SHIRIM

BEYOND EDEN (DEC)

2005-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Blue Fringe (April, May)

2005-12-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

Dates in the area:
April 15-20, 2005 / May 23- 30, 2005
Full Description:
Here
Sample Song:
Lo Irah (No Fear)
Booking Inquries:
Here
Act Overview:
Blue Fringe is one of the hottest Jewish rock bands around. Having just released their second album, 70 faces, to rave reviews, the foursome of Yeshiva University graduates strap on their guitars again for fantastic Blues-influenced rock originals. Their style incorporates influences such as the Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay and John Mayer, and their popularity has seen them tour all across North America,

Israel

and

Australia

Pharaoh's Daughter (April)

2005-12-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

Dates in the area:
April 4-9, 2006
Full Description:
Here
Sample Song:
Shnirele Perele
Booking Inquries:
Here
Act Overview:
Pharaoh’s Daughter is one of the most innovative groups to emerge from the New Jewish Music movement. It is named for and led by vocalist/guitarist/oudist Basya Schechter, whose lilting vocals are informed by Hasidic tradition, her Orthodox Boro Park upbringing and an unorthodox approach to Jewish music. Her world travels provided a wealth of Middle Eastern, Indian, North African and Mediterranea sounds and textures that she layers over traditional Jewish texts in English, Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino, for a dazzling fusion.

What I Like About Jew (March)

2005-12-01T22:12:00.000-08:00

Dates in the area:
March 9-14, 2006
Sample Song:
Today I am a Man
Booking Inquries:
Here
Act Overview:
What I Like About Jew is former Rockapella frontman Sean Altman and Blender music editor Rob Tannenbaum, the comedy team called "Bart Simpsons of the Yeshiva" by Time Out New York, and "the Simon & Garfunkel of ethnic gag songs" by The Boston Globe. The duo was featured in Time Out's recent cover story on "The New Super Jews," and has been hailed in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Philadelphia Weekly, which said: "Nothing compares to the bawdy borscht-belt comedy of Altman and Tannenbaum, who take Catskills seltzer-bottle humor to a dirty new low, with lyrics that make Lenny Bruce look like a choirboy."

Simply Tsfat: Hasidic Folk (Feb)

2005-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Dates in the area:
February 18-22 (from Israel)
Full Description:
Here
Sample Song:
Shabbos Kodsheinu
Booking Inquries:
Here
Act Overview:
Simply Tsfat is 2 Americans and one Israeli, 2 guitars and one violin. They spread the joy and inspiration of Breslev Chassidism and the fresh air of the mystical city of Tsfat, the home of the Kabalah. SIMPLY TSFAT is steeped in spirituality, performing energetic arrangements of Chassidic niggunim and originals. Yonitan Tzarum flamenco finger-picks at blazing speeds over Eliyahu Reiter's violin sweeps over the heart strings.

Program Benefits

2005-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Outreach and The Culture Card
Its no secret that many Jews consider themselves cultural rather than religious. Arts and culture programs are a great way to get new faces, or faces you rarely see, through the door. Use this opportunity to welcome new members, recognize older ones and invigorate your surrounding community. Its also an excellent way to energize your youth community, build unity in your congregation and reach out to neighbors in the community, be they potential members or partner organizations.

Programming excellence

KFAR only offers acts it would present itself, so the level of talent is generally very high. Many of the same acts perform in top venues and are participate in well known festivals. Participating acts are selected through a number of factors which bring them to or near Chicago for performances. KFAR knows who is touring and when, allowing us to coordinate with bands’ routings to negotiate better rates. Often, these acts are performing for KFAR itself. No two performances are ever scheduled within a 5 mile radius. Performances fees generally are a third to a half of their normal rates.

Financial Savings

KFAR’s programs and relationship with the talent allows us an amount of financial flexibility. We almost always realize savings, either from the fee or travel expense.

Education

Great cultural programming is difficult to produce and often is reserved for fundraisers. Use SHIRIM programs to bring your community together to celebrate our Jewish heritage and educate them at the same time. KFAR can work with your Religious School or Adult Education team to develop a stand alone lesson plan related to the material being presented.

Kfar’s promotion abilities

In addition to your in-house promotion, KFAR will promote your event in conjunction with its own event, to a proprietary email list of 6,000 Chicago area households, plus a PR campaign. KFAR can also provide preformatted posters and flyers for reproduction, and can provide online ticketing and hard copy services as well.

KFAR’s production services
When hiring talent, most people don’t know a DI box from a Monitor. That’s okay. KFAR has production resources it can call upon to make event production relatively turnkey .

How it works...

2005-11-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

How it works

Financial Structure:

KFAR negotiate a flat, subsidized rate for travel, fees and equipment.
Overall cost is that is generally 20-30% below the overall standard cost.
Host organization provides a flat fee to KFAR to cover these expenses.
Promotional resources beyond the basic included package may be purchased at cost through KFAR.
Artists are sensitive (and starving!) If you raise funds beyond the already reduced cost of the concert, please do it subtly. If the artist feels they've been taken advantage of, it undermines our credibility with the artist and our ability to offer these programs.

Host responsibilities:

Sponsorship fee
Venue space, lights and power
Light refreshments and a secure green room for talent
Sound system, reinforcement and sound engineer (can be supplied at cost)
6 event volunteers (merchandise sales, ticket sales, stagehands and registration)

KFAR responsibilities:

Subsidized talent fee
Talent travel and accommodation
Basic promotion package
Sound system, reinforcement and sound engineer (at cost, when requested)

Program conditions:

In exchange for a subsidized concert package, Host organizations agree to:

Place KFAR’s name and logo on all program marketing, promotion and signage.
Similarly acknowledge KFAR with a web link on emails and electronic.
Register all tix purchases and attendees for future KFAR event promotion.
Coordinate promotion efforts with KFAR to avoid overlap with other community events that make the SHIRIM programs possible.
KFAR’s SHIRIM programs presentations are is non-exclusive.
Some costs and expenses are offset through corporate and organizational sponsors, whose materials and presence may be part of the program.

Promotional Elements

2005-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Basic Promotional Package:

KFAR has tools at its disposal that can be of use to your event:

· Materials development and execution for the event.
· PR blitz for the event to mainstream and Jewish press
· HTML email and web page for the event.
· Ticket sales via KFAR’s online ticketing service (service fees apply)

These resources should supplement your in-house promotional efforts. We have found that the vast majority of attendees come from within the membership of the host congregation and that in-house promotion is generally the most effective.

Additional Promotional Items:

In addition to the basic promotion package, KFAR can arrange for

· Cooperative Advertising Insertion (shared cost)
· Targeted mailing to local surrounding zip codes.
· Radio advertising
· Other online promotional vehicles
· Specific elements, vehicles and costs can be discussed in detail.

Recommended Promotional Elements

2005-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Recommended Promotional Steps for Host

Place an oversized poster in synagogue foyer.
List the event in Likutei Peshatim (where applicable).
Send event flyers home with religious school students.
Program flyer placement in 2 monthly newsletters/bulletins.
Form an event committee or cultural club to get the word out
Send an html email to members with an mp3 (we provide HTML code).
Purchase advance album copies to circulate in the community
Printing costs for posters and postcards (Optional Promo Package)
Insertion fees for any paid advertisements (Optional Promo Package)
Postage for mailings or KFAR targeted postcard drops (Optional Promo Package)

Additional Promotional Items:

In addition to the basic promotion package, KFAR can arrange for

Cooperative Advertising Insertion (shared cost).
Targeted mailing to local surrounding zip codes.
Radio advertising.
Other online promotional vehicles.
Specific vehicles can be discussed in detail.

Costs

2005-11-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Exact prices vary by the act, but KFAR will always ensure there is a savings. Talent fees generally range from $2500 to $6,000 depending on the act. In addition to talent fee, events require rental of PA systems and backline, as well airfare, accommodation and local transport. KFAR attempt to minimize additional expenses wherever possible and work within your budget parameters.