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LIVE MUSIC AT ACOUSTIC MUSIC WORKS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We get a lot of questions about our live music series at the shop, and we love presenting shows for you guys! It's great to meet excellent players from all over the country and introduce them to our enthusiastic local audience. Here are some frequently asked questions about shows at our shop, for the benefit of performers, potential performers and listeners.
WHEN ARE YOUR SHOWS?
Here at AMW we don't have shows just for the sake of having them, nor do we have them on any kind of regular schedule. We usually present a show when a friend or touring artists requests a date. That said, we are most interested in having shows during the regular days that we are open (Tuesday through Saturday) so we can spend our time off with our families. We average 2-6 shows per month and unfortunately can't present every opportunity that comes our way.
WHAT IS THE COST OF ADMISSION FOR SHOWS, AND HOW MANY TICKETS DO YOU SELL?
Our shop has a small stage with secret compartments holding about 65 folding chairs. Between those, our benches, stools and standing room, we max out at comfortably sharing the room with up to 80-85 spectators. Typical shows can run anywhere from free to $35 per person, normally landing somewhere in between.
HOW DO I HEAR ABOUT YOUR SHOWS AND WHERE CAN I GET A TICKET?
We do pre-sales via our website for most shows, have an ongoing events schedule here, and make announcements and reminders on social media and through our email list. Pre-sales are capped at 65 tickets and then it's standing room only.
WHAT KIND OF EVENTS DO YOU PRESENT?
We have a strong emphasis on acoustic-oriented music traditions and forms, including but not limited to: folk, bluegrass, blues, old time, ragtime, singer/songwriter, jazz, guitar soli, indie and more. We also do private events on occasion and events where we collaborate with other businesses and organizations in the South Side community. We categorically DO NOT make profit from events, all proceeds from tickets sales and donations are passed along to the performers.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO PLAY AMW, WHAT DO I DO?
Hopefully you are in the zone of one of the musical styles listed above, that's the first thing. We are generally not interested in rock music or any act that plays more cover songs than original material. By watching our events schedule and the archived shows on our ticket page, you should get a good idea for the quality of music we like to present. If you think it's a good fit, email raymond@acousticmusicworks.com to inquire about a show, absolute minimum of six-eight weeks notice but hopefully with more lead time. Please have a specific date or tight-ish date range that you want to perform, we don't keep a database of artists who "want to play there sometime", preferring to help touring bands fill holes in their schedules and collaborate with friends on showcases. If you are attending a show and want to pass us some info or recordings of your band, that's another good way to get on our radar.
WHAT DOES A SHOW PAY AT AMW?
Payment for performers is directly proportional to ticket sales, since AMW doesn't keep any money from shows. Ticket prices are set at our discretion, of course with deference to an artist's national reputation, predicted draw and frequency of appearance in Pittsburgh. While a touring artist can expect a stronger cut of ticket sales, we feel it appropriate to pay local acts fairly, as they often bolster the audience. We do not offer guarantees.
I'M PLAYING YOUR SPOT! WHAT COMES NEXT?!!
Start telling folks! We usually get pre-sales on the website 4-6 weeks before the date, we'll send you a link, and we do a fair amount of social media -- but we're very limited in our time to design and hang posters, and we don't do paid advertisements for shows. We hope and expect the artist to do their level best to get the word out about their show, and to send us bio and promotional photos to use on our end.
Just trying to have fun, help artists and keep the music alive!