--- title: The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band | TIME description: Progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee gives fans a chance to take part in its live shows. All they need is a cell phone and an idea canonical: https://time.com/video/hQFT1OvD/ og:title: The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band og:description: Progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee gives fans a chance to take part in its live shows. All they need is a cell phone and an idea og:url: https://time.com/video/hQFT1OvD/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/hQFT1OvD/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band twitter:description: Progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee gives fans a chance to take part in its live shows. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band [Watch (HLS stream): The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/hQFT1OvD.m3u8) (4:44)  _Published 2010-10-15. Progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee gives fans a chance to take part in its live shows. All they need is a cell phone and an idea_ --- Jul 27, 2023 2:23 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [TIME Music Premiere: Umphrey's McGee's 'Miami Virtue'](/video/ZeVhVQRZ/) ### TIME Music Premiere: Umphrey's McGee's 'Miami Virtue' [Green Day Celebrates Their Rock Band Debut](/video/JaIThVOz/) ### Green Day Celebrates Their Rock Band Debut [Family Tech: Rock Lessons on Garage Band](/video/iNz4dWDm/) ### Family Tech: Rock Lessons on Garage Band --- ## Transcript >> At a typical rock show, it would be a little discouraging for band members to look out at the crowd and find most of them with their heads down firing off text messages. But the relentlessly innovative jam band, Umphrey's McGee is not putting on a typical rock show. As the record business continues to struggle, bands like Umphrey's McGee are expanding the notion of what a rock band can offer to their fans. Tonight they're letting 50 lucky ones dictate their show using text messages. >> In this day and age you have to give your fans more incentive 'cause everything is just easier to acquire with, you know, everything going digital. >> Audience members are texting thoughts, themes, and ideas for the band to incorporate into its jam sessions. Every 2 minutes a new text appears on this giant screen and the band interprets it. For example, here's how they play Found Nemo in a Sushi [ unk ]. And this is their take on Drugs with Instructions. >> It really gives the audience an intimate chance to lead jams and be a part of where our improvisations are gonna go. And it keeps us on our toes 'cause we are being challenged right on the spot. >> This experiment is called the Stew Art Series, named after the Jimmy Stewart ballroom, located in the basement of a swank hotel in Chicago. It was the place where they recorded one of their first productive improv sessions. It's part of a larger effort by the band to develop a stronger core fan base by opening up a more direct relationship with them. It is something Dave Kusek, author of The Future of Music, says is essential to marketing a band in today's music business. >> Mass marketing of music is largely over. New up and coming bands really have to be grassroots marketed. Fan by fan, town by town, state by state, and you do that, you know, using direct marketing techniques and knowing who your fan base is and finding more of them, understanding them. >> Nurturing that fan base is nothing new for Umphrey's McGee. The progressive rock band from South Bend, Indiana began building their success 13 years ago on college campuses. They played tons of shows and encouraged their fans to copy and share their CDs, well before Napster made it easy. Today, many of those fans still follow them to sold- out shows across the country. Some wait for a chance like this to take the relationship to the next level. >> And then it really gives real fans like a real chance to like get in there, meet the band like see what they're capable of. They're amazing. >> Yeah, it's great. >> The big reason that we have had success is that we have a very loyal fan base that's willing to let us take chances. With those chances you run the risk of falling flat, but you also run the risk of seeing something amazing. Being creative for the first time or your new favourite song being written by on the spot and to involve a small number of fans in that process is a really cool experience for us and for them. >> Like they really care about what you think, not just-- it's participation. It makes you feel like you're in the band. >> After the show, band members get off the stage and join their fans for a beer. >> Thank you for what you do. You were there Thursday-- >> What started as a concert, now suddenly feels more like a backyard barbecue. >> Right. Hey, can you hook me up, brother? >> Bands are entertainers and music is about entertainment and so if you can engage your audience and bring them in as part of the band so they feel like they're, you know, contributing or being heard one way or another, you're gonna develop extremely loyal fans and they're gonna talk about your band, they're gonna come back to shows and spread the word. >> It seems word of mouth is spreading. These shows are selling out in an average of 10 minutes. And so the band has made a commitment to their fans to play as many more as possible this year. Jacob Templin for TIME. com Washington. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The New Music Biz: Letting Fans Direct the Band","description":"Progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee gives fans a chance to take part in its live shows. 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