The thing you start to learn the longer you're in this business is no one really knows anything. They think they do. They pretend they have all the answers. But no one really knows.People have their personal experiences. If they became successful by doing it one way, they'll clai...

Jonathan Sexton hated shipping out his band posters to venues around the country. He hated standing in line at the post office. And the hand cramps after scribbling out show information for 50 different show dates are enough to cause carpel tunnel.Sexton teamed up with Mike Fabio...

Last night I had an incredible show at one of my favorite places to play in the country, The Hotel Cafe. I got to meet many awesome Ari's Take readers. At the end of the night, after I finished chatting with everyone by the merch booth, I glanced at my mailing list clipboard and...

I meet (and play with) too many musicians who don't want to get to the venue early enough. Some like to arrive shortly before they need to play, others slightly before doors and others feel they're being responsible by allowing the bare minimum amount of time they believe they'll...

It's a common problem in the touring music community. Touring Band X amp breaks down before their show in Minneapolis. They scramble to seek out rental companies, but none exist. So the band calls the venue to ask for suggestions. The venue calls local musicians in town they thin...

Between 2006 and 2009, brothers Kyle and Bryan Weber had played (and booked) over 600 shows with their band Zelazowa. From conversations they had with other bands they met on the road about the best venues to play in various cities, the Weber brothers got an idea. Because there r...

I get a lot of questions about press. Of course everyone wants a 5 star album review in Rolling Stone or an 8.7 in Pitchfork, but you have to be realistic about your press pursuits. If you have never received press, there is a very slim chance that you will get an album review in...

The last Ari's Take meetup before my record release show was awesome. I met a bunch of very cool, dedicated musicians. I got a few fantastic CDs from them too. It gave me an idea. For this next meet up, Thursday July 24th at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood (preceding my show of cours...

1) Your Call To Actions Are Too FrequentDon't enter every contest you stumble upon that could win you $100 in recording gear. Pick and choose the best contests that can advance your career the most. Nearly every band driven contest is based on votes. Some, however, CAN be extreme...

1) You Don't Have A StoryWhen was the last time you read a show preview or album review of a band that discussed the actual music: the song structure, guitar tones, harmonic and melodic choices, drum tones, the pocket, innovative syncopation, varied time signatures, sonic flouris...