Michigan House seeking Michigan bands to play South by Southwest in 2019

For the pop-up venue’s fifth year, Michigan House is partnering with Detroit’s Opnr to take applications from artists, with 10 selected to perform in Austin next March.

 

Michigan bands seeking to play South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, next spring as part of Michigan House’s showcase lineup can apply through a new online music platform that connects musicians with tours and venues for bookings.

The Detroit-based Opnr and Michigan House will join forces to solicit applications and electronic press kits, with a panel of music industry veterans and professional musicians eventually choosing 10 Michigan acts to perform at SXSW in March 2019.

“Partnering with Opnr gave us the opportunity to make a true statewide ‘open call’ for musicians,” said Ted Velie, who’s helping organize Michigan House’s ‘pop-up venue’ in Austin for the fifth straight year.

“It’s really helpful to have a straightforward, one-stop method for artists to let us know they’re interested. Then, on the back-end, it’s going to be amazing to have all those interested acts in one place for us to evaluate.”

Geared for musicians, band managers and concert organizers, Opnr was created as way of connecting musicians with “opening set opportunities.” The online platform helps artists build electronic press kits and get bookings as openers for national touring acts.

A NOV. 15 DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Opnr co-founder Waref Hawasli said the platform – deployed in early 2017, first as Fanic Music – makes an ideal vehicle for Michigan House’s call for submissions.

“Performing at SXSW is a validating experience for a musician regardless of what venue or stage you perform on. There’s an undeniable energy in Austin and during SXSW it’s even more impactful. For a musician, there’s more to the experience than just the performance,” he told Local Spins.

“Being in the presence of other independent musicians, music fans, talent buyers, agents and industry professionals can make a lasting impression on a musician. Our objective is to help facilitate the opportunity to perform. However, if you’re one of the 10 chosen, my advice would be to head down to Austin with a clear focus to perform, network, make new connections and educate yourself on what others are doing to succeed. You never know who you’re going to meet that week.”

Opnr provides “a convenient utility for Michigan House organizers to seamlessly receive and review the candidate submissions” for those 10 slots.

Musicians can sign up for free at opnrmusic.com, where they’ll create and submit an electronic press kit. Within an “available opportunities browse board,” they’ll select Michigan House and submit their press kit.

The deadline for submitting applications is Nov. 15, after which a panel will review press kits and choose the 10 acts who will perform at Michigan House in Austin during SXSW, which runs March 8-17, 2019.

SXSW is the world’s largest music festival and conference, hosting thousands of performances, speeches and presentations on music, film and interactive media – with more than 50,000 registrants.

For the past four years, Michigan House has hosted music showcases featuring artists from the Great Lake State as well as official SXSW panel discussions, speakers, brand activations and parties. Since 2015, more than 70 Michigan artists have performed at Michigan House.

Beyond SXWW, Opnr will continue to “connect musicians with performance opportunities but also to connect organizers with new musicians outside of their network,” Hawasli insisted. “The system’s functionality is user-friendly and we understand how the industry operates because it’s built with help of industry professionals.”

Local Spins Coverage of SXSW and Michigan House 2018:

Tunde Olaniran, water protection, ArtPrize challenge pump up Michigan House at SXSW

West Michigan musicians’ ‘freaking incredible’ experience at SXSW

The Best of SXSW: Local Spins’ Top 5 performances from Austin 2018

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