Everything you need to know about hosting a Ukulele by Bicycle Tour event. Click here for some details about a few successful shows from the past.
What I Bring
- A one hour (or longer) ukulele concert
- I will arrive and depart by bicycle, carrying everything I need.
- Split donations with a local organization.
What I Need
- A venue. It doesn't have to be a traditional venue, anything from a living room to coffee shop or community space.
- An audience. Ideally anywhere from 10-40 people, but I won't say no to more.
- A place to stay. Somewhere to pitch a tent, a floor or a couch, I'm not picky.
FAQ for potential hosts
What kind of venue do you need? Any space that will hold between 10 and 30 people. I certainly don't need a traditional venue, so think outside the box. Shows have been held in an office meeting room, a living room, a bicycle shop, a coffee shop, an old garage, a grange hall and various other spaces. Some things to remember. I am not carrying a PA system, so I play unplugged. Very large rooms, outdoor venues, and places where there is background noise (ie talking), generally don't work as well. I am not opposed to these types of venues, but lets discuss it so that the setup benefits everybody involved.
Who does the marketing and promotions for the show? I have a press release, tour poster and photos that I can give you, but when it comes down to it, I am counting on the host to be able to promote the show to their community. The most successful approach has been email and word of mouth among people with connections to your organization., but more than a few shows have been able to get some local press as well. I am happy to help and support you in any way that I can with marketing and promotions.
Donations In general, concerts are free but donations are accepted (and encouraged). Donations are usually split between the local organization and myself. This will help finance the cost of my tour and also raise money and awareness for the partnering organization. Other options can be discussed.
What kinds of organizations do you partner with? One of the goals of this tour is to raise awareness for local organizations that support their community. I am interested in partnering with any organization that works locally including those that do work in community building, local foods, sustainability, bicycle and alternative transportation, youth development or environmental action. Any organization will make a great partner as long as they are working in their local community. If you want to host a show and don’t have a partnering organization, I can work with that as well.
How long do you play for? Usually I play for about an hour, but can go as long as 2 hours if that fits your event.
How much do you ride in a day? I will be touring from show to show and carrying everything that I need on my bicycle. On an average day I will ride about 60 miles but will probably end up ranging between 20 and 80 miles. While on tour, I average about 5 shows per week. I am planning on camping out, but always appreciate a bed.
