How to Organize Cheese Music Night at a Coffee House

Coffeehouses can be great places to hear live acoustic music. But for a night of hilarity, there’s nothing quite like a night of cheesy, corny or just plain bad music offered up by musicians and non-musicians alike. Cheese Night is also a way to draw new customers and rev up the venue if the usual fare is showing signs of becoming stale.The musicians who volunteer to participate in this event will consist mainly of the musicians who play at the venue with some frequency. But, if advertised properly, you can sign up some of the regulars who are not musicians, as well as some newcomers, who will get to sing the corniest songs they can think of, just to be part of the fun.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flyers and posters
• Sign-up sheet
• Press release
• Three prizes
• Extra wait staff
• Extra food and drinks

1. Meet with the manager of the coffeehouse and explain the concept of Cheese Night. If the manager agrees, set another meeting with him to organize the details, such as date, time and advertising. Include the person responsible for booking the music in these discussions. She will be able to help recruit musicians to participate in the event. Set the meeting at least six weeks in advance of the date of the event.

2. Ask if the management will purchase first, second and third place prizes, which will be awarded at the end of the evening to the three people who performed the cheesiest songs with the greatest enthusiasm. The winners can be decided either by a panel of judges or by audience applause.

3. Create a sign-up sheet. The music coordinator may want to schedule the participants, or may choose to hang the sign-up sheet in the coffeehouse, so musicians can sign up for a spot on their own.

4. Advertise in the coffeehouse. Create flyers and posters, and hang them throughout the coffeehouse, the restrooms and on the windows facing outside. Talk about it to everyone in the place for weeks before the event. Word-of-mouth is free, effective advertising.

5. Write a press release and submit it to the local newspaper and all of the radio stations in the area a couple of weeks before the event. This is also a good time to call the local morning news shows and ask if someone can be scheduled to appear that week to talk about the event.

6. Be prepared for a crowd on the evening of the event. Be sure that the inventory of food and drinks is full, and have sufficient service staff on hand to handle twice as many customers as usual. If well advertised, the event will draw most of the regulars, as well as many newcomers and curiosity-seekers.

Tips & Warnings

• The sign-up sheet should allow 5 to 10 minutes per act. It is important to keep the acts moving quickly so there is little down time.
• Some Cheese Night sure-fire hits include such ditties as Vikki Carr’s “It Must Be Him,” Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs,” Neil Diamond’s “I Am… I Said,” Charlene’s “I’ve Never Been to Me,” Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey,” and, of course, Paul Anka’s, “Having My Baby.” If you’re too young to know these songs, listen to them online for a good laugh. Now that you understand the concept, find some equally cheesy songs from your generation, learn them and perform them on Cheese Night.