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.�
