Several years ago, I happened to see two of my favorite singer-songwriters play live for the very first time within a few months of each other – Ray Lamontagne and Amos Lee.
I remember being struck by their wildly different performance styles. I was a much bigger Ray fan at that point, so I was super excited to see him play… until I actually saw him perform live.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s an amazing singer of beautiful songs. But his overall vibe was…annoyance? He seemed thoroughly irritated the audience was there and barely interacted with us – he even performed with his back to the theater for big chunks of time. What a letdown.
Womp, womp…
It was such a weird and underwhelming experience, I doubt I would go see him live again. I still kind of enjoy his music, but my feelings about him are now pretty “meh”.
On the other hand, I absolutely fell in love with Amos after seeing him perform live. He shared personal stories about how songs came to be and showed off a funny and self-deprecating sense of humor. He was friendly and conversational and by the end of the show, the audience felt like they knew him personally. He also had incredible chemistry with his band – it was clear the performance was about the whole group of musicians, not just him.
Jimmy and I travel to see him perform every chance we get, and he’s one of our favorites to this day.
The performances themselves were technically both excellent – but the stuff in between the songs made ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Those shows were in much bigger venues than the 443, obviously, but the same principle holds true at our place: Music fans want to connect with the artist on stage, and they’ve come to expect it in our intimate little venue. The up-close and personal vibe is what draws people to our place, and performers who don’t have the ability to bond and relate just don’t work. At best the shows are boring, and at their worst they are wildly uncomfortable to sit through.
When I’m considering booking someone, the very first thing I check out is their live videos. There are two reasons: 1. They have to have a few VERY good quality videos if I’m going to convince people to buy a ticket to see them – they are a key marketing tool. 2. I’m trying to figure out if they have that ability to connect with their audience. Are they having fun on stage? Would they pique MY interest as a music fan?
It’s a quality that often doesn’t translate onto video.
I’m looking for excellent singers, yes – but that ability to connect, to let the audience into their world a little bit, is at least as important as talent… maybe even more so.
This is the hardest part of my job when I’m booking talent… I can easily look for quality videos, compelling promo photos, an active social media presence, awards, and glowing mentions from the press. It’s nearly impossible to tell if someone has that X-factor. I’ve only been wrong a couple of times with touring artists, once recently and once last year when we reopened after COVID.
Last year we hosted a national touring singer-songwriter who should have put on a spectacular show. He has an incredible voice, he’s written some excellent songs, and his resume should have provided tons of fodder for on-stage stories and patter.
He brought along an opening act who couldn’t have been a worse fit (for him or us), and after we got through that awkwardness, I quickly realized he had zero ability to connect with his audience… or if he did, he just didn’t care to on that day.
“Here is a song I wrote during the COVID shutdown, I hope you like it” was the extent of his storytelling. There was no between-song patter, zero interaction with the audience, and lots of looking at the floor.
The overall vibe was just… boring. He was an excellent singer, but I couldn’t wait for the show to end. And, I’ve since declined his agent’s request to book him at our venue again. If you’re a rocking band, the stage banter doesn’t matter so much, but in a quiet listening room-style venue, stage banter and a sense of humor are EVERYTHING.
On the flip side, CNY’s own Mike Powell’s performances are a master class in how to connect with an audience.
PHOTO CREDIT: NEIL DALEY
First of all, he’s clearly having a blast on stage and his joy is contagious. He’s got a large repertoire of stories and funny anecdotes about his songs and he doesn’t miss a chance to poke fun at himself. He’s got great chemistry with his partner John and it shows. He’s a gifted songwriter, but there’s no question Mike’s charming and funny stage presence is a big part of his appeal – and Mike’s fans follow him all over the area to see him perform.
I would go so far as to say you can get away without being the best vocalist around when you’re a skilled songwriter and you have that stage presence – we have a few performers who fall into that category, and I would invite them back any day of the week because their live shows are so compelling.
It’s the stuff in between that makes ALL the difference… THAT’S where the magic happens.
