Find Shows, Find Music, Find Life: Browsing for Bands Playing Near You

Alright, so I don't go to a lot of shows in Shreveport. Of course there's the Actor's Cafe and Big D's (every once and awhile). The problem with Shreveport music is the law. There's very little to do if you're not 21.

So, many of us travel to Dallas, NOLA, and Austin to see good bands. But it's impossible finding shows unless you MySpace stalk your favorite artists. And that takes time. You can't do that if you're a full-time student with a full-time job.

But I have some tips and websites. I've found them through other blogs and our lovely radio promoters in the big cities.

Tourfilter.com: Let the Internet Find the Shows
Enter tourfilter.com. This is what my life was missing, for the past five years! Tourfilter, now three years old, scours the internet for shows and artists. It organizes all the shows based in different metro areas (like Dallas, New Orleans, Austin, etc.). Punch in your favorite artists and Tourfilter will email you whenever they're coming to town (or near town, as in our case). Shreveport isn't there yet, but at the rate they're expanding, expect smaller metros soon!

Pollstar.com: What's Shreveport's Schedule Look Like?
While it's been around for many years, pollstar.com still keeps up with current trends. I hate all the adverts, though. Regardless, Pollstar gives you the ability to search based on artists, venues, concerts, cities, and more. It's not very indie-friendly, lacking several shows with upcoming artists. Yet the site offers enough to give you the information you need in most situations.

MySpace.com: Popular Social Site Does City Scheduling Too
MySpace's music site offers even more show listings for a given zip code. It works by collecting venue information from each artist site. The user only needs to type in their zip. And zing! All the posted shows appear. The problem here is that you get a lot of junk and listings for sketchy shows. A few months ago I talked to a band that played in a guy's trailer in Bossier. The band was a little freaked out. I don't even know if there was a door price.

Hope that helps! Do you know any other ways to find shows?
Of course local shows (that are sent to us) are posted in our booth news.

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