For Musicians only - we love local
Spring Gate hires many musical solos and duos and bands throughout the year and the various seasons. With two major locations, "InTheVillage" (in Linglestown), the "Farm Estate", and Walden we have true year round opportunities for our guests to enjoy the confluence of wine/beer/cider, food, music and an aesthetic environment from repurposed historic locations in friendly environments. Recent legislated changes by PA have liberalized the opportunities for wineries, which is going to have tremendous positive opportunities in 2020.
Currently, we are running three tracks of music:
At The Farm Estate: a free to the public, music track of 1 or 2 two hour sets at either the courtyard, "vineyard stage" or the "haha stage" for solo and duo acoustical music. Located in Lower Paxton Township
At Walden: free to the public of 3 hour sets, friday and saturday evening, this is purely solo acoustical stringed instrument only. Located in Mechancisburg PA right off the Carlisle Pike.
At Lingelstown: This historical village location is used for special events hosted by SpringGate, it is the only location where we actually use DJ's to facilitate our monthly "Dancing In the Village" thematic events. But there are many formats of music that we operate there, almost all of which are ticketed events.
Currently, we are running three tracks of music:
At The Farm Estate: a free to the public, music track of 1 or 2 two hour sets at either the courtyard, "vineyard stage" or the "haha stage" for solo and duo acoustical music. Located in Lower Paxton Township
At Walden: free to the public of 3 hour sets, friday and saturday evening, this is purely solo acoustical stringed instrument only. Located in Mechancisburg PA right off the Carlisle Pike.
At Lingelstown: This historical village location is used for special events hosted by SpringGate, it is the only location where we actually use DJ's to facilitate our monthly "Dancing In the Village" thematic events. But there are many formats of music that we operate there, almost all of which are ticketed events.
98% of our hires are local central pennsylvania musicians and groups. As local wine and beer craftspeople, we love to foster local music and food (through the foodtrucks). We do occasionally hire tour bands for open Wednesday and Thursday nights for a small honorarium of $100. But is is only occasionally.
Getting hired
This is generally done by one of the senior staff recommendation and instigation, and that almost always requires a hearing at a live performance - specifically, our monthly Open Mic Night, held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Brewery from 6-9p. Open Mic Night is hosted by a musician that performs at Spring Gate. At this time, we are only hiring solo and duo acoustical acts (with no drums). National acts with extensive followings, are normally an exception.
If we determine we would like to have you perform once or on a regular basis, generally we will communicate with you in email and on the phone through "springgatevineyard@gmail.com" to discuss where you might fit in, and the rates we are willing to pay. If agreement can be had, then you would get to the next step with the administrator to sign the contract and be scheduled. Generally we like to schedule no more than once a month.
If we determine we would like to have you perform once or on a regular basis, generally we will communicate with you in email and on the phone through "springgatevineyard@gmail.com" to discuss where you might fit in, and the rates we are willing to pay. If agreement can be had, then you would get to the next step with the administrator to sign the contract and be scheduled. Generally we like to schedule no more than once a month.
Steps for a performance
With the assumption that the administrator has actually contracted you for the evening, view here.
@ Farm Estate - Routine daily solos and duos
Step number one is always to see the manager in charge or lead server if there is not one readily available, and tell them you are there. It is their discretion whether we are performing inside or outside due to inclement weather, and where you would perform inside (which normally would be in the Brewery or the attached stone and enclosed "porch".
@ Farm Estate "The Shire" - Festivals
This is complicated!
@ Linglestown "In The Village" (Not hiring for this location at this time)
Step number one is always to see the manager in charge or lead server if there is not one readily available, and tell them you are there. If there is any uniqueness for the evening (which is rare) they can let you know. Because we have an extensive system installed there, we prefer you use it. We would want to know weeks in advance why you don't want to use it, and then determine if that is actually doable. Using different microphones or DI's is not a problem, but this is a system that has been tailored for the room, and the room really sounds good.
The system is digital and specified here. While there are generally staff familiar with the system, it is always a good idea to be early to configure it. If you are contracted for Linglestown for multiple "gigs" then you should configure your band name for a preset. generic presets for "female vocalist" input etc are in there, and are used by other bands, so we suggest you start there.
@ Farm Estate - Routine daily solos and duos
Step number one is always to see the manager in charge or lead server if there is not one readily available, and tell them you are there. It is their discretion whether we are performing inside or outside due to inclement weather, and where you would perform inside (which normally would be in the Brewery or the attached stone and enclosed "porch".
@ Farm Estate "The Shire" - Festivals
This is complicated!
@ Linglestown "In The Village" (Not hiring for this location at this time)
Step number one is always to see the manager in charge or lead server if there is not one readily available, and tell them you are there. If there is any uniqueness for the evening (which is rare) they can let you know. Because we have an extensive system installed there, we prefer you use it. We would want to know weeks in advance why you don't want to use it, and then determine if that is actually doable. Using different microphones or DI's is not a problem, but this is a system that has been tailored for the room, and the room really sounds good.
The system is digital and specified here. While there are generally staff familiar with the system, it is always a good idea to be early to configure it. If you are contracted for Linglestown for multiple "gigs" then you should configure your band name for a preset. generic presets for "female vocalist" input etc are in there, and are used by other bands, so we suggest you start there.
REQUIREMENTS and Some no-no's
While these are probably obvious to the experience performers, we want to detail them for those who are not quite there, and/or haven't worked with us, and they represent some details that have probably been too "oral" from us:
- We want you to professionally introduce the next act for that day (if there is one), or for the next day (something to retrieve from the manager)
- We do not want you to tell people to see you at some other venue, but we do encourage you to announce when you will be back again
- We want you to professionally introduce the next act for that day (if there is one), or for the next day (something to retrieve from the manager)
- We do not want you to tell people to see you at some other venue, but we do encourage you to announce when you will be back again
Marketing
This is a joint exercise of the musician and the venues. We guarantee your insertion into our master schedule which is located here. For festival performers we guarantee that you will be part of the Facebook/Events page description for the festival. What we have been asking since 2015 is that you mention your performance on your Facebook and Web Page, as well as any other pertinent online medium that you participate in. In 2016 we will be contractually requiring this. Specifically with FB we are requiring BOTH a general listing which many of you have been doing, and an unique listing on your Facebook/Events site.
While music is about aurality, the meme of "a picture replaces a thousand words" is still true. In your promotion of your act at our site, we would like to see visuals, either of you performing there, or the preferred images below. We are not a cinder block bar in an alley, we are invested in a historical visual aesthetic which will only be to your benefit if you reveal it. Having a following will be an increasing portion of our decisions through time, especially for those who have been and desire to be hired on a regular basis.
Twitter: from a week to day before tweet your performance @springgatewine, 95% of the time we will catch it, and retweet
Special Harrisburg FB Page: check this page out for live music in the Harrisburg Area.
While music is about aurality, the meme of "a picture replaces a thousand words" is still true. In your promotion of your act at our site, we would like to see visuals, either of you performing there, or the preferred images below. We are not a cinder block bar in an alley, we are invested in a historical visual aesthetic which will only be to your benefit if you reveal it. Having a following will be an increasing portion of our decisions through time, especially for those who have been and desire to be hired on a regular basis.
Twitter: from a week to day before tweet your performance @springgatewine, 95% of the time we will catch it, and retweet
Special Harrisburg FB Page: check this page out for live music in the Harrisburg Area.
Coming soon - Music at arcona (mechancisburg)
In Summer of 2020 we hope to open a brand new facility on Arcona Road in Mechanicsburg. Information on this location will be slowing rolling out on its FaceBook Page Here. As with the estate local music we will be hosting live music there inside and outside for special events. This site will also be running its own open mic on a day of the month yet to be determined. So subscribe to the FB page and watch four our announcements.
