A Slugs and Bugs Christmas – Making it Happen

by Randall Goodgame on September 20, 2010

sbxmascover-tempart(Editor’s note: For the full story on Randall’s plans for the future of Slugs and Bugs, don’t miss his post from last week, “Because Silliness is Next to Godliness“.)

Do you remember when Southwest emerged as a national airline, and we were first exposed to their “choose your own seat” policy? I did not like it one bit. For a slow decision maker like me, nervously ambling down the aisle with the quality of the next two hours hanging in the balance, the whole thing seemed like an unnecessary irritation. Now, having decided to embrace a patron-based model of paying for a new record, I’ve been reminded of that feeling of uncertainty that crops up when you encounter a familiar process happening in a brand new way.

As Andrew so elegantly explained last week, there are significant costs involved in any major recording project, and though the Slugs and Bugs touring schedule has grown enough to financially sustain my family, it hasn’t produced the extra $15,000 it will cost to make a new record. With this patron-based model, the burden of that cost is placed in front of the CD rather than behind it, giving fans that see real value in the work a chance to pay for the record ahead of time and be a part of the process in a very real sense.

Adding a tiered set of options allows fans to become patrons as they see fit and invest in the creation of art they believe in. I’ve also added the option of what I’m calling “Performance Tiers” to give potential concert hosts a chance to get in on the action. As you’ll see below, you or your local church could purchase a tier for a concert and get even more for your money than you would with a traditional Slugs and Bugs booking. So if you’re thinking about a Slugs and Bugs concert for 2011, this option might be for you.

Even so, I’m not counting on a lot of those big purchases. Many fans of the first Slugs and Bugs CD have bought multiple copies and given them out as birthday gifts or baby gifts or Christmas presents, and that’s really what I’m hoping for here. If only 300 fans purchase the $50 tier or if just 60 fans purchase the fourth tier at $250, I’m at budget. That means Andrew Osenga and all the other guys helping make the record get paid in a timely fashion, and I can pay the manufacturer to print and ship the CDs before the jack-o-lanterns hit the landfill.

Before you scroll down to the tiers, however, let me tell you a bit about the record. It will have at least ten songs that range from stupendously silly (a-la “The Camel Song”) to poignant and poetic. I’ve been writing these songs all year and I’m proud to be able to introduce them into the Slugs and Bugs canon. There are two traditional Christmas songs and a few of Nashville’s musical masters have agreed to add their artistry to the mix. It’s a kids’ record, but it’s going to sound fantastic. Oh, and count on more trombone from Andy Osenga–that’s a Slugs and Bugs tradition.

I don’t know about you, but these days I LOVE to fly Southwest. I hope you’ll give this model of independent music making a chance. Now, on to the tiers:

CD tiers (Available in the Rabbit Room store)

Tier 1 – $25 – 2 CDs, thank you in the liner notes and an immediate download of the previously unreleased song “Dizzy”

Tier 2 – $50 – 5 CDs, thank you in the liner notes and an immediate download of the previously unreleased song “Dizzy”

Tier 3 – $100 – 10 signed CDs, thank you in the liner notes, an immediate download of the previously unreleased song “Dizzy,” and a download of another bonus S&B song (available at release)

Tier 4 – $250 – 25 signed CDs, thank you in the liner notes, an immediate download of the previously unreleased song “Dizzy,” the bonus S&B song, 3 S&B T-shirts, a Randall Goodgame song compilation of non-S&B songs that youngsters love, and a merry Christmas  “thank you” video of me singing a personalized thank you song mentioning your kids by name!

Performance Tiers – the following options are available at SlugsandBugs.com

$1000 – 25 signed CDs, thank you in the liner notes, a personalized “thank you” video and a Slugs and Bugs house concert (if you’re in the lower 48, I’ll make sure it happens sometime in 2011)

$2500 – 25 signed CDs, thank you in the liner notes, a personalized “thank you” video and a full-blown S&B concert at your church or school

$5000 (Tax Deductible) – 50 signed CDs, thank you in the liner notes, a personalized “thank you” video, a full-blown S&B concert at your church or school, and a Slugs and Bugs BIRTHDAY PARTY where I unveil an original Slugs and Bugs composition all about the birthday boy/girl, and a CD recording of that original song, your kids sweet little faces will also appear in an upcoming Slugs and Bugs video, and your kids sweet little voices on the next Slugs and Bugs CD

$15,000 (Tax Deductible) – Cover the whole thing and we’ll work something out to make sure it’s worth your investment.