Re: [microsound] On canadians performing in the USA...

[Jonathan Hughes <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> does anyone have information regarding easy routes to performing
> legally in the states?
>
> In my research, i've come across items that basically suggest that
> you need to know 5 months in advance that you are performing at a
> venue, fees are involved and signatures from multiple parties...
> generally just really unrealistic stuff. I was wondering if anyone
> had more information or legal alternatives, etc.



Although I don't know the legalities of it, a common trick (I live in  
Buffalo and bands come here from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, and Toronto  
all the time) is to say that you're going to record at an american  
studio. A guy I knew who had a studio and record label had an  
agreement with a few canadian companies to give a letter to canadian  
bands saying that they were coming to record at his studio (the  
canadian labels would do the same for the american bands coming into  
canada).

if you only have a laptop and don't have any "real" musical  
equipment, just use the "I'm just visiting friends" excuse -- I  
really doubt most of the customs inspectors know that you can put on  
a show with just a laptop. I played a gig in toronto with some  
friends from San Francisco and used the "we're going to record at a  
friend's studio in toronto" and it was a little dicey for a bit (we  
had to go into t he customs building and tell the story about a  
million times. But we did get through. it was close, though -- but we  
had a fair amount of equipment with us. The funny thing was that our  
lie (that we were going to record at a friend's studio) was probably  
more believable than the truth (that were driving two hours to  
Toronto to play a show for free).

My advice if you try to wing it at the border:
Get your story straight well ahead of time, and stick to it  
(especially if it's more than just you in the car). If you have to go  
into the customs building they'll ask you over and over again to  
explain what you're doing to try and get you to mess up, so just keep  
the story simple and don't deviate from it. (I'm assuming that the US  
agents use the same tricks as the Canadian agents).

good luck!


Jonathan


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