Beware of Back Page in Lowell, MA

If you are planning to perform in Lowell, MA, DO NOT contact Back Page.

The following is a lengthy post for my fellow musicians. This is not an angry rant, a cry for sympathy, or an attempt to publicly shame anyone. This is a public service announcement for the concern of working class musicians. 

Back Page is a nice venue and the staff is friendly; but the owner Bob Ramirez is unprofessional, rude, disrespectful, and inconsiderate. He does not communicate properly with the club’s booker, and does not understand that a “guarantee" is to be paid to the musician(s) regardless of how many people are in attendance during their performance. Please allow me to explain.

I played at Back Page on Friday October 21, 2016 as part of a month long solo tour that I booked for myself. I reached out to them in July and after a few emails with the club’s booker, we confirmed the date and time and $50 guarantee that I would be paid to play an early set, opening for the headlining act. When I finished playing I went to settle up with the bartender. She walked back to the office, and returned to inform me that the owner, Bob Ramirez was only cutting one check that night for the headliner. Eventually, Bob came out from the office and angrily approached me about the money I was asking for. He was mad that I was expecting to be paid for an early set which was sparsely attended. He said that because there were not enough people in the room when I played, he should not have to pay me. (The booker and I agreed that it might turn out that way. Since it was my first time playing solo in Lowell, this would be more of an exposure gig.) I showed him my correspondence from the venue's email address that I exchanged with the booker, confirming my gig and guarantee. He said that he was not told about my performance in advance and was not going to pay me. (FYI: On the morning of the gig, I received an email from the booker saying that he informed the venue of my performance that night, and they were expecting me.) Bob texted the booker for more information, but did not receive a response (since the booker was out of the country at the time). I told Bob that the money was important to me since I was in the middle of a month long solo tour, but he still refused to pay me. I asked him a few times if he could give me the money, then work it out with the booker when he returned to the USA; but he still refused to pay me. I spoke to him calmly throughout the entire interaction, but he just continued to get more irate and belligerent. We went back and forth like this for at least 30 minutes, then I left without getting paid.

The next day, the booker emailed me to ask about the texts he received the night before, and I explained to him what happened. After a month of additional emails with the booker, he finally paid me out of his own pocket. The money did not come from Back Page or Bob Ramirez.

You may not think that $50 is worth all of this effort, but believe me that it’s a significant amount of money for an independent musician on a solo tour. Those funds would have gone towards essentials like food, gas, and lodging. 

Why am I sharing this if I eventually received payment? Because I don’t want anyone else to go through this, and people should know what kind of person Bob Ramirez is and how he runs Back Page.

Please feel free to spread the word and share this post. 

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Stephen Chopek

www.stephenchopek.com

Bob Ramirez, owner of Back Page in Lowell, MA

Bob Ramirez, owner of Back Page in Lowell, MA

Memphis x 2

I'll be playing two shows in Memphis, TN this week!
Thursday, December 1st at FOUND Memphis
Friday, December 2nd at The Buccaneer
Check the SHOWS page for details and links!!

Friday 12/2/16 at The Buccaneer in Memphis, TN

Friday 12/2/16 at The Buccaneer in Memphis, TN

Tourganic

On Monday (and Tuesday) I took a road trip from Tennessee to New Jersey for the holiday. While passing through New York, I stopped in Brooklyn to spend some time with my good friend and fellow touring musician Dave Bailis. He interviewed me for an upcoming feature in his blog, Tourganic. We spoke about music, food, exercise, meditation, life, and the union of mind/body/sprit. Lots of good stuff. Stay tuned for details! Check him out online at www.tourganic.com 

Mugging it up with Dave Bailis.

Mugging it up with Dave Bailis.

Meet Me In Memphis

There is a weekly event in Memphis, TN called Meet Me In Memphis at a venue downtown known as South Main Sounds. It's a great opportunity for local songwriters to get together and share their music with an attentive audience. I had the pleasure of making my second appearance there last Friday, November 11th. Chris Milam and I shared the stage, and we both had a great time. Check out the videos...
Looking For A Sign
The Ballad of Cash and Dean (new song)
Hurry
Reminder

I also did a quick interview with Connecting Memphis, and told them about my crash course in Tennessee geography. Read it here...
connectingmemphis.com/memphis/stephen4040971

2016 Fall Tour Recap

I returned home last week from tour. 6200 miles, 30 days, 28 shows, 32 cities, 14 states, and so much fun! This is the first time that I booked two long tours in one year. It's a lot of work and totally worth it, but couldn't have done it by myself. Big thanks to everyone who helped make it happen: the venues, friends and family, fellow musicians, and you for being part of the journey. If I missed you on this tour, I'll see you next time!!

I recorded a few songs during my interview on WHUP Radio in Hillsborough, NC. Check out the videos for "Reminder" - youtu.be/3Yi3Wawuin0 - from my previous album See Through (2012); and "Hurry" - youtu.be/ebNe9XtVIa4 - from my latest album, Things Moving On Their Own Together (2015). These are acoustic versions, slightly different from the original recordings, as I played them on tour.

Vote TODAY!

Good morning, Election Day! If you're visiting my website, there's a good chance that you've already decided on the proper candidate. Please act accordingly. Thank you.

I see Hillary in your future.

I see Hillary in your future.

Folk the Vote!

Folk the Vote!

Finish at the top

The final gig of my 2016 Fall Tour was last night in Johnson City, TN at The Acoustic Coffeehouse. Before the show, I went on a hike through Buffalo Mountain Park to the top of White Rock. The view was spectacular! It was a great way to end a successful tour. 

Vipassana

There was no tour date on Tuesday night in between Maine and New York. I spent the day volunteering and meditating at Dhamma Dhara, the Vipassana Meditation Center in Shelburne Falls, MA.

Tour update: week 3

Enjoying a day off after lots of shows last week, and two double headers this past weekend. Saturday was Groov Cafe in Montclair, NJ then Fox & Crow in Jersey City, NJ. Sunday was Gold's in New Brunswick, NJ then The Treehouse at 2A in New York City. (See pics below.) This week I'll be making my way up the east coast for shows in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Check the SHOWS page for details. Tonight I'm going to see the new Tim Burton movie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Saturday 10/15/16

Saturday 10/15/16

Sunday 10/16/16

Sunday 10/16/16

Tour update: week #2

Good times last week in the Carolinas. Hurricane Matthew was on my trail, but I made it to all the shows. (One was cancelled, but replaced it with a last minute gig.) This week I’ll be in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. Check the SHOWS page for details. Here’s a pic from the triple header I had on Saturday, October 8th in North Carolina:  Tritone Recording in Clayton, then Pass The Hat on WHUP in Hillsborough, then Johnny’s Gone Fishing in Carrboro. Audio and video coming soon from Tritone and WHUP!

Tour update: week #1

Fall Tour got off to a great start this past weekend in Arkansas and Mississippi. This week I have five shows in North Carolina and one in South Carolina. Check the SHOWS page for details. 

Here's a pic from the first show of the tour at Penny University in Russellville, AR.

Solo tour kickoff!

I'm excited for my upcoming solo tour! It starts on Saturday, October 1st and continues until October 30th. First show TONIGHT in Arkansas. I'll be playing lots of new places and returning to some my favorite venues. I hope to see you soon!! Please visit the SHOWS page for more information.