Ok, so Monday feels like Sunday especially since I had to work on Saturday and the trash is picked up on Monday except for this week, when it is picked up on Tuesday. I know it sounds confusing, but Dan asked me to post today (Monday) even though it feels like...well you know. I am not counting today as Monday, and you know about me and counting.
I am writing to give you a little insight into how the entertainment is decided upon and the schedule is arranged. First, it is not an easy job. Ya see, we get over 150 submissions for KCIF every year. Some are really good and some are really bad. Of the good ones we receive, the committee (made up of between 1-100 people) reviews their press kit and if we like their sound, I then go and inquire about booking them. Now, it may seem easy, right? Oh no. Ya see, most of the bands we book are already in our radar from years before. For example, Different Drums of Ireland. Dan saw them in Milwaukee a few years back and said that they'd be great, so we'd pocket them for future festivals. Now, a different scenario happened last year. Remember Millish performing a couple of sets. This was a totally unsolicited band. They sent me their CD with a very limited press kit. I liked what I heard and called their agent and he said they recorded their CD live. I was inpressed and I booked them and I am glad I did. They are missing 2007 but already booked for 2008. So I guess, there really is no set way of booking the bands. I would like to encourage your suggestions about entertainers for future festivals and I apologize about not personally getting back to every suggestion. Please keep them coming.
There are also many local talented bands. What I look for in the local bands are the ones that are constantly working their trade. I will book those that have lots of gigs through the year vs. a band that doesn't. Eddie Delahunt, Bob Reeder, FRH, Tullamore, John Morris, Rowan and The Shortleaf Band are constant working musicians.
One question I constantly get is why are The Elders headlining both Saturday and Sunday shows. Well, here's the real reason. The Elders are from KC but tour nationally, and sometimes internationally. As much as I like the other bands playing before them (Gaelic Storm, The Saw Doctors), The Elders are a huge draw. I want the crowd to be packed until the last note is played and they keep them here, every year. And besides, bands make a lot of money off of their merchandise sales. If they were to go on last, their merch sales would suffer. We are fortunate to have The Elders here every year.
So, I hope you've found this little blog entry educational. I must say, it is one of the most difficult jobs at KCIF.
David Shaughnessy
Entertainment Director, KCIF
Your Guide to the 17th Annual Kansas City Irish Fest at Crown Center. www.KCIrishFest.com
About Me
- Danny Regan
- Danny is a founder, past president, and creative director of the Kansas City Irish Fest. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, the greatest city in America. He's authored Tir na Blog since 2006.
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
Visitors To Tir na Blog
8 comments:
Dave you do the greatest.....and it shows each and every year. You provide such a variety that it is sometimes hard to decide which group I want to see.
Thanks
Barabara
And furthermore, I think you're a "genius" at counting!
3 questions.
Well, 2 questions and one
observation, anyway.
1. Speaking or Rowan... they are listed as 2007 performers on both the KC Irishfest website and the MYSPACE page but are still nowhere on the schedule. Are they actually going to be there this year or not?
2. Who is actually on this entertainment selection committee you are talking about? Is that allowed to be public knowledge?
3. The "Performer Application" link on the KC Irishfest website has been a DEAD LINK for almost a year now. It goes nowhere.
Answers...
1. Rowan IS playing at KCIF 2007. We are tweaking the schedule and a new one should be posted in a few days.
2. The enertainment committee consist of between 1-100. Every act is submitted by me and reviewed by a committee of 5 and goes to the KCIF board for approval. 100 is those that said we inquired about hiring 2U. I will not name names, of course, but it is headed by me.
3. Sorry for the issues with the submission form. The email, info@kcirishfest, is active and I recieve emails from that account. I recieved one just yesterday. Please try again. Did you have band you wanted to submit?
Thanks! David Shaughnessy
1. Super! They have a great sound!
2. Thank you, but that's a confusing answer. Is the "committee" made up of 5 people, or 100, or 1, or 1-100?
Is there a "primary" committee of 5, as you now describe, and then a "secondary" committee of 1-100?
Do the bylaws of KCIF state that the members are to remain "secret" or is there just a "policy" of not letting anyone know who they are? There is no position entitled "Entertainment Director" listed on the KCIF website. Is that a secondary committee established by the board with the forementioned 5 members? Just curious.
3. Thank you!
et al: No, I did not have a band in mind to submit at this time. This is just the first time I have seen the KCIF entertainment selection process described publicly and I ( and probably others ) just want to understand it a little better, that's all.
Shocko-Sounds like you have a volunteer. Maybe you should get together with them.
Let me be a little clearer.
The selection process is as such. A band submits a demo and press kit (this is for unknown bands. Acts like Gaelic Storm, Solas, Eileen Ivers do not need to submit a press kit because of their notoriety). I take that press kit (sometime it is in the form of a website) and send it out to the entertainment committee. We then review their PR kit and make decisions on weather or not we have a need for them. If we find there may be a need, I ask for a price. If their price is in line with budgets, we will submit this to the KCIF Board of Directors and they ultametly approve the hiring of the band.
Now, the selection process may change a bit based on noteriety of the band. Bands like The Elders or The Saw Doctors, both whom the committee know very well, will just get a simple call, to their agent, from me asking for a price. Again, if their price falls into our range, we sbmit to the KCIF Board.
If you ever have a suggestion about a band please contact me at: info@kcirishfest.com.
Thanks for your converstion.
David Shaughnessy
Maybe I can help clarify too.....Irish fest "committee" is made up of a board of directors and then a committee that is broken out into sub-committee's. There is the volunteer committee, the raffle committee,the childrens area committee, entertainment committee, etc. Most committe's though only consist of a chair and or co-chairs because there is not a need to have mulitple people coordinating things ahead of time. Dave has a few people on his committee because (I am guessing) they have been working with him for years and it is probably nice to have people to bounce ideas off of.
Anyway, I don't know if this helps with your question but I know I get a lot of people asking me about the structure of the committee etc so I thought I would explain. I love that you are curious about it though....and everyone else who is! I love it when anyone actively thinks about Irish Fest!! :-)
So sorry about the long winded response....but there is my two cents.
Sunshine, aka Erin Kiekbusch
Post a Comment