09/30/2026
Long read but truly explains why the communities support is so important.
Why Supporting Live Music & Live Events Matters in Our Community
We’d really like to take a moment to explain why supporting live music and live events in your community is so important.
Thankfully, we’ve had enormous success with Hot Rods & Harleys, and that success wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support we’ve received from our community. We constantly hear people say, “I wish you guys would do more events,” or “There’s nothing to do in this town.”
But the truth is, you might be surprised if you step back and really look at how much is happening right here at the local level—and, more importantly, how much opportunity there is to have even more.
It Starts With Local Music
There are a ton of incredibly talented musicians in our community who want to perform. There are also multiple bars, restaurants, and venues that want to give those musicians a place to play.
When you support a local musician at a local show, you are doing much more than spending a few dollars on a night out.
You are helping create an entertainment industry in your own community.
That money goes back into local businesses. You might buy a drink, grab dinner, fill up your vehicle, get a hotel room, or stop somewhere before or after the show. The musicians get paid. The venue has additional revenue. Employees get more hours. Local businesses benefit.
And when people consistently show up, it tells musicians, venues, and promoters that live entertainment is wanted here.
What People Don’t Always See Behind a Local Show
A lot of people don’t realize what it actually costs to put on even a small show at a local bar.
If a venue brings in a band, they may need additional bartenders, servers, security, kitchen staff, or cleaning staff. Their payroll goes up. Their inventory goes up. The band has to be paid. There can be sound, lighting, marketing, licensing, and other expenses.
Before the doors even open, there can already be thousands of dollars committed to making that night happen.
That means the venue has to sell enough food and drinks to cover those additional expenses while also paying the entertainment.
So when you decide to stay home because “it’s just a local band,” that decision has an impact.
On the other hand, when you grab your friends and go out, buy a ticket, order dinner, have a couple drinks, and support the band, you’re helping make it possible for that venue to do it again.
Now Take That Same Idea and Make It Bigger
This becomes even more important when you’re talking about a large event.
A larger event might involve a national touring artist, professional production, staging, lighting, sound, video, security, ticketing, insurance, marketing, venue rental, transportation, hotels, staffing, permits, and a long list of other expenses.
And here’s something many people don’t realize:
The band isn’t necessarily where the promoter makes their money.
In many cases, ticket sales are primarily being used to cover the artist, venue, production, and other expenses associated with putting on the event.
The promoter is taking a significant financial risk hoping that enough people will attend to cover those costs. The potential upside often comes from things like concessions, food and beverage percentages, sponsorships, merchandise, or other event-related revenue.
There is a lot that has to go right before a promoter ever sees a return on the investment.
“I’ll Just Buy My Ticket at the Door”
We hear this one a lot.
“I’m not going to buy my ticket yet. I’ll just see if I feel like going that night.”
We completely understand why people think that way, but it can create a serious problem for promoters.
Large shows often have contractual requirements based on ticket sales. There can be deadlines where an artist, promoter, or production company has to determine whether the event is financially viable.
If ticket sales aren’t where they need to be, an artist may have the ability to move on to another guaranteed opportunity. A promoter may also have to make the difficult decision to cancel rather than risk losing a substantial amount of money.
That’s why buying your ticket early matters.
Your ticket isn’t just your admission to the event.
It is part of the reason the event gets to happen.
And if a show is legitimately canceled, tickets purchased through the authorized promoter or official ticketing outlet are generally subject to the applicable refund policy. If you purchase a ticket from a scalper or an unauthorized third party, you’re taking a much bigger risk.
Your Support Creates Momentum
This is where everything comes full circle.
When local musicians have people showing up, venues have more confidence booking them.
When venues have successful local shows, promoters have more confidence bringing in larger acts.
When larger events succeed, artists and production companies look at our community as a place where people actually show up.
And when promoters see that a community supports entertainment, it makes it more worthwhile to take the enormous financial risk of bringing bigger productions to town.
It’s a snowball effect.
Local Artist → Local Venue → Local Business → Larger Events → Bigger Entertainment
But it starts with people showing up.
It’s Not Just About Music
Supporting live entertainment doesn’t only mean buying a concert ticket.
Support the local musician playing at the bar.
Go to the comedy show.
Attend the car show.
Go to the rodeo.
Buy food from the local restaurant hosting live music.
Visit the local bar that consistently brings in entertainment.
Support the people putting on community events.
Buy the ticket instead of waiting until the last minute.
Share the event.
Invite your friends.
Bring your family.
And when you have a great experience, tell people about it.
Because every one of those actions sends a message:
“We want live entertainment in our community.”
We All Have a Part in This
We hear all the time that people want more things to do.
We hear, “Why doesn’t someone bring bigger bands here?”
We hear, “Why don’t we have more events?”
The answer isn’t always as simple as finding someone willing to put on an event.
There has to be a community willing to support the events once they’re here.
Promoters can take the risk.
Venues can provide the space.
Musicians can put on the show.
Production companies can provide the equipment.
Local businesses can sponsor and support it.
But ultimately, the community has to show up.
And that’s something every single one of us can do.
We are extremely thankful for everyone who has supported our events, especially Hot Rods & Harleys. The response we’ve received has shown us that people in our community absolutely want live entertainment.
We want to keep building on that.
We want to bring in bigger artists.
We want to create more events.
We want to give local musicians more opportunities.
We want local businesses to benefit.
We want people to have more reasons to get out of the house and enjoy their community.
But we can’t do it alone.
If you want more live music, more concerts, more events and bigger productions in your community, the best thing you can do is support the ones that are already here.
Because sometimes the difference between an event happening again—or never happening at all—is simply whether people showed up.
Support your local artists.
Support your local venues.
Support your local restaurants and bars.
Support the people taking the risk to create something.
And most importantly—support live music and live events in your community.
Because when the community shows up, more becomes possible.
