After hundreds of performances, we have found a variety of products and services that make life easier onstage, on the road, and behind the scenes. This page collects the resources we use regularly, longtime favorites we recommend, and a few new tools we are currently trying.
💗 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
🎶 Favorite Resources for Musicians and Performers
🎸 Gear and Performance Favorites
Every performer develops a collection of trusted gear, along with a few surprisingly useful items that always make it into the car. These are the products that help us sound better, stay comfortable, solve last-minute problems, and keep the show moving.
🎤 Live Performance Gear
After hundreds of performances, we have developed strong opinions about the gear we carry. We’re putting together detailed recommendations for our microphones, in-ear monitors, PA equipment, guitar accessories, tablets, lighting, and the tools that help us move and organize it all.
🔋 Little Things We Never Want to Perform Without
Some of our most useful performance essentials are inexpensive items that stay unnoticed until something goes wrong. These are the backups and problem-solvers we are always glad to have nearby.
- Gaffer tape: Secures cables and handles temporary repairs without leaving residue
- Tarp or lightweight blanket: Provides emergency protection when rain, harsh sun, or a questionable loading surface appears unexpectedly
- Quiet tabletop fans: A small luxury that makes a major difference during hot outdoor performances
- Hair clips: Essential when the “light breeze” in the forecast becomes a wind tunnel onstage
- Basic repair kit: Useful for tightening stands, trimming materials, opening battery compartments, and handling minor emergencies
- Emergency power backup: We always have spare extension cords, batteries, and guitar cables
🏆 Wardrobe Favorites
Outdoor performances in Georgia can involve heat, humidity, wind, bright sun, uneven ground, and the occasional surprise rain shower. These are some of our favorite wardrobe, beauty, and comfort items for looking performance-ready in any weather.
💎 Alyce’s Little Show Secrets
- Teva Anaya waterproof boots are comfortable for travel and long performances, but also polished enough to wear onstage when the forecast looks uncertain
- Aerosoles Wedge Platform Sandals are a dressier stage option when I want some height but need stable footing too
- Heroine Make Waterproof Mascara is an absolute essential for all shows, but especially outdoor shows involving heat, humidity, or rain
- MAC Lipgloss in Love Child is a versatile stage color that is easy to reapply between sets
- MAC Connect In Colour Eyeshadow Palette Embedded In Burgundy provides enough range for day-to-night looks
- Shiseido UV Protective Compact Foundation SPF has a matte finish for full coverage without feeling dry
📣 Marketing and Audience Engagement Resources
Our marketing setup has grown one piece at a time. We use these resources to give our information an online home, create materials that feel connected, and help new followers find what they need after discovering us online or at a show.
🌐 An Online Home for the Band
We register custom website addresses through NameSilo.com, a domain registrar we have used for more than 10 years!
We use Wealthy Affiliate to build and host WordPress websites. Our band website gives us one central place for our performance schedule, song list, booking information, and contact details.
🎨 Turn That Information Into Something Shareable
Canva is our go-to resource for creating logos, show graphics, posters, signs, social posts, and other visual materials. Reusing the same styles, colors, and fonts helps the different pieces feel like they belong together.
We also use custom QR codes to connect printed materials with online information. A single scan can lead guests to our song list, tip links, show schedule, contact information, or other resources without requiring them to type a long web address.
🪪 Bring It to the Show
MOO.com creates the high-quality business cards, stickers, and small printed pieces that help us bring our contact details into the physical show space.
Our marketing table brings these pieces together with signs, printed cards, and QR codes that help guests request songs, send tips, explore our schedule, and find us again after the show.
🧰 Business and Backstage Tools
A smooth performance depends on more than the equipment onstage. These are some of the resources we use to receive tips, protect our files and equipment, distribute music, and manage the work happening behind the scenes.
💵 Digital Tips and Payments
We give guests several familiar ways to send tips and payments. Before a performance, we sign in to the apps and turn on notifications so we can see incoming alerts, including tips connected with live song requests.
☁️ Files, Music, and Business Protection
A few practical services help us protect our work and handle some of the less-visible parts of running a music business.
- Distrokid for music distribution and artist tools
- Dropbox for cloud backup services
- Insurance Canopy for musician and equipment insurance
🧪 Tools We’re Currently Trying
We’re constantly looking for ways to improve. Robin Reach is a recent addition to the toolkit that we are testing for social media management. We’ll share more about it after we have had enough time to see how it fits into our routine.
We are also working on new ways to manage setlists, lyrics, song requests, and show information. More details about those tools are coming soon!
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We’ll continue adding to this page as we discover new favorites and spend more time with the tools already in our setup. The best resources are not always the most expensive or exciting. They are the ones that solve real problems and prove useful show after show.
Thank you so much for your support!
💚 Alyce and Marco
