The Placebo

Abe, The Placebo’s sound expert, is moving to Portland this fall. Don’t miss this chance to learn what he knows about getting shows to sound like they should!

When: Saturday July 15 at 2 pm
Where: E2
Cost: Donation or Free

Have a big idea? Julie R and Mike S are leading this workshop (*not* a lecture) on getting big events to happen — stuff like Bummerfest and our annual 24 hour yard sale that need a lot of planning and a lot of people.

When: Saturday July 8 at 2 pm
Where: E2
Cost: Donation or Free

Working shows is all about: what you do just before, during, and just after a show. Like what? Dealing with bands, taking money, selling membership cards, running the snax store (YES! we will have red vines once again!), dealing with “security issues”, paying bands at the end of the night, and more.   Open to anyone interested in helping run The Placebo.

Where: Synapsis, 3rd & A in Eureka (map)
When: Saturday, June 24, 2-4 pm
Cost: Donation/Free

Saturdays at the Placebo
The Placebo is inviting you to Free skillshare/ workshops that are all about “How to run the PLacebo”

The workshops will be happening at Empire Squared or Synapsis on Saturdays from 2-4 in the pm. The format will be fun & interactive - not dull lecture style.

June 24 - Working shows
July 1 - Booking Shows & Promotions
July 8 - Doing Sound
July 15 - Bummerfest & Big Events
July 22 - Behind the Scenes: Being part of the core decision-making and doing group

All workshops are free & anyone who is interested in helping run The Placebo (even if its only helping with one Placebo show a month) is welcome to come. Questions & suggestions regarding the workshops are welcome! Please spread the word & hope to see you there.

xoxo
The Placebo

Planning meet-ups for Bummerfest 2006 are happening every Wednesday at 6 pm up till the event itself (in August.) The location won’t always be the same, though, so check back at the site (or subscribe to the Calendar [RSS] [VCS]) to find out the details. As always, everybody is welcome!

If you want to see really cool bands for free, help out at The Placebo! It’s fun, easy, and its even something you can put on your résumé. Here are some of the things you can do:

• Front Desk:
• Admission: Take money from attendees, make change, stamp them, and enter information on the show worksheet.
• Membership Cards & Hand Stamps: Check to make sure people have a membership card and stamp their hand after they pay.
• Concessions: Run the snack bar! Make coffee and tea before the show starts. Sell snacks and stuff; make change, record sales on tally sheet. At the end of night total up tally sheet and restock fridge.
• Security: Easiest job of all, most of the time. Walk around inside and outside, make sure all is safe and sound. Occasionally, you may have to pick up a piece of trash. Once in a while you may need to politely ask someone not to do something usually for a safety reason, as outlined in the policy (no drugs, alcohol, violence, discrimination[s]). Asking nice and taking a moment to explain why works with 99% of people. Please don’t drink here because it is an all ages venue, and this could hurt our 501 3 non-profit status, thanks for understanding. Ask for back up if there is a sketchy situation, your personal security comes first.
• Sound: If you like technical challenges and want to learn how, someone will show you what the mixing board and tangle of wires leading to those big speakers is capable of doing. Who knows, you may have a thing or two to show The Placebo!
• Flyer: If you flyer, they will come! A cool looking, legible flyer posted downtown and on campus, passing out handbills, and word of mouth promotion get people to come to shows and get you in free. The more the merrier!
• Booking: Bring your favorite band to The Placebo. The Placebo is open to different styles of music. Racist, sexist, homophobic bands not allowed. Call or email us to see what dates we have open.
• Art Gallery Coordinator: Invite local artists to display their work at The Placebo each month. Artists need to sign a contract before hanging their work.
• Art Workshop Coordinator: Schedule artists to lead art & craft workshops at The Placebo, preferably with low cost materials- DIY stencils, silk screening, etc.
• Event Coordinator: Oversee the show: make sure it goes smoothly and pay the bands at the end of the night. A good coordinator is likely to perform many of the above duties during the show. It helps to be able to work well with other people. Shows always have at least 2 coordinators.
• Board Member: Operating as a collective brain, the board members are committed to coming to meetings the 1st & 3rd Sunday of each month and use informal consensus to make decisions and plans that define the Placebo, and carry out those plans. Non-board members are always welcome to come to share ideas, and join the board by attending 3 consecutive meetings. Board members often do all of the above jobs, too, a very dedicated bunch indeed.
• MySpace Coordinator: Monitor The Placebo’s MySpace account, respond to comments and emails, post show info, and make friends.
• Special Events: Bummerfest, 24-hour yard sale, Punk BBQ, Punk Prom, skill-shares, tabling, & grant writing.

Helping out is fun and flexible! Commit only to the things you want to. For regular shows, work least half the show; time involved varies for special events. Thanks for supporting The Placebo!