Over the years, we all have been told how any publicity is good publicity. . . . how we really should not care what is written “just as long as you get my name right.” After all, most of us are publicity hounds.
The notion underlying “any publicity is good publicity” is that the attention span of most folks is so short that they will remember a name and not a story. The prime example -- which turns our brains into mush every two or four years -- is politics. Politicians make outrageous statements, change their positions to suit their audiences, and play to the basest human traits and frailties. Yet, in the privacy of a voting booth, people seem to forget substance (or lack of substance) and remember a name.
Name recognition is one of the principal principles of politics. Another principal principle is that, if you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the truth. A final principal principle is that you never can overestimate the ignorance or intellectual laziness of the average voter.
The Monster Mash is a day away. It will be a welcome diversion from the unrelenting pounding and noise of the 2012 political cycle. But, like politicians, we work to get the word out about a show. As a band and performers, we want people to come and see us. We also want to introduce us and surf music to strangers. That is why we promote a show.
The idea of an all ages Halloween bash on a Sunday afternoon in a family-friendly venue seems to have caught the attention of more people than we expected. First, Sacramento 365 included the Monster Mash as one of its “top 10” events for the week. Wow! Then, the Sacramento News & Review featured the Monster Mash in its “Hella-ween” article of top 20 picks of “cool Halloween-themed events.” Double wow!
Was a trifecta possible? On Friday morning, opening the Ticket section of the Sacramento Bee revealed . . . . Triple wow!
But “Sniki Tikis”? “Lava Lamps”? Oh, well, at least the event and the substance were right!
The notion underlying “any publicity is good publicity” is that the attention span of most folks is so short that they will remember a name and not a story. The prime example -- which turns our brains into mush every two or four years -- is politics. Politicians make outrageous statements, change their positions to suit their audiences, and play to the basest human traits and frailties. Yet, in the privacy of a voting booth, people seem to forget substance (or lack of substance) and remember a name.Name recognition is one of the principal principles of politics. Another principal principle is that, if you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the truth. A final principal principle is that you never can overestimate the ignorance or intellectual laziness of the average voter.
The Monster Mash is a day away. It will be a welcome diversion from the unrelenting pounding and noise of the 2012 political cycle. But, like politicians, we work to get the word out about a show. As a band and performers, we want people to come and see us. We also want to introduce us and surf music to strangers. That is why we promote a show.
The idea of an all ages Halloween bash on a Sunday afternoon in a family-friendly venue seems to have caught the attention of more people than we expected. First, Sacramento 365 included the Monster Mash as one of its “top 10” events for the week. Wow! Then, the Sacramento News & Review featured the Monster Mash in its “Hella-ween” article of top 20 picks of “cool Halloween-themed events.” Double wow!
Was a trifecta possible? On Friday morning, opening the Ticket section of the Sacramento Bee revealed . . . . Triple wow!But “Sniki Tikis”? “Lava Lamps”? Oh, well, at least the event and the substance were right!