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Cryptocurrency and Music: The Future of Fan Engagement

As Tom Scholz of Boston famously wrote in their anthem “Don’t Look Back,” “It’s a Party, Party, Party!” Indeed, the fusion of cryptocurrency and the music industry promises a new kind of celebration, revolutionizing how artists engage with fans and manage their careers. Imagine a world where your favorite band, like Boston, uses cutting-edge technology to enhance your concert experience, streamline ticket sales, and even manage royalties in a more transparent way. This futuristic vision is becoming a reality, thanks to the advent of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

The Evolution of Fan Engagement

Since their debut album in 1976, Boston has been a trailblazer in the rock music scene, delivering high-energy performances and timeless hits. Fans have always been at the heart of their success, supporting the band through decades of changing music trends. Today, as the world shifts towards digital solutions, the music industry is exploring new ways to strengthen the bond between artists and their audience. Cryptocurrency, with its decentralized and transparent nature, offers exciting possibilities for fan engagement.

Cryptocurrency allows artists to create unique digital assets, such as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), which can be used to offer exclusive content, merchandise, and experiences to fans. Imagine owning a digital collectible of Tom Scholz’s iconic guitar solo or a behind-the-scenes video from their 40th-anniversary tour. These digital assets not only enhance the fan experience but also provide a new revenue stream for artists.

Enhancing the Concert Experience

Concerts have always been a special event for Boston fans, a chance to see their favorite band perform live with all the energy and excitement that defines their shows. With cryptocurrency, the concert experience can be taken to new heights. For instance, blockchain technology can streamline the ticketing process, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring that tickets are fairly distributed.

Imagine purchasing a concert ticket through a secure blockchain platform, knowing that your ticket is genuine and that a portion of the proceeds goes directly to the band. This transparency ensures that both fans and artists benefit, creating a more equitable system. Moreover, fans could use cryptocurrency to buy concert merchandise, food, and drinks, making the entire event experience seamless and integrated.

Managing Royalties and Revenue

One of the perennial challenges in the music industry is the management of royalties. Traditional systems are often opaque, leading to disputes and delays in payments. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology offer a solution by providing a transparent and immutable ledger for royalty payments. Artists can receive payments in real-time, ensuring they are fairly compensated for their work.

Boston, known for their meticulous attention to sound quality and production, could leverage this technology to manage their music rights more efficiently. By using smart contracts on the blockchain, they can automate royalty distributions, ensuring that all contributors are paid accurately and promptly. This not only benefits the artists but also enhances the overall health of the music ecosystem.

Cryptocurrency and Charity

Boston has a long history of philanthropy, using their platform to support various charitable causes. During their tours, they have raised significant funds for organizations like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Shriners Hospital for Children. Cryptocurrency can enhance these efforts by providing a transparent and efficient way to raise and distribute funds.

For example, Boston could create a special cryptocurrency token for their fans, with proceeds from the token sales going directly to charity. Fans would not only get to support their favorite band but also contribute to meaningful causes. Additionally, blockchain technology ensures that all transactions are transparent, building trust among donors and maximizing the impact of charitable contributions.

The Hottest Crypto Presale Offerings

As we delve deeper into the intersection of music and cryptocurrency, it’s essential to highlight the hottest crypto presale offerings in the market. These presales provide early access to innovative projects that can reshape industries, including music. By investing in these offerings, fans and investors can support the development of new technologies that enhance the music experience.

One such offering could be a platform specifically designed for artists like Boston, allowing them to issue NFTs, manage royalties, and engage with fans in new and exciting ways. Early investors in these presales can benefit from the platform’s growth, while also contributing to the evolution of the music industry.

A New Era of Music and Technology

As Boston continues to captivate audiences with their extraordinary sound and high-energy performances, the integration of cryptocurrency promises to open new avenues for fan engagement, revenue management, and charitable efforts. By embracing this technology, bands can create a more transparent, equitable, and immersive experience for their fans.

So, the next time you’re at a Boston concert, imagine a world where your ticket, merchandise, and even a part of the show are powered by blockchain technology. It’s a party, party, party, indeed – one that celebrates not just the music, but also the innovative spirit that keeps it alive and thriving in the digital age. Walk On, with cryptocurrency leading the way, and experience the future of fan engagement like never before.

54 shows and a million smiles!

We’ve got a terrific crew!

Last Friday night we played the Festival of the Lakes in Hammond, Indiana. It was a warm mid-summer night and the sold-out crowd was lively from the moment we hit the stage. They were on their feet, singing along with all the songs and then the rain came. It came down hard like it does on a midwest summer night but the crowd stayed and kept rockin’ so we did too! We were getting just as wet as the fans and so were our instruments and gear. Luckily, the lightening stayed off in the distance and we were able to finish the show and watch the after-show fireworks display. 

Our crew really went to work to keep the gear as dry as possible both during and after the show. With their extra effort, all the gear came on and worked perfectly at the show the next night in Battle Creek! We’ve so lucky to have a great group of men an women who give 110% all the time to make this tour possible.

Halfway already?! …

Wow, half way through the tour already! It’s been a blast and I feel like we’re just getting started. Highlights so far? Every show! Last night Tommy jumped into the audience so he could sing a verse with the fans who were singing along. The night before, it rained like crazy but everyone stayed for the whole show with smiles on their faces. The night before that, Tracy pulled a funny “Spinal Tap” moment when he pretended to be stuck on his knees during his bass solo. He called our bass tech, Jerry, out on stage to help lift him up. We were all cracking up! 

Thanks for writing in to our Facebook page to let us know what songs we should be doing that we haven’t played for a while. We hadn’t done “ I Need Your Love” since 2003 and Tommy and Beth have made it a standout duet. Curly Smith was terrific on drums for the first 9 shows. Jeff finished his school year so he pulled the “tag team” switch. Several fans wrote in to ask how Tom and Gary can play so well in sync on those guitar harmonies. 30 years of practice, I guess!

Hope to see you soon!

Gary Pihl

On The Road Again

What a great way to start a new tour! After our record-breaking snowfall in Boston this year, anywhere warm would have been nice and the Alabama fans made us feel right at home. Friendly folks and always ready to rock. We got a nice review from the local newspaper, too. 

We had Kansas as Special Guest for the for the first two shows, they sounded terrific, as always, and we’ll do a few more gigs with them later this summer.

Thanks to all the fans for starting us off on such a high note! (no pun intended)

T minus 11 and counting …

With final rehearsals underway, everyone is especially eager to hit the road soon to bring BOSTON’s high-energy stage show and out-of-this-world sound to another 54 venues across North America.  The exuberant audiences from last year’s tour made the band want to get right back out to entertain the best fans in the world, who can expect some exciting new additions to the set list, based on their input.  Sounding better than ever, the band will make certain that the multi-generational crowds are in for an audio and visual intergalactic treat.

Joining the lineup this summer on keyboards, guitar and vocals, is Beth Cohen, who lent background vocals on “You Gave Up on Love,” which appeared on BOSTON’s latest release, Life, Love & Hope in 2012, as well as on the earlier version which was released on Corporate America in 2002.  A musician since childhood, Beth earned a music degree from the University of Miami on a full scholarship.  She’s a top vocal coach in Miami, sings in both Spanish and English, and has toured the world with many well-known musicians.  

In addition to rehearsing, ensuring that the multitude of gear is in working order, getting all the techno-bugs sorted out with the new modifications and innovations in the systems, as well as general tour prep, Tom has been painstakingly constructing his third-in-existence hyperspace pedal.  It is an exquisitely tricky piece of equipment to keep operating properly, so two backups are much better than one.  There were a couple of occasions on last year’s tour when the primary pedal malfunctioned, as did the back up concurrently.  Tom was even tweaking one of the pedals an hour prior to the last show in Tokyo in October.  Here is the beginning of that show, hyperspace pedal “go for launch.”

As always, everyone in the BOSTON family is most grateful for the amazing fans that enable them to do what they love.

In Memory of ML Procise

I am sad to announce that BOSTON lost a valued long time member of our extended family this week, our good friend ML Procise.  As our front of house mixer, he took on responsibility for BOSTON’s live sound in 1987 for what became our biggest tour ever.

But he was much more than a great live sound technician, ML was a presence that commanded automatic respect and admiration without any pretense.  Always leading with a friendly smile, his good natured jovial persona brought an overpowering warmth whenever he entered the room.  To every one who knew him he was just “ML,” the initials needing no further explanation or introduction, he was the one and only.

ML enjoyed life, and one of things he enjoyed was basketball, or just “ball” in ML lexicon.  At my introduction to ML back in 1987 when he was pitching his company’s sound system to me, one of the first things he said was that he knew someone who claimed he had played ball with me.  I answered that it was doubtful.  Not one to mince words ML added, “He says you’re a ball hog,” at which point I had to admit that he undoubtedly must have played ball with me after all.  We hired the sound system and ML twenty-eight years ago, and I have been thankful ever since for the many ways knowing ML enriched my life and the lives of those connected with BOSTON. Thank you ML, you will be missed.

~Tom Scholz

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

We hope everyone has survived the holidays and is looking forward to this year as much as we are. 2014 was a good year for BOSTON and we are already getting excited about plans for 2015. We want to thank all our fans for the amazing response to our tour last summer; we had an awesome time thanks to the incredible support you all gave to us. And even more important, we raised a lot of money for worthy charities that protect lives both human and non human, including the Sea Shepherds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, and numerous other animal protection and hunger relief programs.

In the oddball news department, we have just found out that BOSTON’s “Life, Love & Hope” album has been released on vinyl. This had always been part of the release plan, and great expenditures of time and money went into making analogue mixes of much of the album so that serious listeners could hear the original analogue sound of the recording, instead of the now typical sound of vinyl cut from digital mixes. So why aren’t we celebrating?

Unfortunately, as the world has converted to digital for virtually everything, even when it’s a bad idea, the facilities available to master an album from analogue tape directly to vinyl have nearly all gone away, and those that remain are not equipped or maintained like the rooms were 20 years ago. The end result for the latest BOSTON album was an unacceptable vinyl master that had clicks, static, and drop outs during many of the quiet segues between the cuts.

While the tracks for the most part have that beautiful sweet natural sound only analogue can produce, the damaged reproduction in the segues ruined the experience for me, and there was no way I could allow it to be released as a BOSTON album. Our summer tour was in full swing by the time I reviewed it, and there was no possibility of mastering again, even if a better facility could be found. I made the decision to reject the vinyl master which meant all the effort to create it would be for nothing. Or so I thought.

Imagine my surprise when I was notified that in spite of the rejected test pressing, albums had been stamped and delivered by a company under contract with our record label! While I’ve been very happy, and continue to be happy, with our current label, I want BOSTON fans to know that this vinyl reproduction of “Life, Love & Hope” does not meet my standards as producer. On the plus side, if you buy one of these beautiful new two-record sets, for the most part it will sound orders of magnitude better than your MP3 downloaded version!

What’s next for BOSTON? Thanks to the fantastic response to last year’s tour we’re planning to bring our show to as many venues as we can again in 2015, and we’re trying to decide which BOSTON songs to add to our set for this year. Any ideas?

Wishing you all a great year and looking forward to seeing you again,

~Tom Scholz