THIS IS YOUR FREESTYLE BLAST #15
In this issue of The Freestyle Blast Newsletter, we ask the question, is there a difference between live Freestyle performances, and track shows? Does it really matter, and do the fans really care?
Also, we take a trip to Chicago, the Windy City and home of House Music, to see how they’ve been nurturing their own Freestyle community and culture.
Plus, we’re just three months into the year, and that Freestyle Club and Concert Calendar is filling up fast. Check out what Freestyle events are happening around the country and abroad, and more importantly, which ones are headed your way.
So are you ready? Let’s dive in!
JUST IN CASE YOU EVER WONDERED…
I’ve been hearing this argument for many many years, and it’s a viable one, and being in the middle of this argument has been a trying experience.
Though I’m sure many of our fans are thinking this, not too many are voicing it, until one of my Twitter followers left this reply to a question I had asked…
I couldn’t stop thinking about David’s reply, especially that last part, which I’ll quote again in case you missed it…
“for the love of god, have a good live show. Don’t sing to your track- we’ve seen you do that already, over and over.” - @alvaradodav
Painful to hear? Absolutely! As I’ve played the track game most of my career. And though I am a huge fan of live bands and performances, and without making excuses, I do however, in defense of the Freestyle music genre in general, and my peers in particular must make people aware that it isn’t as cut and dry as it may seem.
Absolutely every Freestyle artist in the market would love to perform with a live band, and most have at some point in their career. But 30-plus years later, just the fact that fans continue to attend these Freestyle “Track-Shows”, club and concerts alike, making any sort of change that might possibly disrupt this flow, isn’t at the top of anyone’s to-do list!
It’s important to understand, that nowadays, in order for a promoter to pack a venue, especially those big arenas, a multi-artist line-up is the only way to go.
And though this is a wonderful situation for us to be in, as it opens up opportunities for more of our artists while giving the fans that ultimate Freestyle experience, it also adds pressure to an already stressful situation for the promoters… and with that, we’re talking about the Time!
Most of the Freestyle artists these days have quite a bit of material that they’ve recorded over the years, enough I bet, that they could probably put on an entire concert all by themselves.
But unfortunately, due to the number of artists on these major bills, and the time constraints placed upon the promoter, not only is a strict itinerary necessary, but also complete cooperation from all involved, as this can mean the difference between a successful event and a tragic one, and those penalties that a promoter may incur for exceeding that time limit, can be severe.
Though I’ve heard many rumors as to how much this penalty can actually be, I couldn’t continue writing without first consulting with one of Freestyle’s prominent promoters, Pacific Concert Group’s Alan Beck of the amazing and long-running Freestyle Explosion concert series, and I quote,
Every building is different. The overtime penalty comes from the local unions or IATSE and/or contractually from the venues. Typically, penalties are either assessed every fifteen minutes or every thirty minutes and can range anywhere from $500 - $5,000 for those increments… sometimes more!
- Alan Beck
Pacific Concert Group
Now there was a lot more that Alan shared with me, but I’ll save those gems for future issues. The point here is that it can be quite expensive for a promoter to go over the time limit, so with a Freestyle concert of sometimes ten or more artists, with approximately four hours to get fans in, entertained, and out in hopes that the experience was wonderful enough to bring them back for the next one, the challenge is real!
But Latif, what about those smaller club shows where there are just a couple of artists and more time to do more?
I’m gonna start sounding like a Negative Nelly, because now we run into a whole other obstacle, which is the budget!
Smaller promoters do smaller shows with smaller lineups mainly because their budgets are… well, smaller! Plus, if a venue holds only five hundred or so people, how much would a promoter need to charge for admission, to at the very least recoup their investment, never mind a profit?
Now, this is definitely not a dead issue, and I’m hoping that this discussion might trigger some new ideas on how to incorporate more LIVE into our Freestyle events, but it’s going to take some serious thought, not to mention sacrifices that some might not be willing to take on.
Please understand that artists are accustomed to making a certain amount per show, it has been established over the years, and for some, that show money has become an important contributor to their lifestyle, and for others their entire livelihood!
Promoters as well are not looking to make their job any harder than it already is. They’ve done the work, reaped the rewards, but also, taken some serious hits along the way.
Once they figured it out though, that was it! That became the plan, and veering off just wouldn’t make any sense.
Look, as long as promoters stay in business, so do we, so in no way should we ever encourage unnecessary risk. Save that shit for our proteges, they have the energy, vision, resources, and most of all… the time! Allow them to add on top of what we’ve already built while we continue to keep it strong and steady.
Freestyle still holds a lot of opportunities, especially for new promotors entering the field, and that’s the message we need to spread.
Like any art form, pleasing everyone is an impossible task, and probably something we should never pursue. But to be able to please the majority of our fans, or at least enough to keep our genre in business for as long as we possibly can.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am all for innovation and taking risks, however, tampering with a system that already works and that many depend on, has to be dealt with delicately.
Look, you might have the answer to this problem, and we’d love to hear it, or at least any ideas or suggestions you may have regarding this topic, so please, don’t hold back, share them in the comment section below. We can definitely use the help… and thanks!
Move Over, Chicago House Music!
One of the things that make my job so wonderful, besides all the incredible people I get to work with, is the fact that I get to experience Freestyle music in so many different settings.
Though we all share a universal love for the genre, each market from my viewpoint seems to celebrate Freestyle slightly differently.
Some markets are totally into major concert events, while others love the smaller and more intimate performances.
Some markets are into the more established heavy-hitting artists, while others express deep love and loyalty to some of the more underground Freestyle acts, especially their locals.
But there’s one market, in particular, that to me, welcomes Freestyle like no other, and that is good ol’ Chicago. The Windy City and the home of House Music!
This past weekend I brought both Lil’ Suzy and Angel OCG to perform at the Daytime Club Romo, put together by Gino Rockin Romo himself. The stellar lineup featured my girls along with Lisette Melendez, Soave, and TKA, as well as a killa opening performance by Chicago’s very own Romero, formerly of the group Legacy.
But wait… It doesn’t end there! In fact, no Chicago event should ever even be mentioned without pointing a bright spotlight on their DJs and this Chicago event featured a roster of Chicago DJ royalty with sets by Julian Jumpin Perez, Gino Rockin Romo, and Tim Spinnin’ Schommer, but I’m still not done, also keeping it thumpin’ was none other than The Dominating Six: Gabriel “Get Down” Garcia, Rick Guerrero, El Caveman, Luis Segura, and Pablo “Punkout” Gonzales, therefore me describing what that night sounded like would do it no justice at all.
Anyway, the show was SOLD OUT weeks before, but what made it unique was that it was a Daytime event, hence the name “DAYTIME CLUB ROMO.”
I got a little more insight into the whole “Daytime” thing from, WCYC alumni, Host, and all-out Chicago Freestyle Historian, Mr. Harv Roman who, while hanging out with me backstage broke it down like this…
"Daytime Parties" were a different animal. Fans and promoters of such events could not publicly promote the events, out of fear of getting raided by Chicago Police and shut down, so the organizers would go to the local printing shop, and order flyers to print out “secret" directions, and phone numbers, with follow up flyers with the latest information on the “Daytime" parties. You would call the number, and get a recording of the latest information, and finally an invitation to the daytime party. The parties were the talk of the neighborhoods, but locations were rarely revealed publically, in order to avoid law enforcement, rival promoters, and street gangs.
Oh, I forgot to mention. Before the show, Angel and I went to grab a bite at the restaurant right next door where the line to get into Joe’s Live which is where the event was being held, literally went down the street. My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture… Damn it!
The show went smoothly, the artists were as incredible as ever, with a little something special at the end of Lil’ Suzy’s performance when her homies Angel OCG, and Lisette Melendez snuck back on stage to lead the crowd in a Lil Suzy Happy Birthday serenade. Always a great time when those three get together. ( did I hear, S.A.L.?)
It was a wonderful night, and I just want to personally tell everyone, thank you for your love, loyalty, graciousness, and hospitality. Chicago, you will always be at the top of our favorite places to perform. Thank you Gino, and everyone there, and until next time! ✌️
Lil' Suzy, Ernest Lee Thomas, Ayna Diaz, Sulma Soto, Mike Acevedo, Marianne Ware, Kimball Hooker, Ann Marie Ciocco Kidd, Castro C Anabell, DJ WonderRican, Lily Orta, Reese Bentley, Gregory Johnson, Jason Gutierrez, Deborah Kowalski, Tony G Garcia, Evelyn Suero, Maria Respeto, John Kyriakoulias, GeegeeAndy Sanchez, Inez Wilson, Kia Garland, Nini Marie, Josie Pacelko, Alex Lopez, Lulu Nocera, Bori B Viera,
To all our Subscribers, Readers, Subjects, and of course our Sponsor, for being a part of this month’s issue of the Freestyle Blast Newsletter, Thank you all so much!
and until next time…
This was your Freestyle Blast!
Latif Mercado has been a part of the Freestyle Music scene for well over 30 years, as well as an integral player behind the genre’s continued success.
As a Booking Agent with a who's who roster of Freestyle Greats, as well as his managerial involvement with such industry icons as Lil' Suzy, Angel OCG, S.A.L. and The Cover Girls, rarely would you find a Freestyle event happening without Latif somewhere in the mix.
In an attempt to make people aware of the fact that Freestyle isn’t just a music, but rather a culture, La’ began writing books, in hopes of reaching fans through a medium they would never expect, and in 2011, his debut novel, FREESTYLE FOR LIFE, did just that!
Since then, Latif has released several books that, not only feature Freestyle as part of its overall theme but also its main characters of Latin descent.
Though born and raised in New York, Latif currently resides in North Carolina with his wife, Angel, lead singer of The Cover Girls, two grown children, four grandkids, and a dog named Coco.
Latif loves hearing from his readers, answering questions, and making appearances on podcasts to share whatever advice he possibly can, whether it be on writing, or maybe something Freestyle related, so be sure to reach out, even if it’s just to say hi.
Follow Him Everywhere @LatifMercado
Artists get older.....their vocal ability weakest with time....using tracks might help them boost their acclaimed hit confidence.....they sometimes abuse it...for example....Betty d of sweet sensation.....her vocals are barely non-existing, compared to when she came out.....She relies Solely on tracks for her live show....which is kind of insulting....cause if you can't do a decent live show alone....then...don't do it....cause it's kind of insulting and embarrassing watching it.....yout post about $$$$ and generating profits its understandable also......in the end....fans just want to physically see how their idols have evolved with tine.....we don't expect them to be the same as back in the 80's..but we do want our money's worth..
All in all...its just good to maintain freestyle alive..