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Get your big break early, apply to play CMJ today

cmj
This could be you! via Flickr user Jeff

Now that you’re here with your band in unforgiving New York City, how are you guys gonna turn yourselves into the next world-conquering One Direction or Run the Jewels. You can toil as an unknown for a while playing in our vanishing venues hoping that a Pitchfork editor is there one day. OR you can take a potential shortcut and boost yourselves into this year’s CMJ festival by applying to play and then getting picked. Hey why not, everyone loves shortcuts.

You want in? We figured you do if you’re still reading. The gigs are open through band press portal Sonicbird, who said they have 300 slots for CMJ to fill. You can be one of those 300 bands, all you need to do is register with Sonicbird and then apply to play. The only downside is that it’s gonna run you $45, but if you’re a band as opposed to solo artist, at least you can split the cost.

Plenty of famous bands have rolled through CMJ, and so have plenty of non-famous ones on their way to to their big break. For instance, we saw St. Vincent blow away a not-packed room at the Knitting Factory a few years ago, and shortly afterward she began her upward ascent to crazy-haired queen of all rock music. So take a risk, apply to play. And if you get booked, think of something real attention-grabbing like lighting your guitar on fire. Or someone else’s guitar maybe.

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