PropertyOfZack is very excited to be posting Ryan Soroka’s third Contributor Blog. Ryan began running shows around New Jersey in 2004 (while in 7th grade) and began booking tours just a few years later. He now owns The Soroka Agency, which is a collaboration with Equal Vision Records, that books bands like Into It. Over It., This Time Next Year, The Story So Far, and Daybreaker, among many others. Ryan’s third blog revolves around The Bamboozle Break Contest and how making an impression as a touring band right off the band to fans is so incredibly important. Read up and enjoy, there will be more to come!

This year marks the fourth year straight that I have judged the Break Contest. It has always been a pleasure of mine to do so because it honestly gives me a chance to feel like I am getting back to discovering bands in the local scene that have flown completely under my radar. Every year always seems to produce a memorable act that I always keep tabs on to see where they go, whether its Action Item, The Front Bottoms, Wicker Hollow, Sexy Heroes, Lady Radiator, Scarlet Carson or any other band I had the pleasure of critiquing at the event. 

The interesting thing about it, from a band’s point of view, is that most bands seem to have a very interesting mindset about it. When you are a local New Jersey band, you typically grow up in the scene, meeting different promoters and people at shows, and even have gone to the Bamboozle many times in your youth. And for some reason, it seems like bands feel a sense of entitlement that they feel that they have the right to be put on the festival without showing any sort of their own worth or value, when in reality this contest allows the buyers running the festival actually get a grasp of which New Jersey bands are truly making a difference in the scene, and which are just blowing smoke out of their ass. Regardless of their mindset going into the contest, it’s easy to see how a band truly does progress from round to round. 

The series of concerts is not only a “battle of the bands” but it does in fact act as a simulation to bands as to what they need to do with their live show in order to set themselves ahead of the pact – it allow them to be competitive and see what they need to improve on to escape the label of “local” or “amateur” band. In reality, the way that judges critique a battle of the bands follows the same exact method that a concert attendee will critique a band they never heard of and can lead them to or against becoming a supporter of the new act. 

In the book “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell discusses the ideas of decision making and intuitive repulsion, which is an action that, not only every music concert attendee, but every single person on this earth does. Within the first few moments of any experience, conclusions could be drawn immediately. Whether that is being “wow’d” by a new local band, or thinking that one of the most popular bands is complete shit in your opinion, the judgments you make on every single occurrence has a foundation based at even the first few seconds of its happening. Even outside of music, this psychological occurrence can be even evident in your choice to read this blog. Have you taken a liking to it so far due to it’s relevant topic? Maybe you have already become bored or uninterested in the topic and may return to Facebook, regardless of what happened, the important fact is that it IS happening. 

This can be exemplified by one of my first experiences in the music industry. When I was in the 7^th grade, I began running concerts out of a 75-capacity room in Fairfield, NJ which was (at the time) called “Future Sound Studios.” Normally, most of the bills consisted of my and my brother’s friend’s bands and a bunch of our friends crowded in one room, but then I began hosting very small touring bands when they had days off in the area. One of the strongest memories that is forever instilled in the back of my mind was hearing the opening chords of a very small band from Baltimore-area MD who was on one of their first tours, but still teenagers, called All Time Low. At the time, they were opening for Amber Pacific to a crowd of forty kids, but even before any label signing or any of the huge songs that they currently had, there was something about the band that turned heads with every single north jersey kid in the crowd. By time to first chorus of the set was in completion, everyone knew that there was something special about this band.

While not every band aims to be the “All Time Lows” or other acts that have reached their height, it’s important for a band at any level to realize exactly how important (even though cliché) the first impression you have on anyone is. While judging the Break Contest, I can tell within the first 30 seconds of a band’s set exactly how the rest will follow, and it doesn’t take any sort of training whatsoever to come to that realization. The basics of psychology and human thinking dictates exactly how you will perceive anything in life based on only a few moments. This is why most songwriters plan songs in a certain manner so that a hook or focus of the song occurs within the first 30 seconds; it maximizes the reach and the songs potential.

The phrase “start strong and finish stronger” motivates to push an artist to perform with an increasing amount of intensity throughout a set, but for new bands, it’s crucial to focus on STARTING STRONG. Sit down before nay performance and think about what you could do to make the most out of what new viewers will have as a first experience. Whether that is starting off with your best song or doing something unique, it is this first impression that is going to make or break your performance in the eyes of everyone that doesn’t know you yet. For guidance, take a look at the video below of a recent performance by the band The Story So Far at a hall show in Long Island. Apart from the fact that the show was announced less than 24 hours before it occurred and was a floor show, there is not a single doubt that the amount of intensity and passion within the first opening seconds of the set will force you to at least be INTERESTED in what is going on with this band, regardless of if you had heard them before or not. 

On the night before your next concert, think about exactly how you are introducing yourself to the audience. Is this the best possible first impression? Are you starting as strong as you possibly can? If you were in the audience, within the first 10 seconds of your set, would you be impressed with yourself or would you be already getting more anxious about the next act to come on? Finish strong, but start just as strong.