IEBA’s Agents Alley Plus Promoters Equals Connections

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Agents Alley plus Promoters Alley

Maneuvering through the agents/promoters alleys like salmon swimming upstream both ways, the talk was furious, the connections charged and 2020 and beyond were being filled out. The big trends in the halls’n’stalls included the new tributaries, boutique agencies catering to specific genres and subgenres and services to make it all easier.

Tribute acts and their kin.

A whole lot of tribute bands being promoted.  Scratch that, there were a whole lot of “tribute acts,” “production shows,” and “party bands.” Vocabulary matters here, and theoretically can assist potential buyers to navigate a growing genre. 

Tribute acts sound like the originals, and often aim for note-for-note authenticity. Music Zirconia’s roster, a veritable A to Z of specific tribute acts, run the gamut from ABBA to ZZ Top. BHI handed out 2020 calendars decorated with yearbook-style photos of its tribute bands. Hairball, an amalgam tribute show prides itself on being “a drop-dead accurate homage to the biggest arena acts in the world,” provided media to interested parties. By contrast, some push back at the “tribute” tag.  Hotel California bills itself as “A Salute to the EAGLES,” and defines as a sort of anti-tribute. Their brochure proclaims “This is not just a roster show, track show, or franchise show. It’s not a look-alike, act-alike, or even a sound-alike show – no hats, wigs or overplayed mimicry… Each show is a unique and individual live performance with a flair for originality…”

Reg Titian of Titan Productions promotes both production shows and original artists. In his parlance, production shows are “theater-ready” and refer to a number of types of shows that are produced for placement in venues. These may be tribute acts specific to a single artist (Tapestry – The Premier Tribute to Carole King), genre-condensing productions (Tribute to Grease and the Music of the 50s and 60s) or shows that feature the actual legendary artists, including “What a Night,” a revue of living legends (Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Shirley Alston Reeves of the Shirelles, and more) live in concert. Muddying (or possibly clarifying) the waters of tribute band/cover/homage band, is the “party band.” Josh Niemiera of Double D Booking defines a party band as one well suited for anywhere with a built-in 25- to 36-year-old demo and on-site drinking. Double D’s “Sixteen Candles,” an 80s-flavored cover band with an impressive set list of medleys and singles, is his idea of a quintessential “party band;” their job is to bring the party to the party. A good party band can bring said party to weddings, corporate events, or anywhere youngish people congregate and wax nostalgic about the decades past. 

Outliers

CAA, WME, APA all had big booths and notable presence in the exhibit hall, but some of the smaller agencies were formidable. Truly the majority of exhibitors were the smaller “outlier” agencies. The Kurland Agency, Madison House, The Roots Agency, Skyline Artists Agency, TKO, New Frontier Touring, Pyramid Entertainment Group, Atomic Music Group (AMG) and Red 11 Music reached across several genres with their artists. Jeff Roberts & Associates billed itself as uniquely faith-based, while AKA Productions was touting solely Mexican acts,  spanning norteño to ranchera and corrido). Most fun, Twisted Booking repped just one artist and one artist alone: Chubby Checker, who was seen in the hallways talking to buyers and fans.  

Magic was its own substrain this year. Wayne Hoffman of Hoffman Entertainment demonstrated the power of illusion to capture the attention of a crowd for his kind of magic, while  Mike Super advertised magic and illusion, and Jason Palter offered magic, illusion, AND comedy. 

Bicoastal Productions set out a smorgasbord of entertainment options. A hybrid of improv and hypnosis? Look no further than “Hyprov!” A Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular? A production show about disco called “When Disco Was King?”  Similarly, David Belenzon Management’s roster offered Rita Moreno, Broadway on Ice and Frank Olivier’s Twisted Cabaret among many others. Also shows featuring original Broadway casts and /or bands were popular. Jeff Vee of Rockhouse Productions touted The Midtown Men (from original cast of Jersey Boys)’s Holiday Hits; while Tony De Lauro advertised live concerts featuring Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band. Should you prefer your casts to be of the small-screen variety, the Stander Group, Inc. was promoting “An Evening with the Celebrity Housewives.” 

Services

While there is a certain competitive advantage to being the only creative production house in the hall, it was looking for a needle in a haystack trying to locate Britten, whose rep happily walked attendees through the world of vehicle wraps, dimensional signage and concert backdrops. Etix’s booth and useful brochure outlined its ticketing and marketing products, while ID&C had an attractive display of wristbands and laminate passes. 

CAPS Payroll’s reps handed out tote bags and mints, happily describing their payroll and healthcare management services. Also notable was the presence of She Is The Music, an international group working to increase the number of women working in the music industry. The booth advertised the mission of the group; introducing conference attendees to the SITM database of women in the industry.