Comment

Comment by Bill Weems on August 23, 2015 at 11:40am

The non-profit I'm the founder and president of, called Pathways Community Development Corporation, Inc., has been 'hosting' our Buffalo, Blues & Brews event since its inception. We do most of the fund raising to do it. Our local bar, Bobbi's Reservation Blues Bar, has been involved too and we had our event in the place once, but we lost money that time because no one wanted to go to a bar for some reason. We do better with it outside. Bobbi, the owner, is the contact through which I met Billy D. Our local tribal Casino has been donating the rooms for our headliner for two years now. I helped found a chamber of commerce for our area and they are involved too. A local buffalo breeder donates a quarter for me to smoke for the event. I've approached Guitar Center and Sweetwater for sponsorship, but Sweetwater only donates to their hq area in Illinois or where ever. Guitar center talks a lot but has never actually given us any help. Our local businesses are in, and give us a couple hundred each, but our town is small with a population of about 1,000 so businesses are few. The goal of the event was to bring in money to help us do community related projects like sidewalks, supporting our elderly, and stuff but we can't seem to do anything except break even (Billy D used to come for a few hundred, now since he's got a record label under him charges us $2,300 and that's most of our take). Bobbi of Bobbi's Bar her son is a local blues guitarist, but he charges us $500 too. The area brewers club does all the craft brew, and this year we had like 60 gallons of some pretty good stuff! We need to keep our costs low so ticket prices can be low. That's why I'm reaching out, to seek input on what we can do to make it a success and improve our community. I've been doing most of the leg work but boy I could use some help and resources! ;-)

Comment by gary herget on August 23, 2015 at 10:03am

Bill, you need to find someone to host your event, a resturant, bar or any organization. This way you have someone who can reach farther to advertise your event. Here in St. Louis our host is HWY 61 Roadhouse resturant. The owner, Bill also, pays for entertainment and uses his suppliers to get items we need to put on the fest. Myself and Smilingdog do all the leg work around the community to get the word out locally. Sounds like alot of work, but after your first sucssessful event You'll find it to be worth it!!

Comment by Bill Weems on August 23, 2015 at 8:23am

Thanks! I'll reach out to the suggested members!

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on August 20, 2015 at 9:17pm

Talk to Mark Alaniz (Downtown Vinnie here on CBN). He's put together a similar festival in Eugene, Oregon for the last three years, and can give you loads of pointers on how to get bands, raffle items, etc. all the Members here will be happy to help. Also, see if the anonymous pick (lives in Canada, and donated to Vinnie's recent do) would be willing to donate a SwampWitch 3-stringer, and contact Max Jones (Suspect Device here on CBN, lives in Saco, Maine) - I purchased one of his Kodakanjos for Downtown Vinnie to raffle off.

So you see, support for CBG feats can be worldwide; it's not limited to just yer local yokels.

There's us national and international yokels, too. ;-)