How I’m promoting my Sunday NYC show with Little Stranger [Kosha Dillz]

I am thinking of ways to promote my upcoming show on Sunday at Knitting Factory as an opener for my Charleston homies Little Stranger who are dealt with the unfortunate luxury problem;  How to sell 250+ tickets on a Sunday in New York City. 

Have no fear and/or have no schmear, there is a solution for NYC marketing shows and I shall show you what I am doing. Each weekend here is different.

1. Make a ridiculous commercial  – First off, putting in effort into everything you do  is always a must. Make a commercial for your show! Don’t worry about the views across all platforms. If you are an opener, your guarantee base is $100-$250. Put all your money into the show and make some great content before the show to help get ’em out.  You’ll make your money on your headline show so don’t worry!

2. Playing the bagel festival the day before and calling Sunday a bagel hangover party – I am booked for the 2nd annual Brooklyn Bagel Fest which has sold about 1000 tickets for a day conference the day before. It is fun to go to a “day rager” of mimosas and carbs and I am utilizing this place to pass out 500 fliers and sell tons of merch (and tickets). Since I am “entertainment” here, I am switching up my show and having a Sunday band to push tickets there. Also, we give out “day old” bagels to our bagel lovers who double up. If you buy pickles or bagels I will add tickets and buy them for you. (my bagel hit) Not everyone will come but they will also become my local fans and see me more often. My goal is to increase the #s for all of us collectively.

3. Street performing outside the New Found Glory show – I did this on Thursday and recruited 8 old fans from Warped Tour to buy tickets. According to tours, many people buy tickets and don’t always show due to Covid stuff and lack of vaccination / negative test results. Pushing more tickets here was a great move since people know little stranger here. I was gonna go on tour with them pre-covid and it was canceled obviously so this was a good sign (and some magic happened.)

4. Central Park Comedy Show Filler (Sat night) – After playing the NFG outdoor show at Brooklyn Steel, I landed a Central Park comedy show gig for $200 with 150-200 people. So random. I am using some of this money to buy tickets for new fans to come to a “real show.” plus they’ll recruit others of course. The gift of hard work. The event is also a podcast called New York Isn’t Dead and I am filling in for the Gov Ball busking band that can’t make it. Gov Ball just commented on my tik tok something crazy. You should look! It is all connected.

5. Ticket giveaway contest – I am giving away tickets to bagel fest with my Ten Bagel Commandments contest. It is a “Share video” and comment on Instagram and that also includes free tickets from my guest-list on Sunday. The tickets to the bagel fest are $35 so with free merch and tickets to both shows, we will get a whole lot of interest for more ticket sales and Sunday show love and some new Little Stranger show attendees. Everyone loves a 2 for 1 deal. If someone can’t afford to go, I will always help them go. Think long term not short term. Not just with this show, but every way in life, even if you are not a band.

6.  Free Street show Sunday at Washington Square Park – Nothing like a street show pop up at Washington Square Park. I am going with Flex Mathews from DC and we will easily sell a few more tickets to the Sunday tourists.

7. Text all 917 347 and 718 in the phone – Day of show love and  reminders are a must. I delegate 90 min early morning for this and that’s it. 100 texts copy and paste can lead to another 7-10 tickets

.8. The basics of Facebook Twitter Instagram gratitude posts for Sunday – I know you have seen these. The “it’s been 18 months since I played posts” that are very sappy and heartfelt. I whip these out because one…it’s true. Two, people are really also feeling this way on a Sunday. Don’t do this on Saturday! (People party Saturday) These are specifically for a Sunday show! ( this is up for debate ok.) Also don’t forget your bandsintown posts.

9. Share new Little stranger music with Del the Funky Homosapien – Not everyone wants to see your stuff all the time. Hence I am doing a Saturday and Sunday Share with other people.  These really work especially since I played with Del before and they got a new song with them. Listen to Brain Fog with Del the Funky Homosapien here. Perfect for IG stories and reposts and all. The boys are blowing up and your fans always want to see you with other bands blowing up. It is a collective explosion.

10. Call people from New Jersey, CT and check who is in town -[ Most importantly; make sure you remember that NYC shows are very special. You never know who is in town. Ask questions and see who is in town with an Instagram story poll. This is the place where labels and friends and tourists and more are. At any moment, you can see a group of 8 people appear at a show who happened to be looking for something to do.  That number can increase to 20-30. It can be 4 couples and a group. You just can’t call it, as they say. But you can do the work.

11. “Day of Show”  Socials Post – Ask your supporter who wants to hear the new music live! Some people want to be part of the “big show” and some do not. I only got added 2 weeks ago to this knitting factory show so let’s be sure to show them why it is special. My album Nobody Cares Except You never really got performed properly so that’s my angle. I also have a big announcement I will do at the show which is HUGE for me personally.  This makes it special for me and whoever is there. If you aren’t there you will have to wait till Tuesday to know.

NYC is an interesting tour market. I prefer Saturday shows in the small markets versus NYC Saturday shows. There is something to do here every night.

I did Bald Fest on a Monday and we ended up in the New York Post.   As the first of three acts, I don’t wanna stay there forever so we have to do the work anyway to get our own headline slot. With all that, I can earn some great new fans from the Little Stranger and Jarv show and be well on my way to the festival season for 2022. 

I got a taste of Bottlerock Napa in September, and I wanna keep going up the ladder.

PS. Get a ticket!

Kosha Dillz is an awesome 40 year old rapper that writes, curates, directs and produces all kinds of music and events, including Bald Fest which landed him on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also curates OY VEY SXSW, which was rated one of the top SXSW showcases of 2019 by Variety Magazine. His latest music video is for his song Yabba Dabba Doo. Currently he is looking for a manager that is mentally stable. Say hi at rapperfriends at gmail dot com or instagram.