For Performers
We feel that music well done can be appreciated by nearly anyone, so we like to see a variety in what we feature here at Rocky Top. However, we do not normally feature singer-songwriters as we feel they have other venues to showcase their talents. That does not mean you are prohibited from singing something you or a friend wrote; we just want the focus to be traditional and we hope that you will take this to heart when preparing your set lists. We are not fertile ground for rock, pop, or modern jazz either. But blues, Irish, bluegrass, ragtime, old time country, music from other cultures, old gospel, sea shanties, actually most anything old – it all goes, and more!
Normally, the performers we host are folks we have heard before, heard in person. Giving us CDs beforehand is a help, but nothing demonstrates how good an entertainer you are so well as to simply see you in front of an audience. Knowing the venues you have played before also helps. Yes, we will listen to comments from others who have seen you perform. Or you are welcome to stop in (call ahead!) and give us a short concert-for-one so we can schedule you in the future. Listening to something on YouTube or your website falls a bit short; it doesn't excite us. And if we don't enjoy it, that's not fair to you.
Performers get 100% of the take; there is no house share. And there is no guarantee other than that I will do my best to promote your concert. I will put the information out in a very large email list I have and will also send it to others who maintain similar lists. It will be promoted in the PSG folk club newsletter and flyers will be posted appropriately. You may be in an arts blog in a local paper. I announce it at my own gigs and the song circles and jams that I attend. Depending upon circumstances, there may be other promotion done as well. We will assist you in selling CDs and merchandise. The number of patrons attending will vary depending upon competing events, the weather, the day of the week, and of course, your own draw. The typical concert draws an audience in the mid-20's. But we have learned, the good way, that our maximum capacity is 40. There have been concerts which were "sold out". Feel free to tell your own fans about the concert. We'll make them welcome and will provide directions.
You will find us friendly, very informal, and we're able to talk on subjects other than music, too. Memphis Minnie, our Boston Terrier, will love you, along with everyone else she meets. She gets excited, then calms down, behaves well, sheds very little, and is very quiet. And she's fun. But she doesn't go upstairs, where we have bedrooms for your use as "green rooms" or for a good night's rest. We want to get to know you as people as well as performers. This makes for an enjoyable experience for all of us.
Selecting a Date:
We normally only schedule 4 concerts a year so can be very flexible to accommodate your schedule. That said, here are some guidelines. I like to keep at least a month between performances, for two reasons. So I don't "wear out" our audience. And to allow me time to promote your concert without conflicting with or being confusing to our audience about someone else's date.
In our area there is a plethora of free summer music and I have always felt that this can subtract from our potential audience if scheduled then. We can do it, just be aware.
And we do live an active personal life, which may call us away a few times a year. In general, this is not a problem as if we are scheduled far enough ahead, we can work our own lives around your date.
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