About this episode

Paul Kent rejoins Dave Hamilton to discuss band success strategies and the importance of treating a band like a business.

OG co-host Paul Kent rejoins Dave Hamilton to talk about how The Houserockers have stayed booked into their 27th year, and what your band can steal from their playbook. You’ll dig into the social media reality of 2026 (Reels are currently king), why your mailing list is the asset you actually own, and how to grow to 10,000 followers without losing your soul. Paul makes the case that if you want gigs, your band has to be a business, which means alignment on mission, passion, and musical style with the partners or employees standing next to you on stage. There’s nothing wrong with playing for fun, but go in eyes wide open about what you’re chasing. From there you’ll dive into the value of scarcity, Kevin Kelly’s thousand true fans, and why mixing up your setlists is one way to keep audiences coming back. Paul breaks down the current Houserockers formula (civic concert series, experiential marketing, and ticketed off-season events) and why aging-up audiences mean you have to market harder and talk to fans like Springsteen does: a lifetime conversation, all with individuals. You’ll also get the real talk on finding bandmates (Craigslist included)…

People in this episode

Host: Dave Hamilton

Guest: Paul Kent

Topics covered

• band success
• social media strategy
• audience engagement
• band business
• marketing
• setlist management

Keywords

• band success
• social media
• mailing list
• audience growth
• setlists
• marketing strategies
• bandmates

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Houserockers

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