The first day at any festival is always a little chaotic. After you get your badge, the next step is to thumb through the guidebook and frantically circle all the artists you want to see.
CMJ is one of my favorite festivals, but the venues are all over New York City, so no matter how much you try and pack in a full day, plans change and you find yourself racing from the city to Brooklyn to see the next emerging artist. I guess that’s what makes it so exciting.
Two great panels that took place during the day were “SoundExchange” and “Live-Stream Your Tour.” For those not familiar with either, SoundExchange is “the non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings.” This organization is fantastic, and if you’re a band, it means they fight on your behalf to get royalty payments for you.
Livestream is a premiere platform that allows bands to web-stream their live performances for audiences that couldn’t make it to a show. This could be for fans down the street, or halfway across the world. All you need is a computer, a camera, and an internet connection. It’s a great way to market your band, especially if you’re an energetic or theatrical performer. You can even stream directly to your facebook page.
On the way to check out my first round of music, I stopped by the artist lounge where you could grab snacks, drinks and see bands play for…bands. There was even a free massage table, where I found Israeli artist Onili getting a rub down.
The first showcase I hit up was by the The Music Slut at Pianos. From there I jumped a train to Williamsburg to check out the MOG party at Brooklyn Bowl, featuring Dom and Yo La Tengo. Dom (EMI/Astralwerks) is a garage rock band with high-pitched vocals and a Southern California skate vibe, even though the members are from the Boston area. The trio of Yo La Tengo (Matador Records) closed out the night and played a long set to a packed house. For those who haven’t been to the Brooklyn Bowl, it’s the epitome of Williamsburg’s hipster image. The “Bowl” as it’s referred to, is a huge alley with great aesthetics and a kick as venue to see an indie rock band play. It’s no wonder they host Lebowski Fest (November 4th), as it’s the perfect venue.
I finished off the night by catching Brooklyn local Class Actress play at the Cameo Gallery. Lead singer Elizabeth Harper is a pleasure to watch live. There was lots of energy on stage, and the lights at the Cameo Gallery provided a psychedelic backdrop that fused well with Class Actress’ synth-pop performance. It was a good way to end day one at CMJ.
