My name is Rey Renteria III.
When I’m not touring the country or playing shows around town as Gospel and The Wolf, I manage to keep myself busy by booking shows for fellow touring artists and bands when they come through our city. Touring the past four years has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most wonderful people and turned me on to so much diverse music that this country has to offer.
I began booking shows in Austin in 2011 and eventually founded Ground Floor Booking in the winter of 2013, right before I embarked on a three-week solo tour. Shortly after, I became an active member of the Austin Blood Alliance (ABADIY). It was exciting to finally work with a group of like-minded individuals and see its reputation and hard work spread at such a fast rate and develop a strong support system. Since then, I have turned my focus and energy towards Ground Floor Booking and began setting other goals such as executing efficient and effective promotional strategies. Even though social media and word-of-mouth have been a huge part of how my shows are promoted and discovered, I’d like to take it back to the streets with physical promotion and advertisement.
Most of the shows I book are held at friends’ houses or local establishments such as Trailer Space Records, Love Goat, etc. I personally prefer house shows to actual music venues because I feel it provides a more intimate experience for everyone involved. These kind of shows are usually donation based so that I’m able to give bands 100 percent of their earnings. Another important element to these shows is that they are all ages so everyone can discover and enjoy a quality show.
At the end of the day, the reality is that some shows are better than others, but each show is a learning experience. If you’d like to become involved just come to a show, pick up an instrument and dig deep within yourself to find whatever it is that motivates you and use it to change the world.
Through this column I will be providing you with show recommendations, show reviews, tips on how to book your own shows, becoming involved in the music community, touring advice, and bands worth checking out — both local and national.
This month, I have Nice Guys (Boston, MA) performing with Vetter Kids on Sept 9 at Love Goat and Matt Pless (Brooklyn, NY) on Sept 15. For more info on these shows and other events, please visit the Ground Floor Booking Facebook page. For booking inquiries email groundfloorbooking@yahoo.com.