I Played nXNE

So you've played a bunch of shows, recorded your first CD and have finally been accepted to play at North By Northeast. This should be like any other gig, right?

Well, not quite. If you've never played a festival like this, there are some things to keep in mind in order to make the most of your showcase.

The most important thing: unlike normal bar gigs, NXNE doesn't run on rock and roll time (i.e., the usual two hours behind schedule). The sound check time they gave you is actually real, so if you want to sound good, you need to show up on time for it.

The same goes for the allotted set-up and performance times. Don't convince yourself that you should stall getting onstage to wait for more people to show up. You might just miss your slot.

If you're disheartened to find that your band has been scheduled to play at 9 pm in a small bar, don't use it as an excuse to treat the show like practice.

And be prepared. Too many bands spend most of their set trying to decide which songs to play next. Before you know it, your time's up and you've only played a few songs. Those three people hanging out at the bar might be more important than you realize, so play the show like you mean it.

Take advantage of your NXNE pass and check out as many bands as you can. This can be a great way to make friends with other like-minded musicians. The contacts can lead to out-of-town gigs as well as more local shows. Networking is often more useful to a young band than many realize. It's also much easier to chat with a fellow musician than to court a record label exec.

Be realistic in your expectations. This is not a normal gig Ð you don't get paid, you don't have a guest list and you don't get free beer. You will feel rushd getting on and off the stage, the audience will most likely be completely different from a regular T.O. rock show, and the other bands in your showcase might have nothing to do with your style.

Don't let these things get you down. Though no band should expect to be discovered, there's a possibility this might be the moment, so take it seriously.

Vibes writer Benjamin Boles played North By Northeast with the space pop band Tetrezene and with Cadillac Bill and the Creeping Bent.