Interesting bit of research by Jeff Apruzzese who looked at whether opening for a major band on tour provided a bump in fame to launch them to stardom.
Apruzzese had been a live musician on tour with the group Passion Pit for about six years. In his experience, going from doing your own shows in from of 3000 people to opening for a band playing in front of 15,000+ felt a little alienating.
Reality was different. After playing our own packed shows where fans cheered and called for encores, we suddenly found ourselves in 15,000-capacity arenas, where it seemed like everyone was ignoring us: chatting among themselves, still getting to their seats or waiting in line for food and drinks.
It was a wake-up call. The transition from being a headliner at a smaller music venue to opener for a major act didn’t feel like a step forward. It felt like starting over.
He conducted a study of bands who opened for major groups and found there was often a surge of listenership on streaming platforms of 18-20%, with some even seeing a 200% bump. However, that listenership often faded relatively quickly after the tour was over. Success that was promised by hitching ones wagon to a big star rarely emerges.
Apruzzese suggests that musicians face a more difficult job trying to gain a following because people aren’t invested in curating their own listening experience leaving the choices to an algorithm.
In a landscape defined by passive consumption, there’s still something powerful about the shared experience of live music. A performance can create an emotional connection that a stream simply can’t.
Today, discovery often starts with a playlist. Someone hears a song and maybe adds it to their rotation. But they rarely click to learn more about the artist. Listeners follow the playlist, not the person behind the music…
Live performances offer something different. A great set can turn a casual listener into a true fan. I’ve heard countless people say a particular show changed the way they experienced that artist’s music, that it left a lasting impression and forged a bond with the singer or group.
That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from an algorithm…
