How You Can Help Phil Johnson and Roadside Attraction Succeed!


The best form of promotion for any performer is word of mouth.
That's where you come in!  The more people you
tell about Roadside Attraction, the more opportunity we'll
have to create music and laughs for you.

Below are a few of the ways you can help us
spread the word about Roadside Attraction.



Tell A Friend About
Roadside Attraction


Click here to invite your friends to join us here in the Roadside Attraction family for some fun!

Your friends like to do things with you, so why not do us? (wait... that didn't come out right.)
Ratings and Reviews
These sites allow you to rate and review our videos, cds, songs, etc. Drop in and say something nice. :)
CDBaby.com - Ribbed For Your Pleasure
CDBaby.com - A Nut Unbroken
Amazon.com - Ribbed For Your Pleasure
Downloads
These sites offer Roadside Attraction downloads for purchase. The more downloads we get, the higher up the charts we go!
Our songs are also available on tons of other legal download sites. Check your favorite!
Audio Lunchbox
Apple iTunes
BuyMusic
Napster


Banners
You can put these banners on your MySpace, YouTube,
Squidoo, Wherever Your Home on the Web Is!  Just copy the
code in the box and paste it into your site!








House Concerts FAQ
We often get questions about how house concerts work.  They're very easy and really different way to entertain friends without the hassle of navigating sleazy neighborhoods and drunk idiots at dive bars.


Q: What is a house concert?
A: House concerts are unique events. At most modern concerts, the performers are completely inaccessible. But a house concert brings the performers right to you and your friends in your home (or back yard, or office, or apartmenet complex rec room, etc) for an intimate, refreshing way to experience live entertainment. And without all the hassles associated with concert-going (parking, lines, crummy seats, weird drunk people, etc.)

Q: What's the difference between a house concert and a private function?
A: Private functions are usually booked for an organization or party in which the organizers will pay the entertainment a flat fee rather than charging the guests a donation.  We're willing to work this way.

Q: How do I do it?
A: Very simple.  You invite 15 or more friends, family, co-workers, anyone you like to a concert in your home. Grab some extra chairs so everyone has a place to sit. Ask your friends to donate money (usually about $10) for the ticket price. Then just sit back and enjoy the show!

Q: What's in it for me?
A: You get to be the supreme host or hostess, concert impressario for an evening, and the most popular person in the room with your friends.  People familiar with house concerts love them.  People new to the idea love them immediately.  It's a truly unique experience and you'll be looked at as the architect of a great evening.

Q: What do I have to provide?
A: A space big enough for a guy with an acoustic guitar to perform.  A little table of some sort to display our CDs and merchandise.  Enough chairs or couches for your friends to sit.  Just like any social gathering, some refreshments (soft drinks and snacks) are nice.  Many people do them potluck style and have all the guests bring something.

You do not need to provide any sound or lighting.  For very large house concerts of 70 people or more, we'll provide a sound system. But most time it's not needed.

Q: What does it cost?
A: At no personal cost, you get to become a concert impressario for the night, introducing your friends to fantastic new artists.  It costs no more than any other informal get together.  A few snacks and some drinks, and you're good to go.  

Q: What if I feel uncomfortable charging my friends money?
A: No problem!  Although many house concerts have a door person to collect fees, some hosts are uncomfortable charging their friends, especially for a first concert, until they understand the process. For these folks we suggest they simply place a jar by the entry with a visable sign that says:

SUGGESTED DONATION
$10 each
All proceeds go to the musicians!
THANKS

Maybe a mention of the donation concept during the welcome and introduction of the concert as a reminder. This combination of tactics assures that all the folks contribute to the 'jar' while keeping the host out of the money collecting responsibility.

Q: What if I don't have 15 friends?
A: You can invite friends, family, co-workers, the mailman, and anyone else you'd like.  If you don't know 15 people, ask the few you are inviting if they know some people who would enjoy the experience.  You'll be able to meet some new folks too!  In order to make a house concert worthwhile (ie. covering our expenses and such) we need to have a minimum of 15 people at the show.  And more is always better.  We've never turned down a show because of too many people. :)

Q: What if I don't have enough room?
A: Most people are surprised at how many people can be seated comfortably in a living room. Using concert-style row seating, with kitchen or dining room chairs and some furniture rearranging, an average 12 X 18 living room can comfortably seat 35 people.

If your home is absolutely too small, consider hosting the concert jointly with a friend who has a larger home, or even at a local coffee bar, in your condominium common room, or in the boardroom at your office. In warm weather, you might prefer to hold your concerts outdoors in a backyard or on a deck. (Be sure to arrange an alternative rain site.)

Q: Is the show public or private?
A: Totally your choice.  You can keep us all to yourselves, or advertise publicly to bring some more folks in.  The most important thing is having an audience that's prepared to sit and listen to a concert.  We couldn't be background music even if we tried.

Q: Can the kids come?
A: That depends on the parents and the kids.  First, a Phil Johnson show is definitely rated PG13. While we do have people bring young ones to see us, that's completely up to them.  But our show is designed for adults.  Also, most children do not that the hour plus attention span to watch a whole concert.  We like parents to be able to relax and enjoy the show without worrying about their fidgety kids.

If you need a babysitter, you might consider pooling funds with other parental guests and getting one or two sitters to watch the whole brood for the evening.

Q: How long do you play?
A: We generally do two 30-40 minutes sets with a short socializing break in between.  At the host's discretion we can do a full show all the way through with no break.

Q: How do I sign up for one?
A: To book a Phil Johnson or Roadside Attraction show for your house concert, contact Phil at Phil@RoadsideAttraction.com and we'll get all the details worked out.