The most talented of musicians can still have trouble finding ways to get their art into audiences’ ears. Whether it be promoting music through flyers and social media or simply booking a show, MoonPeaks offers local musicians a chance at getting their music heard.
Logan Moon, a 22-year-old senior majoring in management and Japanese, is the founder and operator of the freelance booking company, MoonPeaks. Started in June of this year, Moon envisioned MoonPeaks as a vehicle for up-and-coming musicians to gain some attention.
“It started when I was playing bass for my band, Zero,” Moon said. “It was always hard for us to book local shows, so I decided I wanted to help other musicians out by offering them my services.”
By keeping up with grassroots musicians, Moon said he felt he was the perfect man for the job.
Logan Moon hopes to help local musicians through his start-up, MoonPeaks (Courtesy)
“From my own experience with Zero, I knew what needed to be done in terms of getting contacts and supporters for these other musicians,” he said.
Those musicians have included the all-girl band, The Hits, and a Boulder local favorite, Technicolor Tone Factory.
“I’ve set gigs up around the Hill, including K’s China, as well as a lot of house shows,” he said.
MoonPeaks makes money by taking a small profit of what musicians make for playing a show. Moon said if he is able to book a show for a first-time client, he doesn’t ask for money.
“I want to build respect and credibility with the people I’m working with,” Moon said. “A lot of my clients aren’t well known yet, so it wouldn’t be fair to charge them when they’ve barely had a chance to make a name for themselves.”
Instead, MoonPeaks takes less than 30 percent of any future show earnings, and most of that profit is put back into the business.
“I’ve probably made about $600 total,” Moon said. “Most of that goes back into helping bands print out flyers and getting them into venues. What’s left over is usually enough for a couple of meals and gas money.”
While Moon enjoys turning a profit, he said he isn’t in it for the money.
“It all comes down to the music,” he said. “I’m heavily involved in the music scene in Boulder, and I’m always keeping my ear to the ground, whether that be going to venues or a dozen house parties, I’m always looking for someone with talent who could use some help.”
Jake Bradley, a 21-year-old senior economics and film major, does free organized shoots and records live performances for clients of MoonPeaks, as well as some freelance work with musicians like West Water Outlaws, a bluesy Boulder rock band.
“I really enjoy trying to help promote independent music and I think that film is a really great medium to help promote up-and-coming artists that don’t really get as much exposure as they should,” Bradley said.
Working pro bono, Bradley said he’s happy just giving musicians some exposure through MoonPeaks while pursuing his own passions.
“I get a rush from getting a photo pass and being able to shoot from balconies and places I wouldn’t normally get to go,” he said. “I don’t mind doing it for free—I think it’s a great learning experience.”
For musicians like Chris Taylor, a 21-year-old junior aerospace engineer, MoonPeaks helps provide an outlet for his work. Going by the pseudonym DJ Flash—named after his impressive light shows each set—Taylor hopes to bring his beats to the Boulder base.
“Logan [Moon] saw me playing a house show one night and just said ‘I want to book you’ and helped me get a few shows from there,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who says he believes in the art of performance, capitalizes on his DJ abilities by producing an impressive light show for each one of his sets.
“Moon is great to work with because he understands the work that musicians put in,” Taylor said. “With MoonPeaks, it’s great because it helps take a lot of stress off me. At the end of the day, I just want to play and it’s nice to have someone take care of the business side of things.”
Moon stressed that MoonPeaks has no desire to tie musicians down.
“I want to be a launch board for these musicians,” he said. “In Boulder a lot of people who try booking shows for bands have the stigma of a wannabe producer—I don’t want to be that. I want to cater to smaller bands so they can get their foot in the door. Where they go from there is up to them.”
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Sebastian Murdock at Sebastian.murdock@colorado.edu.
