But every other time I talk about my weekend plans, my colleagues ask me, “how do you even find this stuff?” Cooler people, often people cooler than me, sometimes ask too. 

My answer is the same most times: “It’s not hard. Instagram, mostly?” And that’s true, but I know it isn’t helpful. For my colleagues, I know these lovely older ladies in healthcare are not going to join me in a sweaty basement on a Friday night. They don’t need that information, and honestly, they don’t really want it. 

And the cool people have other things to do, anyway. 

The reason I’m writing this is because my therapist asked me, and for the first time, the question caught me by surprise. All of a sudden I realized that people who aren’t musicians or artists often don’t have friends who are musicians or artists. They don’t understand how people, bands, and organizations are connected, especially online. People who are not in the scene are most likely never going to find the scene. I’d like people to find the scene. 

Our artists need fans, after all. 

So here’s one way – the easiest way – I find shows: 

1. Get an instagram account if you don’t have one. 
2. Search a local music tag, something like #bostonmusicscene or #bostonmusicians. Find a band or solo act – you don’t even have to like them, they just have to be active. 
3. Look for a show post (often looks like a flyer) on their account, and look up the bands in the lineup. If you’re really lucky, they will have tagged the person booking the show. 
4. Sift through band accounts until you find either a show or someone booking shows. I recommend following a bunch of people who book shows for regular updates. I included a few great accounts below.
5. Search those accounts for venue names and follow the venues as well. 
6. Then listen to some music, decide on a few shows, and go. Go alone, go with a friend, whatever. 
7. If the show flyer says “DM for address,” it’s probably a house show and you should DM them for the address. You’ll be fine. 

The process is similar to academic research. You choose your topic, look for people writing about it, then you read their bibliographies, and from there you just…keep moving down the funnel. Same concept. 

(This also works for visual and performance art, but instead of looking for booking accounts, find studios and/or community arts organizations in the area.)

Anyway, if you’re new to the scene, go to the shows, especially the small ones. Find a local band you like. Tell them you like them after their set. Make a friend, and help make community. We need you.

To get you started:
@ibookthings
@get2thegigbos
@democracyctrshows
@cambridgeshows
@somervilleartscouncil

Author:
RK, Asst. Editor, BLTN