May 13, 2014 Save Music in Chinatown 3: Chuck Dukowski Sextet, California, Bitter Party, The Bear and Little Nun
On Sunday, my wife and I will be putting on our third Save Music in Chinatown benefit. You’d think we’d be experts at this by now. Or that we had some experience with concerts before attempting to raise money for music education at our daughter’s elementary school. Sadly, neither is true. But we don’t pretend to be (or even want to be) experts. We just want to raise some dough for the cause and build a community in the neighborhood where my immigrant grandparents and in-laws have hung out–and where my daughter now goes to school. And hopefully have some fun in the process.
As a result we don’t have a blueprint or any wisdom to share if you are hoping to do something similar for the cause of your choice. However, it also means that if amateurs like us can pull off putting on shows, so can you! In that spirit, here are some of the steps that we have taken on the way to not imploding.
1. Secure a venue. There’s no point lining up bands, having friends donate raffle prizes, or getting people interested in your show if you don’t have a cool place to make it happen. Since we were specifically trying to get Chinatown’s art scene involved in the local cause, I hit up a bunch of artist friends about which galleries were cool in the neighborhood. Everyone told me that Human Resources was the ideal location because they host music events and have the gear, are nonprofit and won’t ask for a cut, and are just plain cool. Turns out they were right. (If that didn’t work out, we were considering having house shows where we live… We still might do that for the right band!)
2. Find bands. If you have a legit cause, you can be bold about approaching friends, friends of friends, or even total strangers to play your benefit. In our case, it has helped that we were not only trying to help kids but were were looking to build on Chinatown’s heritage of DIY punk rock. By definition, the bands that would fit our shows aren’t rock stars looking to make bags of money in deluxe venues. They’re open to playing for a cause, building a scene, and dealing with less-than-polished conditions. I’ve asked Adam (who was in Jawbreaker, J Church, and Whysall Lane but has a brand-new band called California, above right) to play before–when Wendy and I got married! But Chuck (who used to play bass for Black Flag but has an eponymous sextet with his family, above left) was an acquaintance and a long-shot who said yes. After that, it was a matter of filling in the gaps… Bringing in Bitter Party and The Bear and Little Nun makes sense since the latter sings in Chinese and the former has roots in Chinatown and Shanghai. Yes, they’ll be great and so will the DJs from nearby KCHUNG.
3. Offer extras. One limitation about having a DIY show is that tickets is that even if the 200-capacity venue miraculously sells out of 12- or 15-dollar tickets, we can’t make much more than a dent in the $50,000 annual bill for music education at our daughter’s elementary school. So why not give audiences a cool way to donate more if they can? It’s also a great way to get others involved: like-minded friends who want to help, local businesses that have a stake in the neighborhood, and a handful who represent both camps. I love that pals like Una Kim (who owns and operates Keep Company shoes, above left) and artist Sean Chao (whose art is above, right) are down to help the cause. But it’s also important to have a downtown business like Poketo as well as upstart Chinatown residents Starry Kitchen and Ooga Booga in the mix. It would kind of weird if only outsiders supported the shows, right?
Another way that we’ve earned extra money for the cause is through a bake sale table. While other parents at our school aren’t as familiar with the culture of DIY shows, they are aces at making treats and selling them. Musical tastes are subjective but everyone loves cookies. And although it isn’t a kids’ concert, we did want the Sunday matinee to be kid friendly for the students who appreciate loud music.
4. Get people to show up. This is where the groveling comes in. I’m fortunate to have been invited by friends onto their online radio shows to talk about our shows and play some old-school Chinatown-era punk rock. I also submit our gigs to various music sites and art calendars. And there has been a smattering of press, too. But honestly, most of the people that attend are our friends and relatives. For now that’s fine and I love each attendee for his or her support, but I know the same circle of people can’t keep coming forever. Since we’ve had leftover cookies and coffee after the first two shows, this time around we’re trying to bribe people by offering snacks with advance tickets.
Will it work? I’ll let you know next week. Better yet, show up and check it out yourself. For more information, check out the event page on Facebook as well as advance ticketing through Eventbrite. Hope to see you there!
Save Music in Chinatown 3
The Chuck Dukowski Sextet
California
Bitter Party
introducing The Bear and Little Nun
w/ KCHUNG DJs
Sunday, May 18 at 3:00
Human Resources LA
410 Cottage Home Street
Los Angeles, California 90012