Grassroots Jam

Phish Meets Umphrey's: Mike Gordon sits "In the Kitchen"

2011-04-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

It slipped through my fingertips a couple years ago, but I came across this occurrence today.. Re-Post:

"Umphrey’s McGee performed four shows in three days at South Burlington, VT’s Higher Ground this past weekend(11/13/2009-11/15/2009), including a special Stew Art Series improvisational gig. A number of Burlington musicians also took the stage with the band throughout the multi-night run. On Friday, Mike Gordon swapped in for Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasik for a 16-plus minute version of “In the Kitchen.” The sit-in marked the first time a member of Phish has performed with the band. The following night the group brought out a horn section consisting of Dave Grippo, Bryan McNamara and Jen Hartswick. The three appeared for a rearranged “Cemetery Walk” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” at the start of its second set and, later, “Baby Honey Sugar Darlin‘” and “Partyin’ Peeps.” “Baby Honey Sugar Darlin‘” has not been played live by the band in nine years. Hartswick, who is married to a member of the band’s road crew, also supplied vocals on a show-closing cover of Heart’s “Barracuda.”

This is what often kills me about living in the Midwest and not the East coast. Angelic events, such as Mike Gordon's sit-in with Umphrey's McGee. However, it's a strategy frequently utilized by bands who largely rely on Grassroots marketing. Having guest artists during a concert is a good way for a band to associate with an already-existing following. For Umphrey's, this occasion can serve as a two-way connection to both bands and a means of conversion; it's a mutual act.

Keep Easy everybody!!
Enjoy the changing weather...

Win Tickets to Concerts; Just RSVP for Your Chance

2011-04-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Since February I've been planning a trip to St. Louis on April Fools Day weekend (this weekend 4/1-4/3). The purpose behind this weekend-long journey is to see moe. in concert as well as to attend a Cardinals game or two, since it is also baseball's opening weekend. Anyway, I RSVP'd to the moe. concert through facebook, partially as a reminder to myself and to see how packed the show might be. (<-through observing the amount of people RSVP'd, which is sometimes not an accurate measure) A few days ago, I revisited the event page on facebook and realized I had won tickets simply by RSVP 'ing over the social-networking site. I was rather pleasantly surprised, even though I already had tickets. An increasing amount of bands are using this strategy to gain some understanding of their fans and following. It has turned into an interactive process intended to provoke fan/audience participation and collect information about music-related markets. I'm gonna' get me some moe.!

Archive.org = A Concert-Goer's Dream

2011-03-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

After attending a concert, haven't really, really wanted a live recording of that particular show? I know I frequently leave concerts feeling entirely that way. Well, there is a solution and it's know as http://www.archive.org/. There is an almost infinite amount of material on this website, from art to music, radio to software, the site encompasses various entertainment/technology-based subjects. When looking at the artist list for live recordings, it's a bit intimidating. There's an extremely good chance that there is something on http://www.archive.org/ for everyone.

For bands utilizing Grassroots marketing practices, http://www.archive.org/ provides a great outlet to share their music with the public. And most often, the band and its associates don't even do the work; an audience member does. Tapers, meaning individuals who record shows they attend with their own equipment, are largely responsible for the mass of audio material uploaded to the site.

The sharing of free music, including live tapings, was an element of grassroots music introduced and excersized by the Grateful Dead. It worked to their advantage, playing an integral part in the growth of their immense following during their career. This was entirely due to the increased availability of their music and even the band's attitude/demeanor towards the concert experience and their respectful/loyal fans.

Click Here to be directed to a recording of the Furthur show I attended on Nov. 9th, 2010, in Ames, Iowa. It's the concert I had mentioned in my previous post.

How will you celebrate your 71st Birthday? Most-likely not like Phil Lesh, of the Grateful Dead.

2011-03-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

The picture apove is of Furthur, the most recent incarnation of the Grateful Dead, led by the original bassist Phil Lesh, and original rhythm-guitarist Bob Weir. On March 15th, Phil Lesh celebrated his 71st birthday, which is something his former bandmate and dear friend, Jerry Garcia, did not reach. Touring at age 71 is not typical for most musicians in any regard. He acknowledged "another year" with a concert on March 12th, titled "Furthur and Friends," giving the crowd the ability to take part in the celebration. Those in attendence received a free cupcake and were given to opportunity to sign a monstrous birthday card.

The lasting impact and timelessness associated with the Grateful Dead, their music, and their massive, community-like following, is a basis for grassroots artists and groups in terms of strategy. A testament of this is certainly Phil & Bob's mutual drive to continue performing the music he's become tightly-knit to and built his career around. When I got the chance to see them in Ames, Iowa at Stephen's Auditorium in Novemeber 2010, I jumped for it and paid the surprisingly high ticket price without hesitation. Musically, it was an eye-opening experience, dismissing any previous negative reservations about the band and their music. (

moe."Timmy Tucker"

2011-03-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

moe. "Buster"

2011-03-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Give this Caribbean groove a listen.. moe., the band performing the tune, is a rock band formed in Buffalo, NY. They are fueled by a rather loyal fanbase, committed enough to travel long distance to see their heroes bring the vibes alive. Although the band had a short encounter with Sony records, which is far from grassroots, it was a productive and eye-opening experience for the band and their musical vision.
Excluding moe.'s stint with a corporate record company, they have largely relied on grassroots marketing to collect and expand their listenership. Examples of this include the band's own annual festivals; moe.down (fall festival), snoe.down (winter festival), and 2011's Tropical throe.down, taking place in the city of Punta Cana, located in the Dominican Republic.

Keep Easy everybody..

Phish: 2001 / Loving Cup (Partial) [HD] 2010-10-22 - Providence, RI

2011-03-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Who took music appreciation and enjoys 19th century compositions?? If you have/do, you'll enjoy this video. The song is "Also Sprach Zarathrustra" by Richard Strauss and is being performed in funky perfection by Phish, a rock band from Vermont formed in the early 1980's. Expansive momentum concerning the group's following began among college towns on the east coast, without the help of mainstream promotional outlets, and has now reached a magnitude similar to the Grateful Dead's. The virtuoso quartet made many musical changes (relating to their jam style) throughout their extensive career of almost 30 years (arguably), over 1,500 concerts, or roughly 4,500 hours spent on stage. One of those changes was a gravitation toward funkier, groovier jams, such as the following rendition.

(You might recognize "Also Sprach Zarathrusta," the song featured below, from the Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey.")

And.... If you like the Rolling Stones, Phish's cover of "Loving Cup" from Exile on Mainstreet begins around 6:30 in the video.

Spread the music... Organically people.

Umphrey's McGee - 3.4.11 - Wappy Sprayberry

2011-03-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

The following video is from an Umphreys McGee concert last weekend; Friday, March 4th. The song they're playing is unusually, but somehow fittingly titled "Wappy Sprayberry," which is always a climactic, dance-provoking tune. Around 16:00-16:03 in the video, you can see someone turn around and look up towards the second floor of the venue, which was First Avenue/7th St. Entry in Minneapolis. That "someone" is ME! I was turning around to assure myself that Jeff Waful, UM's lighting designer, doesn't have 8 arms operating the light show. Although, there were certainly times I was convinced otherwise. Check it out!

and as always.. Keep Easy

Umphrey's McGee: 2010 UMLive Picks #1

2011-03-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

Forwarded from Umphreys McGee:
Ryan Stasik & Andy Farag of Umphreys McGee discuss a couple of their favorite UM shows from 2010. MP3s of all shows from 2010 are available online for only $4.95 until Tuesday, March 15th at umlive.net. Happy Friday!

For those with worthwhile spring break plans.. I envy you!

Klout score uncovered..

2011-03-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Today, when I revisited Klout.com in hopes of retrieving my Klout score, I was doubtful the website would produce results. To my amazement, I was presented with a score equaling a whopping total of 13. I also garnered the lovely characterization as an "Explorer," which earns the following description; "Your level of activity and engagement shows that you "get it"(in reference to interacting and networking within the social web), we predict you'll be moving up."

Alright, alright..

Umphrey's McGee Commercial: The Force

2011-03-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

Attention: The video posted below is the creation of Umphreys McGee; a progressive-rock band highly involved in grassroots marketing and related strategies. I first saw the video via facebook status update made by the band. Their youtube upload is an intentional parody of Volkswagon's "The Force" Superbowl commercial and is intended to advertise the band's musically inspired version of such a momentous occasion.
Umphreys McGee's audibly-stimulating Superbowl equivalent has been given the title the "UMBowl" and is the second of its kind; UMBowl II. This event is essentially a concert boasting 4 differently-themed "quarters," some involving the band's request for audience participation via text message. It's a refreshingly-innovative effort to get interaction from those who pay for a ticket to see the show. In addition, hosting such an event (where audience involvement is unusually high) showcases the band's mutually respectful relationship with their increasingly loyal fans.

The String Cheese Incident covers the Grateful Dead's "Eyes of the World...

2011-03-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

Let's Begin, Shall we?

2011-03-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

The creation of this blog, affectionately title "Grassrooted," is an addition to my digital identity. This blog will provide a hub for grassroots marketing news, history, and discussion. Since the way musicians reach an audience is constantly changing, especially due technology and it's effect on the music industry, constant updates regarding the innovation of grassroots strategies are at our fingertips! Let's explore them!

Klout.com was unable to find my Twitter profile and produce my Klout score. However, I sent them a message so they could correct it. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by my Klout score, but I highly doubt it considering my whopping 2 twitter followers.

Keep easy,

Nik Francis (NezraF)