Why It Is Important To Know When To Open For Someone Bigger Than You

The Paper Crowns

Good Monday Morning Everyone. I realize I may come across as if I know what the heck I’m talking about all the time. This is not necessarily the case. I am full of mistakes, which is OK because there are lessons to be found in mistakes.

Learn From Your Past

This past weekend, we made a mistake. Not a big ol pie-in-the-face- kind of mistake, but more of a missed opportunity kind of mistake. My band, The Paper Crowns ( Note: the video clip is before I joined the group), had a show at The Vault Martini Bar in Redlands, CA this past Saturday and a group called Mad Marionettes opened. We were both very good.

Talent Does Not Automatically Grant You Fans

Although we both killed it on stage,having been together for at least six years the Marionettes have more fans.The Paper Crowns have been playing for over a year so were still growing ours and by the time we took the stage, about ¼ to 1/3 of the crowd left. The rest of the crowd was comprised of our current fan base and a few stragglers from the Mad Marionetts.

Recognize The Benefits of Being an Opening Act

First let me say, it was a blast. We were on our game, as were the Marionettes who stayed for our set and danced their collective arses off. Everyone did.

However, what we should have done was open for them. We could have gained new fans by playing to their crowd, many of whom had never heard of us before. And thus, today's lesson: Don’t be stuck on a particular slot because you think your god enough instead be wise  enough to recognize that if there is a band with a bigger following than you, you have more to gain by playing to those people who will leave after the band they have come to see is done.

Perhaps when performing with bands who share equal admiration with each other, it can be flipped. The new fans you gain, may stay next time to hear you instead of bolting off, and then everyone wins.

So when booking your band, be sure you consider the potential to broaden your fanbase by opening for someone else. It’s a good way to grow your following and until Austin City Limits is knocking on your door, you are going to have to sacrifice top billing now and again. 

The benefits are all there and we learned that next time, we will open for Mad Marionettes simply because we can increase our own base and then share that base with another equally deserving band and they can do likewise. It’s a win-win for all involved if you can sacrifice your ego and realize the potential in such a move.