How does Brownies prefer to get courted by bands looking to play there: emailing MP3's, mailing in a package, dropping by the club?

The best way is by mailing in a package and following up about three weeks later via e-mail. As convoluted as it may seem, this gives us time to receive, log in and checkout the package. Any goodies are welcome (candy, baked goods, etc.) although will not be considered bribing material - it will just be eaten. CDs are the best (clearly marked on the spine - and the better the artwork, the more chance it will stand out amongst all the other submissions. tapes tend to get lost in the fray.

How many bands per week contact you about wanting to play at Brownies?

Counting via phone (annoying if we haven't heard the music yet) and mail: 50-100

How many of those actually get to play?

that varies greatly. sometimes it takes awhile for a band just starting out that doesn't have a local draw already to get a gig here. but i'd say around 10-25 of the brand spanking new bands will play here the first time they contact us.

How do you pick and choose between the sea of no name bands that contact you?

Not necessarily in order: artwork of cd, press, sales, name of band, where and when they have played before and how many people paid to see 'em, and of course, laid back, professional and friendly manner.

Are all press packs created equal? Do you prefer to get one sheets, or do you not even read them?

hell, no. one sheets are great. to the point, succinct - that's great. i will not read a 20 page bio. i could care less what cathartic happening in the drummer's life caused him to pick up the sticks...

Do you look at who the band has played with before?

yes, but sometimes, depending on the band, it is not relevant - like if the band has only played at an obscure club in a small town no one has heard of with nat'l because it is the only place in a 50 mile radius that these people can play.

Follow up calls, do they annoy you or eventually get through to you? Same thing with emails by show hungry bands, do you ever just want to delete them and scream?

We do not react kindly to follow up calls for new booking submissions. Don't call us unless we've called you, or unless there's something wrong with your e-mail or you have not entered the 21st century and gotten an e-mail account. with e-mails, i kinda expect bands to be professional and follow up with some kind of information, like, 'hey, we played at (insert club) and drew (insert number of people). we'd like to bring those people to your club,' or 'our mailing list doubled since last we e-mailed you...', etc, etc

What is the best night of the week for a show as far as attendance?

that varies as well. weekends are always the best; more people can always come out then. but, in new york, it also depends on who is playing. people will come out to see a popular national act on a monday.

What about the worst? Do you have to be more selective about which bands get to play on the "better" nights?

the only bad nights are the monday nights of new bands who say they can bring in people and don't draw flies. since our club is so dependent on how many paying people bands bring in, yes, those acts that already have a fan base get to play the weekend nights, or those that support a national act will be considered first.

Do you prefer to work with bands and labels directly or to work with a booking agency?

no preference - it really depends on the booking agency/band/label.

Who's job is it to promote a show? The clubs, the bands, the labels, the booking agency? In your opinion what are some of the best ways to promote a show.

It is the band's job to promote the show in our case. we take out ads in the paper, put up posters in the window and post a schedule online...other clubs do more, but most new york clubs do it this way. For the band, the best way 'round these parts is to keep up a mailing list (and do regular mailings), send out the press pack and cd to the major publications who list show schedules, get in contact with the college radio and try to get a song played near the show, or at least a tag to the show, or better yet, get an interview (although in nyc, this matters less than other cities), and lastly, hit all the local record stores to leave posters and/or fliers at least a week before the scheduled gig.

What is your policy with bands who want guarantees?

as a general rule, we do not do guarantees.

How does the door money get split on an average night?

the standard: a part for the promoter and other club expenses, the rest for the band(s), depending on draw

"If you can't [tour] in life - especially when you're young-you're gonna miss out on a lot of things. I've given up everything. We've sacrificed lots of personal relationships. It's a real struggle, but it's worth it." This is a quote I read from Cedric of At the Drive In, how much relevance do you think there is in that, is touring that important?

absolutely. the kind of attention a band gets that does not involve that kind of hard work is fast and short lived. at the drive in is a great example - they've earned all the fan fare they have through this, and as a result, if other factors go right and they don't want to kill each other after working that closely, they'll be around for a long time. who knows - if the rumors of a breakup aren't true, maybe they'll be the sonic youth of the 21st century.

Any words of wisdom to pass down to some hungry young touring bands? Any keys to getting the gig and making sure some people are there to check you out?

re-read the answers to the interview like you'll be tested on it and all will go well. like in anything patience, perseverance, and ambition are all good characteristics to have...