We recently connected with A&J Presents (Annie Bowers & Jim Briggs) and have shared our conversation below.
A&J Presents (Annie Bowers & Jim Briggs), appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
As a fixture in the Austin music scene, Jim has a front row seat to the often contentious relationship between artists and music venues. Annie, a natural problem solver, knew there had to be a better way. Artists want gigs, and venues have calendars to fill. There’s no reason this exchange needs to be unpleasant or difficult.
We took a hard look at the inefficient, antiquated, and often hilarious methods used by some of the top booking agents in Austin. We both love music and we want Austin to continue to be the “Live Music Capital of the World,” and we knew that kindness, respect, and word of mouth would buttress long-lasting professional relationships. That’s why, at A&J Presents, every interaction with an artist or venue is make or break. We keep our roster small and our aspirations large.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Austin isn’t getting any cheaper, and full-time musicians often have to play two or three gigs a day to keep the lights on. This leaves little to no time for them to create new music, maintain their brand, make new connections, and keep up with everything else that goes into being a creative professional. A&J Presents handles the noncreative tasks, so artists have more time to be artists.
On a more granular level, we pitch artists to venues, build lineups, book tours, handle negotiations, manage artist calendars, design show fliers, promote shows, manage payouts, and occasionally run the box office or provide AV expertise. Some venues contract with us directly to source talent. We also provide live music for weddings and other private events, including “jam style” weddings where guests are able to join the band onstage.
We’re committed to enhancing Texas’ indie music community through creative and fun experiences, and we’re most proud of our growth over the past year! In March 2023, we booked 3 shows. In March 2024, we have 33 shows on the calendar!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We booked a show, sight-unseen, at a venue out of town for a client’s tour. Jim was on a separate trip, so Annie was the point of contact and had to run ticket sales by herself.
It was early in the year, so weather was a concern, but we were assured that the outdoor venue was covered and heated. Of course, it was the rainiest day of the year so far. Upon arrival, Annie learned that the stage was only “covered” if the rain fell in a very specific direction, and the seating area had enough coverage for one small child and their emotional support parrot. Otherwise, rain. For everyone.
The venue was on a busy downtown street, there was nowhere dry for the musicians to store their gear, and the nearest parking was several blocks away. We might as well have billed the event as “A&J Presents: Murphy’s Law.” Players forgot gear, people were running late, and one of the artists opted to not play due to the weather.
Somehow, despite all the chaos, we sold enough tickets to cover the venue fee and pay each band about $5. Nobody got rich from this show, but we maintained a positive relationship with the venue and the artists, and we have future events booked at this venue. We just hope the weather will cooperate!
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
At most jams in Austin, you get up on stage with strangers and have to agree on a song that everybody knows. This format works well for a lot of players, but it isn’t for everyone. Many players (especially beginners) prefer to prepare in advance. Jim wanted to bring a new jam to Austin—one that all musicians could participate in, regardless of experience and skill level.
Jim tried for months to find a location for this jam, reaching out to venues and asking friends, but nobody was interested. Finally, a local musician familiar with our work tagged Jim in a Facebook post from a restaurant called Hideaway Kitchen & Bar. They were looking for someone to host a jam night. Jim met with one of the managers, and our Monday night Hideaway Jam was born! We’re very proud of the supportive musician community that has developed at Hideaway.
A couple weeks ago, Hideaway had a Monday night buyout and we needed to find a new location for the jam that evening. Due to the fun crowd the jam draws every Monday, the response from venues was extremely different than it was just a year before. We were easily able to book an alternate venue for the night, billing it as a “Pop-Up” Hideaway Jam.
The Hideaway Jam happens every Monday night at Hideaway Kitchen & Bar. Check it out on instagram @thehideawayjam to learn more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aandjpresents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aandjpresents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aandjpresents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aandjpresents/