Boo Song, owner of The Mothership in Taos, New Mexico, combines booking, marketing and venue management. Song says 60-65% of patrons attending national touring acts come from outside Taos County.
A Venue on the Hondo Mesa
The independent venue sits on the Hondo Mesa, several miles from the Rio Grande Gorge, with views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, part of the Southern Rockies. The Earthship Community built its stage.
The Mothership’s capacity varies by configuration:
- 2,000 standing room only (SRO).
- 1,000 for a half-house or partially seated configuration.
- 500 for the side stage.
Artists who have performed there include:
- Dead South
- Shakey Graves
- Thievery Corporation
- Midland
- Beats Antique
- SOJA
- Lucero
- Magic City Hippies
- Los Lonely Boys
- The Motet
- Desert Dwellers
- Microwave
- Free Throw
Taos is a remote mountain community of 6,500 with an established arts and music community.
Taos Pueblo is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and one of the nation’s longest-inhabited, operating pueblos.
Song’s Background and Daily Responsibilities
Song serves as general manager, talent buyer and marketing director, and holds a joint Electrical Engineering Honors College degree from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon.
Song’s career includes Wilmington, North Carolina’s The Soapbox and founding Progressive Music Group, alongside talent buying for Richmond, Virginia’s Hat Factory.
Other roles include Southeast and Carolinas club talent buying for Live Nation, events and marketing for cannabis dispensary chain Pinnacle Emporium, and work as an agent at Los Angeles’ Empire Agency.
At The Mothership, Song communicates with agents and managers, sends offers, develops and implements marketing plans, and resolves issues with booked shows.
Venue duties include staff scheduling, bar management, hospitality, food and beverage management, and outsourcing labor. Song also analyzes product costs and develops revenue channels.
The business operates as a brewery, with beer vending at area events among Song’s responsibilities.
Marketing Beyond Taos County
Song uses a mix of digital, broadcast and in-person promotion to market shows:
- Meta, Google and YouTube.
- Radio and print.
- Email through Bandsintown and JamBase.
- An organically built email list through Laylo.
- Cross-promotion at sister restaurant Taos Mesa Brewing Taproom.
- A street team.
Regional promotion targets Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Denver, along with Colorado markets that Song lists as Front Range CO: Durango, Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Alamosa.
Asked which show or campaign had the most impact, Song pointed to involvement across every event, from booking and marketing to bar setup, band load-in and settlement.
What Artists Can Provide
Song wants artists and their teams to supply promotional materials and use their audience information to support local ticket sales.
“Proper assets including Videos and Video Liners. Utilize email lists and bands data to promote the show locally.”
Song also emphasized team coordination: providing more promotional assets and messaging gives the venue more material to incorporate into its marketing.
