Troubadour Booking

With the approval of the Board to resume full operations in September, I have started to book our schedule. First dibs on open slots will go to those acts whose 2020 bookings were canceled due to the pandemic. All those acts were notified, and offered a booking. The schedule thus far is shown below.

I am considering booking myself as the Headline Act on the opening night. There are a number of reasons for that. Firstly I think it would be appropriate to have the “face” of the Troubadour kick it off. But in a more practical mode, I think I would rather subject myself to the uncertainties of an opening night show than a touring professional. Those uncertainties could range from technical failures, to on-site glitches from staff operating under new procedures, to low attendance as some folks may be reluctant to expose themselves to crowds, vaccinated or not. But I am concerned that it might be looked upon as self-serving. (And it might in fact be so. I’m biased, and not in a good position to judge.) I would like the Board to vote on the appropriateness of this plan. I will leave the meeting while the discussion and voting takes place. I will accept any decision the Board comes to with no argument or reservations, knowing the Board will decide what is best for the Folk Project.

We have made some changes in the financial arrangements with regards to free-will online donations to the performers. I wanted to reap some financial benefits to the Troubadour from the online viewers, in part to finance an increase in pay to our opening acts. Originally, Facebook Live had no mechanism for charging a “ticket price” for online viewing, so I had thought to withhold a 15% commission on such donations. Facebook has changed their policy, and now permits collecting a viewing fee. So we will charge a $3.00 online ticket price, (It used to be $2.00 with Concert Window.) and have rescinded the 15% commission. Performers will keep 100% of their online donations.

We still do not know the actual procedures for collecting the online ticket price, or if FaceBook will be charging a fee for that. But Gary and Kathi are on that issue, and will have information well in time to establish procedures.

John Lamb has is working on a tool that will permit the Troubadour (and all other Folk Project venues) to post their schedule on the new website. I have written an instruction manual on how to use that tool for the Troubadour. John will use that as a model for similar manuals for Open Stage, Special Concerts, Getaway, and Swingin’ Tern.

Loretta Brooks has agreed to handle the posting of performers’ photos on the web schedule, and Evelyn McNally has agreed to communicate with performers regarding the online webcasts of their shows. Both had performed those tasks before COVID

I’ve spoken to Jean Scully and John Mahon about possible changes in procedures with regards to staffing. We are considering an extra door person to check vax cards, and possibly two Head Sound volunteers so that one of them can devote full time to the audio mix for the camera, and the other for the house. But Jean and John will report on such details when they are resolved.

John Lamb and Gary Pratt and I have been putting in many hours working out all the details. We’ve allowed ourselves a long lead time, and we’ll need it. So I think we’ll be ready to go when the starting gun sounds.

Current confirmed bookings:

• • Sept 17: Jesse Ruben singer-songwriter, Opened for the Loose Canons in January 2020

  • Sept. 24: Matt Nakoa: High energy singer songwriter. I think he’s on a par with Susan Werner in writing, vocals, instrumental excellence and stage charisma. An Agranoff Imperative!

  • Oct. 22: Deeper Than the Skin (Greg Greenway & Reggie Harris) A special concert touching on the issue of race in America

  • Oct. 28: Halloween Show Folk Project Member Concert

  • Nov. 5: Bill Staines: Classic Folk songwriter

  • Dec. 3: Chorus Song Night: An evening of songs for the audience to sing.

  • Dec. 17: Holiday Benefit Concert: Folk Project Member Concert to benefit MUF

  • Feb. 4: Valentines Day Extravaganza: Folk Project Member Concert

  • March 4: Trout Fishing in America with Carla Ulbrich opening: Lots of laughs, lots of great music

  • March 18: Beppe Gambetta: Hot hot flatpicking with an Italian flavor

  • March 25: Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman: Award winning Celtic harp & guitar.

Respectfully submitted

Mike Agranoff

Program Chair

The Troubadour Acoustic Concert Series

Morristown, NJ. USA

www.Troubadour.FolkProject.org