The first-time producer's checklist

Producing a show is a hundred small jobs wearing a trench coat. None of them are hard; the failure mode is forgetting one until 7:45pm on show night. Here's the full list, in the order you'll need it.

4–6 weeks out: the deal

• Venue agreement in writing — even a text thread counts. Date, load-in time, what you pay (rental, bar minimum, or door split), who runs sound, and what happens if you cancel.
• Know your break-even. If the room costs $200 and tickets are $15, you need 14 paying humans before you earn a dollar. Decide now whether that's realistic.
• Pick the date defensively. Check for competing shows, holidays, and the venue's own calendar.

3–4 weeks out: the lineup

• Book more than you need, confirm in writing. Someone will drop. A one-line message with date, set length, and pay (or "unpaid showcase" — say it plainly) prevents 90% of booking drama.
• Collect assets when you book — photo, credits, socials, walk-on music. You'll want them for promo and the run-of-show, and they're painful to chase later.
• Choose your host deliberately. The host does more for your show's pace than any single act. Energy, crowd work, and the discipline to keep things moving matter more than raw fame.

2–3 weeks out: promotion

• One flyer, sized for stories and feed. Names spelled correctly — check twice, comics notice.
• Make the lineup share the show. Send every performer the flyer plus a pre-written caption. Their followers are your audience.
• Ticket link everywhere — bio, flyer QR, every post. Presales tell you whether to panic early, which is the only useful time to panic.

Show week: operations

• Build the run-of-show — cue-by-cue times, credits for the host, walk-on tracks queued. (Full guide: how to build a run-of-show.)
• Door plan: who takes money, cash change float, guest list, what a comp looks like.
• Tech check: mic, spare batteries, house music source, stage light, and who controls all three during the show.
• Call times: performers 30 minutes before doors is standard for showcases. Put it in writing.

Show night: the things nobody warns you about

• Eat before doors. You will not eat after doors.
• The show starts when you start it — a firm 8:07 beats a mushy "waiting for a few more people" 8:20 that teaches your audience your start time is a suggestion.
• Count the room at intermission, not at the end. That's your real attendance number for negotiating the next date.
• Pay performers the night of, in person, however small the amount. Reputation compounds.

The day after

• Post a recap while it's warm — tag everyone.
• Write down what broke: late start, no change at the door, a set that ran long. That note is next month's checklist.
• Book the next date while the venue still likes you.