True Music Promotions
in Fitchburg, WIby Mike Huberty - April 2015
Photo Caption: Carter Hulsey at True Music
Local scenes develop around locations. In Madison, the current hub of live music is downtown and the near East side (Willy Street, East Wash, etc...) But what about the people that don't go to those bars? While Middleton offers several clubs with local talent, the far West Side offers little in original music, and until Funk's Pub, Fitchburg has been especially dry since The Bean (get it?) went out of business a few years back.
Enter Max Dvorak, a singer/songwriter, and David Montesinos, an music producer, Madison rock veteran, and studio owner, who were looking to put on great shows in a different part of the city, realizing that there's a population of people who were under-served outside of downtown. Together they created True Music Promotions, who hold events in True Coffee Roasters on Nesbitt Road in Fitchburg.
I talked to David about the hurdles that they've been facing in creating a new venue, because music joints tend to come and go faster than I change underwear (I know, who wears underwear?). As Montesinos says, "The real challenge was to find a venue, but we got in a partnership with True Coffee Roasters." And that's the brilliant part, they've escaped the trap of trying to keep a music venue afloat solely on music that's driven so many clubs out of business. "So they handle the beer and the wine and we just run the shows... they're really positive about having us here", he says. Without having to worry about keeping the doors open, True Music can, in the words of Montesinos, "just focus on getting good acts and putting on good shows."
Max is currently enrolled at Berklee School of Music in Boston and is booking a venue out there as well, but that doesn't keep him from knowing exactly how things are going. "He's plugged into the shows", says Montesinos. "We're in communication constantly during the shows and I'm letting him know how things are going and if the bands are cool." And at the same time, Dvorak is developing those connections in a larger city to bring those artists back to Madison. As David says, "He's getting bigger and bigger acts that are starting to come our way. That's really the goal, to get some really high-end national touring acts and to get some good local bands to do the opening... we're always on the lookout for local bands to headline, but also to open." If you're a band looking to network with larger and touring acts, True Music might be a great place to start to meet some bigger names. Once you play in town with a touring band, that's a chance for you to go to their town and play with them. Work together to expand your crowd.
And they've had everyone from local favorite crooner/guitarists like Beth Kille and Karen Wheelock to touring acts like Minneapolis' The Melismatics, Freedy Johnston, and even an upcoming performance by Sam Llanas from the BoDeans. Your shows can even be recorded multitrack live, which could be an extra product or piece of content for you if you have a great performance.
Now this might sound silly, but one huge advantage that True Music Productions has is that it's an all-ages venue with alcohol, in fact, I know of no other smaller-sized (but still can have bands with drums and amps) venue in the area that can accommodate a crowd looking to have a few beers with underagers who are interested in getting into live and original music. While that doesn't sound like a big deal, take for example The Mission Coffeehouse in Stevens Point. By mixing the going out crowd with the younger kids just interested in music, they were able to create a place to support touring national bands in a small city in an out-of-the-way part of Wisconsin. When you're able to stay in business and you're able to mix crowds, that means you can have more risky and interesting acts come into your venue. And that means cooler shows, and that's how scenes get launched.
Bands that are interested in booking a show at True Music Coffee Roasters should email Max Dvorak at Truemusicmax(at)gmail(dot)com. True Music can support all kinds of music and bands (they have their own PA, which in a coffeehouse setting is like winning the lottery.) They welcome touring bands, but you know the drill, you have a much better chance of a successful show if you find a local opener who can help bring people to the event. No guarantees, but hey, it's all-ages plus alcohol so bring your t-shirts, CDs, and big smiles and start selling!
True Coffee Roasters
6250 Nesbitt Rd
Fitchburg, WI 53719
6084429500
http://www.truemusicpromotions.net/
