Features
City and Colour
Singer/Songwriter Dallas Green is a study in stealth. The numbers he’s putting up are impressive, and yet there is a lack of media coverage. So far, no late-night television appearances. The daily papers are bypassing concert reviews. Many promoters still have only an inkling as to who this guy is.
But not all promoters. Goldenvoice knows who he is. So do C3 and Jam, and many inside Live Nation. That’s because Green makes for a successful visit.
Photo: James Arnold
Dallas Green originally was uncomfortable putting out an album with his name on it, so he used a cheeky play on his name, City and Colour, for his 2005 debut, Sometimes. Green was already known as the singer and guitarist for vastly popular Canadian outfit Alexisonfire, but his solo music was nothing like the hardcore punk rock of his band.
“You have to go in with an open mind and realize this is the music he grew up on,” agent Rob Zifarelli told Pollstar. “If you approach it that way you’ll come around to it easier.”
Zifarelli listed off some impressive 2011 highlights, noting that Green has a tendency to outperform promoters’ expectations. In St. Louis, his show was upgraded from Blueberry Hill to The Pageant. In Nashville, he moved from Mercy Lounge to The Cannery. In San Francisco, one show at the Fillmore became two. The same went for Philadelphia. And in Boston, Green’s House of Blues show went from a small configuration to a full capacity of 2,425.
Photo: James Arnold
Because City and Colour’s management has not pressured Zifarelli to “grind” for better deals up front, he’s been able to do better deals on the back end.
“I was in a comfortable position in most cases to not have to make the promoters feel they had a large risk with a giant guarantee, and in turn was able to move the offers into ‘versus deals,’” he said. “We reduced the risk to the promoter by taking less money up front in return for a strong share on the overall profits. It was a win-win.”