Multi-Artist Show Cancellations Examined

Charlie Imes @ The Piping Parrot

     Lately, there has been a lot of chatter on social media about gigs going away, and events suddenly being canceled.          One band recently traveled to Florida from their more northerly homes, to play a famous central Florida venue. Then, at almost the last minute it fell through.  Another pair of nationally known Trop acts had been touting their appearances at a festival held by one of the eastern PHCs. A couple of weeks before the show, the event was canceled.
     These occurrences made me consider where all of this may be going.  Is there an underlying something that we're failing to see?
     As "music worlds" go, the Trop Rock world is comparatively small.  There are a few hundred bands, duos, and solo acts on the circuit, trying to scratch out some kind of living playing our favorite music.  How small is this niche?  Take your own survey.  Ask a number of your friends that are not on your facebook page or in your PHC, etc., what Trop Rock music is.  The simple truth is, they're probably not going to know.  The reaction will range from a cocked eyebrow to a loud, "what the hell you talkin' about, Bubba"?
     My point is, in a group this small, there are a finite number of fans and paying customers, to consume the product.
     From my view, here in upstate New York, Florida seems jam-packed with beach cowboy, and tropical dreaming bands.  On the "Shore Life Radio", the Internet station I work with, we have an enormous library of artists and acts from which to make our programming choices. The supply of Trop Rock music seems never ending.
     But, I want to point out something that may be worth considering.
I live in a region where the "greater area" has around a quarter of a million people.  From that figure, a hardcore Parrot Head, or Trop fan, may form the opinion that there would be enough Trop music fans at any given time, to fill a number of venues with paying customers. This is not the sunny South, and Trop fans are few and far between here.
     In reality, there's not all that many Trop fans in this region, and getting enough of them together to make a decent crowd is not easy.  We've found that to bring the music we love here, we have to add some variety to the schedule.  For example, there are many, and I mean many, more times the number of Rock fans and Country fans, than there are Trop Rock fans in this region. If you want to see a Trop Rocker, sometimes we add a Pop or Country band to the line-up. It bolsters the attendance and helps raise enough money to pay the Trop act.
     Here comes my point.  Our fan base is quite specialized and relatively small, so we don't get the larger Trop shows here. Therefore, when I see shows with big name headliners like The CalypsoNuts, and James "Sunny Jim" White canceled, I have to wonder why.
     Many of my readers will know I'm talking about the three-day Phunfest in Ocean City, MD, that was to be held the 26th through the 28th of September.   Their Website said it was "postponed".  No alternate date was listed. It never happened. Ticket sales in numbers to support the event were just not there.
     My opinion is that there is beginning to be an overload of expensive 2 and 3 days long Trop extravaganzas.  People have to budget for the ones they can attend, and naturally, some of the best events are the most expensive.
      I believe there is another factor that merits consideration. In a way, it's a "Catch 22" of current trends in live entertainment. House Concerts.
     House Concerts are all the rage. All across the country, people are turning their living rooms, decks, patios, garages, and pool areas into live music venues. They've become a major provider of "in person" entertainment for Trop fans. Both coasts, middle America, and wherever fans can be gathered, Trop acts are being called upon to bring their instruments, mics, speakers, and sometimes even lighting, to houses in the country, suburbia, and cities, to set up and play a couple of sets at bargain prices.
     I say bargain prices because it's a huge bargain for the fans. For ten to twenty dollars, in most cases, fans get to not only hear their favorite artists live, they get to chat, eat, and hang out with them. Part of the deal is that the House Concert host frequently affords the artist lodging for the night, often under their own roof.
     Consider that. No traveling a hundred or more miles, no meals on the road, or overnight motel bills for the fans lucky enough to live near a House Concert venue. Actually, any fan can even set up and hold their own HC.
     You can see why this might cut into the business for the major multi-day concert events. Sure, they're always thrown in the name of several charities, but that's not why people go. They go to see their favorite artist or artists perform and be in contact with them. If they can see them at home for fifteen dollars, why go for an overnight trip to see them?
     I remain willing and eager to go to at least one large event a year.  Plus, I have opened up my house for the last three years, for House Concerts. The Piping Parrot may be only a deck attached to the back of my modest home, but one or two times a year, Trop fans can come and enjoy an artist they'd normally have to travel out of state to catch live. They get a great show that costs less than a trip to their local movie theater and sleep in their own bed.
      I don't know if I've answered the question, "why are so many large concert events losing popularity or failing?" but I hope I've given you something to think about.