Song Fight Live Speculation

mkilly · Post by **mkilly** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:35 pm

the Jazz wrote:Odds that the next poster will use "vegas style" odds: 50%

Odds that the next poster would have used "vegas style" odds, if I had said the odds were very low: 95%

Odds that the next poster would have used "vegas style" odds, if I hadn't posted any odds on the subject: 68%

Odds that any of my odds are even close to correct: 7%

Odds that, if you think about that enough, your head will explode: 100%

Hey, The Jazz, you should get going on figuring out how to do SongFight Live! 2005 in Boston. There's interest in having it in Boston.

the Jazz · Post by **the Jazz** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 12:02 am

mkilly wrote:Hey, The Jazz, you should get going on figuring out how to do SongFight Live! 2005 in Boston. There's interest in having it in Boston.

That would be awesome. How's it been done in the past, ticketed or free? I might could talk to some people about hosting it at the Berklee Performance Center.

Post by jb » Mon Nov 15, 2004 1:57 am

the Jazz wrote:
mkilly wrote:Hey, The Jazz, you should get going on figuring out how to do SongFight Live! 2005 in Boston. There's interest in having it in Boston.
That would be awesome. How's it been done in the past, ticketed or free? I might could talk to some people about hosting it at the Berklee Performance Center.

Three times, so far, it has been held at very cheaply rented performance spaces. Once it has been held at a bar.

Somewhere that a party kind of atmosphere can be encouraged would be good. Where those of age can drink and become amusingly intoxicated, but those not of age can attend and participate. Getting him drunk is really the only way we have of competing with Erik in a live situation.

Also, the place must not be averse to offensive content in entertainment, as we can't tell in advance whether Abjure! will show up. Plus I personally can only slightly tolerate being anywhere where I might be *required* to censor myself. Not that my needs are paramount except to myself, but were Song Fight Live to ever take place in a church or a Community Center of some sort, I'd probably skip it.

Rented spaces are good 'cause what gets said (as long as we're not sacrificing chickens or something) is our business, as well as the fact that we can rent a space for two days, allowing time for rehearsal as well as set-up. And in the case of Austin, both days were used for performances by Song Fighters.

Ideally the space would have a) no curfew and b) no noise restriction. Ideally. Neither of those are a dealbreaker, but they would contribute to a more enjoyable experience. We want to rock hard late into the night!

All events except the first one have been ticketed, as a means to remunerate those folks who put up the front money for renting the space/PA, printing the posters, etc.

So that's what, if anybody cares to look into it, we'd be looking for for a Song Fight Live venue.

<b>Note:</b> Do <i>NOT</i> even hint about committing to hosting Song Fight Live if you're just daydreaming. This can be added to my list of pet peeves, and will result in much vehement derision of you, by me. I'm serious. If anybody's ready to step up, then do so, otherwise feel free to stay seated.

mkilly · Post by **mkilly** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:52 am

jb wrote:were Song Fight Live to ever take place in a church or a Community Center of some sort, I'd probably skip it.

Yeah, unless it was a crazy liberal church or crazy liberal community center. Berklee Performance Center is way too classy for it. Besides that the turnout would be less than a hundred people, almost assuredly, and probably much less than a hundred people. It takes a lot of dedication and effort to host one of these shindigs (as Spud, Moboid/Future Boy, and JB can attest to). A place that can double as a practice space would be great, a place with no noise or curfew restrictions would be good. Austin's site was perhaps suboptimal, but we managed to rock it to Russia anyway. I don't know how Boston happened to be mentioned, but other sites of interest were LA and Vegas. I suggested Cleveland too. Maybe it's about time for us to start a new thread in "Concerts" dedicated to preliminary SF Live! planning for next year. This year it was in July; I don't remember when we started talking about it but I think it was maybe February or March that FB said "Hey, let's do it in Austin."

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:40 am

jb wrote: were Song Fight Live to ever take place in a church or a Community Center of some sort, I'd probably skip it.

Unless the Church in question is a tiny, poorly-ventilated structure, the likes of which were most often seen burning in daytime-emmy winning movies...

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:43 am

mkilly wrote: I don't know how Boston happened to be mentioned, but other sites of interest were LA and Vegas. I suggested Cleveland too.

It might even have been about when we settled on Austin; I sort of remember those being the two places that got talked about. Um. This is not a committment by any means (yet), but I've given a lot of thought to heading up a Boston show. I'd need some help, but I know there are a lot of local folks who probably wouldn't mind being in on this. At the very least I'd want to wait until the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX release their 2005 schedule before we start thinking about dates, because I'm sure a bunch of people would want to catch a game while they're in town.

At any rate, it's still early.

mkilly · Post by **mkilly** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 2:35 pm

bzl wrote:
mkilly wrote: I don't know how Boston happened to be mentioned, but other sites of interest were LA and Vegas. I suggested Cleveland too.
It might even have been about when we settled on Austin; I sort of remember those being the two places that got talked about. Um. This is not a committment by any means (yet), but I've given a lot of thought to heading up a Boston show. I'd need some help, but I know there are a lot of local folks who probably wouldn't mind being in on this. At the very least I'd want to wait until the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX release their 2005 schedule before we start thinking about dates, because I'm sure a bunch of people would want to catch a game while they're in town.

At any rate, it's still early.

Oh, I didn't know you were in Boston. Who else is? It was thrown around in Austin, yeah, it and Vegas I think. For the NYC, PA, and MD fighters it wouldn't be so bad, and probably not even so bad for the OH ones--less of a trip for Dr. Worm than he took this year, I should think.

Odds that I won't make a SF Live 2005 post on Concerts and Events because I'll be afraid nobody will respond, and so I will just continue talking about it here: approaching 1:0 in favor

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:44 pm

hmm... i know idiot kings is there, eh?
according to the member list bzl spacedog and jazz.
i might be able to attend a boston event. depends a lot on the date.
what is this discussion doing in this thread?

-bill

Post by jb » Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:48 pm

thread split and moved to appropriate location

Henrietta · Post by **Henrietta** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:58 pm

CHack is in Somerville, & Jim Tyrell really isn't too far, either.

There's a bunch of budget airlines flying to Boston these days: Frontier, JetBlue, ATA, and the like. The redeye out of Denver is less than $200 roundtrip on JetBlue.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:21 pm

If you can plan a live Songfight at around about the same time and around about the same place as some sort of major mining or environmental engineering conference - you may just get an international songfighter dropping by for a tax-deductable holiday

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:56 pm

I'm unclear of my future as of this moment...but I do PLAN on making the event no matter where it is. Boston sounds great. Maybe I'll just move there.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:19 pm

I'm about two hours north of Boston.
Hoblit, you might just like it up here. In the summer, anyway. I hear there was some snow down Boston way last week. We've seen flurries up in New Hampshire already. Very picturesque, if you're looking out at it through a window.
Anyway, SFLive... I'd definitely be into a Boston event. That would rule. I don't know if any out-of-towners would want to be driving as far north as my place just for a place to stay between nights, but if the need were there, I'd try to accomodate.

c hack · Post by **c hack** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:21 pm

Hoblit wrote: Boston sounds great. Maybe I'll just move there.

It is. I highly recommend it.

SFL in Boston would kick ass. I'll help out in any way I can, short of organizizing. Berklee would be totally cool -- def would give us street cred.

Downstairs at the Middle East would be the best. Might even be possible. But there's so many bars all over I really doubt there isn't at least one of them would host it. Even Toad here in Porter Sq. would be cool (a little small, though). Club Passim might even be into it, though they don't have a liquor license.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:31 pm

jimtyrrell wrote: Hoblit, you might just like it up here. In the summer, anyway. I hear there was some snow down Boston way last week. We've seen flurries up in New Hampshire already.

yeah, you're really not selling me on it there...

the Jazz · Post by **the Jazz** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:05 pm

Yeah, the Middle East would definitely be a good spot. Passim, not so much. From jb's description, the BPC wouldn't be appropriate, or any other Berklee spot 'cause they're all either recital halls or churches. But I got no connections outside of Berklee, so count me out on the venue front. At such time as a date is set and a spot picked out (assuming it's in Boston), I'd be glad to help out with spreading the word and getting people to come.

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:44 pm

Okay, so, assuming I can get some help (which looks reasonable), I'm up for organizing. Since someone's got to, and all. I just don't want to commit to doing everything alone, because I am lazy (and a douchebag).

Finding a venue is one of those things I probably can't do alone, because while I have a lot of experience going to shows, I have no experience booking them. I don't think the Middle Easy is the right place, though (even if it would be super cool). Upstairs is about the right size, but it would cost us a lot and I don't think we'd be able to use the space for practice during the days.

Other location thoughts: "Boston" doesn't necessarily have to mean "right in the city." There are a bunch of smaller cities within an hour's drive that might be worth at least considering: Worcester, Lowell, Providence RI, Manchester NH, etc. (Think... Hampton Beach casino!) A few even have international airports. And they'd all be cheaper, which is good, and still be relatively convenient to Boston.

An ideal sort of venue (in my mind) would be pretty close to the church in Austin- a comfortable place to hang out for hours at a time. More of an artsy space than a performance hall, really. Couches, comfy chairs and a resident kitten. We'd also probably want to take it over for a few days, at least.

Other issues: Recording. It'd be good to plan ahead for this and be set for both audio and video. I used to work with someone who did some occasional moonlighting videotaping concerts. Haven't talked to her in a few years, so I don't know if she still does that (or even if she's still local). Also, Fluffy did a huge amount of work with the Austin sound and got some great results, but it shouldn't have to be a huge amount of work.

Lodging, food, etc. It ain't cheap to stay in the Cambridge Marriott. (Or so I imagine.) Also, where do you take twenty-five hungry people at midnight? I've never needed a hotel in Cambridge, and I don't have twenty-five friends (because I am a douchebag) so I don't know the answers to these questions.

Practice space. I don't have a place where people can show up a few days early and learn each other's songs and hang out and such, unless you don't mind driving out to the suburbs and not making a lot of noise. I also don't have a drum kit, or access to one. (Actually I do, but mine is electronic and I doubt any real drummers would want to use it.)

Advertizing, etc. I almost want to take it for granted that Bortwein will come up with super posters and shirts and such, which may not be very nice on my part, but it's only because he rocks.

There's probably more but I am exhausted from too much programming and too much beer and I would prefer to be sleeping than almost any other activity one might care to name. I'd love to hear ideas and suggestions, though, both from other local folks and any of y'all that have been to prior sf-live events and want to throw in your thoughts.

ben.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:29 pm

Ken and Blue spoke briefly of a SFLas Vegas. That soudns pretty cool to me. But, I have no problem with Boston, of course.

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:56 pm

bzl wrote: Other location thoughts: "Boston" doesn't necessarily have to mean "right in the city." There are a bunch of smaller cities within an hour's drive that might be worth at least considering:
And they'd all be cheaper, which is good, and still be relatively convenient to Boston.

My first songfight! LIVE was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I was a bit skeptical about location..as it's mid state and way outside of the two major cities there. However, I was going no matter what and I told myself that it wasn't about THE CITY. (even though the one before was in SanFransisco) I had a great time and we drove to Baltimore that weekend so I was able to eat my cake too. Then, Seattle, and then Austin. I prefer 'the big city' atmosphere and would love for it to be IN Boston..but I'd come even if it wasn't as long as we were able to take a day out of the week to go hang out in the city for a day. Such as the baseball idea.

Vegas I have no interest in as a vacation spot, but I would go anyways.

My point? Don't have one... just that I'll be there.

jack · Post by **jack** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:29 pm

The Idiot King was the most vocal about working on setting something up in boston. he seems pretty well connected with the club scene too, as his band seems to gig fairly regularly.

i still like the vegas idea. but i also like the idea of watching the red sox play.

erik · Post by **erik** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:47 pm

bzl wrote:ideas and suggestions

I think that the person or persons who want to play host should be able say:

1. What city it will be in
2. What venue it will be in
3. On which day or days it will be held
4. Where and when people can practice
5. Where the instruments/recording gear will come from
6. Suggestions for where people can stay

tonetripper · Post by **tonetripper** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:56 pm

I think Boston is an awesome idea. I would come if it was Boston that was holding it. Never been, and to be a part of something that I could perhaps drive to would be great. I'm sure PinV and I would go together if his baby could be looked after.

Vegas is a little far. Boston isn't that close either, but would be fun to drive to. If it were something that I'd take a couple of days off to do, hanging out in various places on the way there. I'm sure PinV would have another idea. All for Boston. 8)

- Pablo