testing…)

Problem with Live on Penn was that at the end of the day you were on a street. Having the Capitol as a backdrop was obviously their goal but why not do it on the mall. People like setting up blankets and chillin on grass fields. I think more people would've come if it was a nicer place to hang around at.