Kum & Go Grand Opening w/ Z-92

I just got done talking with Tre Brashear, an accomplished attorney in the Omaha-metro area, and Lisa Lewis, an Advertising and Promotions Manager for Kum & Go. There happens to be a new Kum & Go celebrating their grand opening here in Omaha on Friday June 11th. It is an all day event with free 32oz. fountain drinks (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday), customers can sign up for free gas for a year, and Z-92 will be on location for a radio remote. The best part is that Betsy Wells will be playing for the crowd, to promote the MAHA Music Festival. Kum & Go is a major sponsor for this year's event, and I got an email about a week ago inquiring about whether Betsy Wells would like to play for the customers. The new Kum & Go is at 8242 Maple Street - Omaha, NE 68134.

Stay tuned; Betsy Wells will be unveiling some new songs at MAHA and I know you guys will like them. Until next time, keep listening.

Betsy Wells Voted in for 2010 MAHA Festival

Okay, so this is three days late but I've had a lot on my plate lately. When I arrived at The Slowdown, I was very impressed with the turnout. There had to be 150+ when I walked in the door and a good majority of those people were there to see Betsy Wells. As you know, I leave the reviewing up to the music blogs, but all I have to say is, "Wow"! The bands which included Dim Light, Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, and Flight Metaphor among Betsy Wells, were very talented and any of them would have made a quality edition to the MAHA Festival. However, that being said; Betsy Wells is really starting to make a name for themselves.

I've heard many music minds in the Omaha-area say that they hadn't even heard of Betsy Wells before this show, and that doesn't surprise me. However, I feel that with the way the band is coming together, nothing but good things are in the near future. Mark your calendars for Saturday July 24th, because MAHA Festival 2010 is a very legitimate music festival. With the likes of Spoon, Old 97's, Superchunk, The Faint, Ben Kweller, The Mynabirds, It's True, Satchel Grande, and now Betsy Wells; this may very well turn into one of the bigger totally alternative music festival's in the United States. Betsy Wells will take to the stage in between It's True and Ben Kweller, on the Kum & Go Local Stage.

Preparing For MAHA Showcase (A Day After Their First Non-Nebraska Performance)

So Omaha may be spelled with two "h's" in the poster, but that's not the important thing. What's important is that Betsy Wells now has a show outside the great state of Nebraska, under their belt. If you did not hear, Betsy Wells was supposed to play at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago a day before this show, but due to the cities alcohol policies, that ended up not happening. But Fairfield, Iowa got to witness some greatly talented folk bands in Betsy Wells, World's First Flying Machine, and Like Trains and Taxis.

The town of Fairfield is small to say the least, and I unfortunately could not make it out to the show due to work I had in Omaha. However, I heard that it was at least minimally successful. The idea is for exposure, not profit, at this point. Playing in Omaha is great, but a band can only play so many times per month before fans get burned out and don't show. Making friends and connections is part of the game and I feel that we are doing that now. Dominic and Philip are great guys that just love music. And they are starting to host some pretty popular bands their in Fairfield. Apart from that, Betsy Wells is preparing for the "60 Days to MAHA Showcase" happening on May 24th at The Slowdown (8pm). Whoever wins gets to play along the sides of Old 97's, Superchunk, The Faint, Spoon, Ben Kweller, The Mynabirds, Satchel Grande, and It's True.

I look forward to seeing all the fans out at The Slowdown on Monday night!

Lawrence Show Added!

I have just finalized a show for July 10th at one of Lawrence, Kansas' top live music venues, The Replay Lounge. What I normally do when I find a city that I feel is a good fit for Betsy Wells is I research the local scene for possible headliners. I have heard lots of good things about the music scene in Lawrence; comparable even with Omaha, so I knew my work would be easier than normal. However the ease of finding quality musicians, although great, was outdone by those musician's willingness to make this event happen. I found three great acts to compliment Betsy Wells' Lawrence debut. And complement they will.

-Dustin Holbrook
-Black Jon (Jon Marzette)
-Seafarer (Kansas City)

The Replay Lounge is home to two stages. The inside stage is normally rock-based sound (150 capacity), while the outside stage is more acoustic-based (200 capacity). The event will be held outside and the great positive with this is that food in all its goodness will be provided by The Replay Lounge.


Dustin Holbrook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dustin-Holbrook/124778502517?v=app_2405167945

Black Jon
http://www.myspace.com/blackjonmusic

Seafarer
http://www.myspace.com/seafarermusickc

Betsy Wells Selected for "60 Days to MAHA" Showcase!

If you guys don't know what the MAHA Music Festival is, you should. Omaha's biggest alternative music festival is in it's second year of existence and bigger than ever. Last year the festival showcased Dashboard Confessional along with G. Love & Special Sauce. This year, the festival is showcasing some of the most famous names in indie-rock, along with some of the best bands from the very musically inclined city of Omaha. Spoon, The Faint, Old 97's, and Superchunk will headline the show on the main-stage.

Betsy Wells, along with Noah's Ark Was a Spaceship, Dim Light, and Flight Metaphor were selected to duel it out on Monday, May 24th for a spot at MAHA. The Slowdown will play host to a "60 Days to MAHA" Showcase, where the top vote-getter will get the opportunity to play the local stage, in front of thousands. Upon arrival, every entrant will receive a ballot. All bands have tremendous talent and we are very honored to have been one of the four chosen. This is a great opportunity for Betsy Wells to gain exposure to not only more Omaha fans, but A&R and the media.

What a great way to kick off summer! Come out and support Betsy Wells and Omaha music.

Show Details: The Slowdown - Monday, May 24th, 2010 (8:00pm; Doors open at 7:00pm) - No Cost! Every spectator gets to cast one vote!

LP Release Party (Part I: Planning)

As you guys may or may not know, Betsy Wells is not only busy playing away in shows around the region, they are also working on a new LP, to be released later this year. I have been looking around for venues to host the future release show and its looking like The Slowdown. Not the small stage at The Slowdown, but the big arena stage that fits 600+. I have a few very talented bands in the works to open for the band as well, but I will release those at another time. The vision for this party however, will be a bit different from the EP release party that happened last March at Sokol Underground. That show was a big success, don't get me wrong, but this party is going to be HUGE! I will be inviting newspaper columnists, production companies, local celebrities, bloggers, music reviewers, and A&R people. Of course, a party would not be a party if all the guests did was listen to a live band perform. So each guest upon arrival will receive a promotional gift bag w/ the full album and other goodies. A mingling session with the band will most likely occur 1-2 hours before the opening act begins; and alcohol/foods will be present.

A special guest list will be made up for free admittance to the press and to close friends, but joining the Betsy Wells Street Team's in Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, or Chicago would maybe land you special brownie points; enough to possibly gain free admittance:) Either way, I will keep you guys up-to-date with this party planning each time I come up with a cool idea to add. Also, feel free to leave comments on other cool ideas.

Assembling a Press Pack

Okay, so I will be driving back to Omaha this Friday because I am applying for a few jobs. The real benefit with this though is that I will be picking up lots of copies of the EP and assembling a promo disc to send to potential clients (radio stations, venues, newspapers, blogs, labels, etc.). I will be putting the bands' best songs on this disc. Essentially, I am assembling a press kit. A lot of people don't know what a press kit is; or at least what a good one is. Allow me to shed some light, but I am by no-means an expert (yet). The press kit I am developing includes three 8x10's of the band (two action shots and one normal face shot), a biography page basically explaining the bands style and skills level, a press page that includes reputable quotes from the press, venues played at,& bands played with, lyrics to the songs on the disc, and my contact information. I am designing each document with the Betsy Wells logo on it (top or bottom I haven't decided yet) as well as creating a business card so I don't appear to be a Midwestern farm boy who just one day decided to enter the entertainment business.

I have been in contact with several radio stations, although I still need to set up a meeting with our hometown 89.7 The River, and plan to send a press pack to many of them. The real goal at this point is exposure. I am paying $3something, out of my own pocket, for every press kit, but in the end, it is not about how much you spend. It is about accomplishing your goals. EXPOSURE is the goal, and having a song played on the radio gives the kind of exposure a tour cannot. I never thought that I'd use anything I learned in school for my "real life", but I was wrong. Deciding to become a marketing major was probably the best decision I have made in school, although that probably is not saying much.

Until next time, keep those Betsy Wells tunes playing.