So you’ve spent countless hours honing your musical voice and you are ready to take your product on the road. Now all you need is to choose a city whose scene, trends and history fit your brand, in order for you and your music to gain the attention it deserves.
Here’s a brief overview of touring key East coast cities:
Washington, DC
Washington, DC has an incredibly rich musical history, dating from the early days of Jazz with Duke Ellington, to the Soul/Funk movement with DC native, Marvin Gaye. Currently, in response to DC’s prolific club/dance scene, House music is becoming a staple. DC is also known for its hardcore punk bands channeling the city’s political rage whenever warranted.
Styles: Indie-Rock, Punk, RnB, House
Popular Artists: Wale, Thievery Corporation, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Henry Rollins
Venue over-view:
The Velvet Lounge – A performance space that offers spots to music ranging from punk rock to alt-folk.
DC9 – A small venue which showcases new talent.
Rock n Roll Hotel – Trendy club and performance space in the increasingly popular Atlas District.
Iota – Has an open-mic nights every Wednesday night.
The Red and the Black Bar – popular punk-rock bar supporting up and coming bands.
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage – The world renowned Kennedy Center also supports up and coming artists on their Millennium Stage.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is home to a multifarious group of musical genres and their respective musicians. With the river city also being home to Virginia Commonwealth University and its 30,000+ students, the music scene is very lively, yet intimate. The earlier contributions of Richmond’s musical output consisted largely of punk and heavy metal bands, including such acts as GWAR and Lamb of God. Today, one can see the worlds of jazz, punk, rock, folk, electronic, hip-hop, blues, and many more all coexisting under one roof.
Notable Styles: Indie Rock, Punk, Blues/Jazz, Metal, Jam Band
Notable Artists: GWAR, Lamb of God, Avail, Strike Anywhere, Carbon Leaf, Farm Vegas,
Venues for up and coming artists:
Alley Katz – Opened in 1995, 500 max capacity. Books up-and-coming acts as well as internationally known artists.
The Hat Factory – Built in 1896 to house the Virginia Paper Company located on the canal in Richmond’s historic Shockoe Slip District. The hat factory is host to all types of local, regional, and national acts.
The Canal Club – Also located in Richmond’s Shockoe Slip District, The Canal Club has played its part in providing richmonders with quality local up-and-coming acts as well as more nationally known bands.
New York City, New York
Always a busy town for entertainment, and the heart of the country’s music industry, New York’s hustle and bustle atmosphere and large, diverse population has created a prolific and eclectic musical output. However, its prolific musical output also means there is heavy competition, so be sure to proceed with passion and commitment. Currently NYC is known for its dominance in the indie rock scene, while still keeping a mark on the worldwide Hip-Hop and Rap scene. There is also an outstanding number of Jazz venues, and of course its reputation for quality theater will serve well for people interested in the arts.
Notable Styles: Indie Rock, Hip-Hop/Rap, Blues/Jazz, Musical Theater.
Notable Artists: The Strokes, MGMT, Ratatat, Interpol, John Coltrane, LL Cool J. The list is endless…
Venues for up-and-coming musicians:
Cafe Vivaldi - Known for their open mic nights with great local singer-songwriters.
Nuyorican Poets Cafe – Known for its poetry open mics and hip-hop freestyling.
Mercury Lounge – Described as a venue which hosts bands border lining “next big thing” status.
Rockwood Music Hall – Hosts up and coming artists on a regular basis.
Arlene’s Grocery – Live music 7 days a week.
Boston, MA
Though Boston is known as one of the birthplaces for hardcore punk music, the city’s scene doesn’t exclusively focus on this. Though historically, Boston has been the birthplace to many important rock bands such as The Cars and Boston (who knew?), in recent years the more popular bands that have been exported from Boston have been more pop-punky than your average rock and roll troupe.
Notable Styles: Punk, Pop-Punk, Hardcore, Garage Rock, Screamo.
Popular Artists: Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphy’s, The Pixies, Godsmack, Boys Like Girls, Passion Pit
Venues for up-and-coming artists:
The Baseball Tavern – A bar that hosts bands which are very diverse genre wise. Located near Fenway Park.
Bill’s Bar – Everything from hardcore to funk and groove.
Church – 225 capacity music venue that hosts both local and touring artists.
House of Blues – A restaurant that books local and touring blues artists.
Philidelphia
Philly is most notable for its contribution to the evolution of East Coast hip-hop. It is the place to go if you’re looking for a career in R&B. Also, the city’s large Jamaican population makes it a lively place for Reggae night life. It is also a place with a thriving classical music scene.
Styles: R&B/Hip-Hop, Electronica, Classical music, Grindcore, Industrial, Reggae
Popular Artists: DJ Jazzy Jeff, TLC, Boyz II Men, The Roots
Venues for up-and-coming musicians:
Astrocade – Features mostly new indie rock bands.
Fergie’s – Irish pub featuring Rock and Folk acts.
The Fire – A venue open to musical acts of any kind.
Reef Restaurant and Lounge – A restaurant that hosts an event called “Island Rhythms Saturday” that hires local Reggae, Soca, Salsa, and R&B acts.