March 9, 2026 · 5 min

Your first session, in 12 steps

A pre-show ritual built from the habits of the artists who keep coming back.

Sound-check 30 minutes before. Not 5. The cost of one bad first impression is high in a paid room.

Write a setlist on paper. Tape it to the floor. Eye contact dies the moment you start scrolling.

Open the door 5 minutes early. Talk. Tune. Welcome the first three names by name.

Play one song shorter than you planned. Leave the room wanting another note, not fewer.