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Thanks for this. I think these are very good suggestions, particularly in a tough market like NYC where it can be tough to get people to come out to shows.

that alligator was photographed just moments after Tony turned his bass amp up to 11.

go info, how about doing segways. If you don’t want to learn a bunch of new songs because of the time factor, how about learning 3 in the same key with the similar groove. Only do the chorus of each song with going into the other, This is great for keeping the audience dancing and interested and it’s less work for you.

Thanks so much! This is really appreciated! We’ve been trying all sorts of different approaches. We had a costume contest at our Halloween show and gave a grab bag of the worst white elephant gifts you could ever think of to the winner of the WORST costume. When I went shopping for all of this stuff, I was so freaking giddy. I bought a Sarah Jessica Parker movie about stables and stallions for a dollar at the dollar store, along with pickled pigs feet, a statue of a cat with nipples, and it made a somewhat hilarious impression on all of those who showed up in costume. The winner of the best costume got a CD from each of the bands playing that night. It was cheap and effective. Thanks for the other ideas, Tony!

i liked this.
one thing my band tries to “mix it up” is just play the songs differently each time, and if not each time then always different from recorded versions fans have heard. we do this either with dynamics or just adding in a different transition. obviously this wont work for some genres but for rock/blues/soul/funk/reggae or really anything kinda jammy it works great plus gets you tighter as a band by working on stuff more free formed

pot brownies always work. allot of bands out there have done it, and it always brings a crowd. Just beware of the law.

I’m a solo artist, so there’s a bunch of things I do to “shake it up” a bit:
- Play with different people. Sometimes I have a great guitar-player friend back me up; sometimes I have a friend add harmonies; sometimes I split my show with another singer/songwriter and we play/sing a bit on each other’s songs. It’s a great way to introduce new musicians to your friends/fans, and to let them know they’re going to hear something a bit different than last time.

- mini-”themes”: sometimes I plan a show to emphasize my story-songs, or character-songs; sometimes I say “mostly new” songs; sometimes a “request” show; etc. I put this info on my mailers or e-mail announcements.

I think switching it up is definitely helpful if you’re playing to mostly the same audience. You want to motivate them to keep coming, and to hopefully bring a few friends!

I’m relieved to read to NYC is as hard as London when it comes to pulling the crowds (or even the few friends!)
Love Sue Fink’s comments.. very creative!
Thank you so much for these ideas…
What about point collection/loyalty system? The more gig you attend to the more gifts from the band.. Seems to work for some coffee chains and supermarkets!

We are entertainers not just musicians . Using props or staging theatrics into a show is another way of adding a bit of difference to your show. If in a band, you may want to take a break from the electric guitar and inject a couple of acoustic numbers into a set. Wether it being the whole band or maybe just the front man . Another thing i’ve noticed that seems to be a trend now is dress or lack of it. All too many times is ee a band on stage dressed like they just got out of work. Remember, you are an entertainer. Part of that is giving your audience something to look at. Try a theme in dress or ware something no ordinary person would ware. You dont have to be so odd that you look like a clown just different but cool. Set a trend ? It all comes back to this , entertain your audience.

WOW!!! Useful tips. Thanks.

Thanks for the ideas. Im excited already.

I like these alot, i just want to add mine too!

kinda like phil samone said. I know alot of dudes wear girls pants these days, as i do…but i wear bright red ones or green or yellow. you would be surprised it gets quite the buzz. or you could hand out a bunch of drum sticks before your show, and tell everyone to hit them together during a certain song. (its all about engageing the audience)