Look, we get it. You may have read the headline above and scoffed when you saw we were trying to get you to read about a website with the word ‘crap’ in its name, but trust us – this one is worth you time.
Corey Kleinsasser may have an interesting approach to developing a brand for his work, but that is only one of the things that makes him unique in the world of writing. Kleinsasser has found a way to penetrate the world of concert reviews, which has been overflowing with contributors for the better part of the decade, with unique insight informed by an almost constant presence at live events. Concert Crap scours the world of live performance for the best and most peculiar stories, including those that involve acts most of the world has yet to discover. The site’s inclusive approach to coverage, coupled with their clear passion for helping developing talent, has made their front page one of the many bookmarks we keep in our browsers, and we believe after learning of Corey’s journey you will become a regular visitor as well. Enjoy:
HAULIX: Thanks for agreeing to chat with me, Corey. Let’s start with the history of your website. When did you first decide you wanted to write about music?
Corey: I first started Concert Crap in October 2013, initially for a class in college. I had always wanted to start a blog even before and this was a good excuse to, and to continue even after the class ended. I had gone to many concerts before, during and after the class ended and at first it was going to be just journal entries to look back on years later but it grew into so much more.
H: Is this site your first blog, or did you start somewhere else and step out on your own?
Corey: This is my first blog and writing gig. I have always had a passion for writing and music so this was the perfect combination.
H: Concert Crap is a pretty straightforward name for a music blog. Why did you choose it?
C: Honestly, it was the first thing that came to my mind when thinking of a name. “Concert Stuff” sounded pretty boring, and crap was a little more appealing.
H: From a marketing/business perspective it seems like the name of your site might limit your reach and the type of artists you’re able to work with. Have you found that to be true at all?
C: My only negative experience from this was one artist representative tell me that the name wasn’t very appealing, and it did get me thinking that it may not be the best title, but there has been much more positive feedback from it than negative. People usually have to do a vocal double take and ask again what the name is. But when they do, they say it’s a great name.
H: We should probably discuss the content of your site if we’re going to talk about its appeal. How would you explain the content found on Concert Crap to someone who has never visited your site before?
C: We focus on all things music. The biggest thing we do is interview artists. Many up and coming, and some you may know. We cover all types of genres. We also review albums, shows, songs, have show and tour announcements, photo galleries, and recently we’ve been adding talk show segments to engage more with our users and each other.
H: You claim to be someone who has attended many concerts. How many would you say you’ve seen, and which was your first?
C: I’ve gone to at least 100 concerts in my lifetime. My first was in 2004 and the local radio station here in Southern California, KROQ, hosted their annual summer concert Weenie Roast. The first band that played was one of my favorites at the time, and still now, Story of the Year. Others that played were Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, The Hives, Velvet Revolver, and more.
H: How often do you go to shows? How about your staff as a whole?
C: During previous years I used to go to 2-5 shows a month. It’s been cut down recently to 1-3 shows a month because I have a full time job on time of Concert Crap and a girlfriend and others I enjoy spending time with outside of music. The Concert Crap staff usually goes to about 3-7 shows a month at the moment but we’re definitely going to increase that number soon.
H: Has there been any one band to really impress you in a live setting this year?
C: From Ashes to New is an amazing band to see live. I just recently saw Myka Relocate for the second time, as well as interview them a second time before their set and their great dudes on and off the stage. I saw both of these bands at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, both play to a small crowd, but I hope both can become much bigger than that over the next few years.
H: You do offer a lot of content that is not coverage of live events. Are there any specific genres/styles you focus your editorial efforts around?
C: Usually, I enjoy interviewing bands that I want to get to know more on a personal level. I’m very much into the post hardcore, metal, metalcore scene and I always love covering those artists to get to know them better. Those seem to be the artists that I get many press releases for as well. But we are open to all genres and artists.
H: There are a lot of music blogs right now. More than ever before, in fact. What sets your site apart from the rest?
C: We cover artists that you know and many you may not know. We post consistently on our social medias and engage with our audience and cater to many of their needs. We share their content and ask for their opinions on many things in music. Come for the artists you know and stay for the ones you may not know. We’re just like the casual fan and are viewing a explaining everything through your eyes.
H: How do you market your website and its content? Have any methods shown better results than others?
C: We cover all the major social media platforms. Instagram is the one we have the most fans on and the one we post the most for. We always post breaking music news and entertaining content to keep our fans happy, not just on Instagram but all our socials. I have yet to try to advertise since I haven’t made enough money to do that quite yet.
H: There are currently no ads on your site. Do you have plan to monetize your work moving forward?
C: When we gain more traffic I driven to the site we can monetize for ads. I’m hoping that will be very soon.
H: You obviously receive a lot of advance music for consideration on your site. What service do you prefer and why?
C: I LOVE Haulix. It seems to be the easiest advance music site. It’s very neat and clean. Organization is key and I’m just like this in person. Everything fits on one page and it’s visually appealing. If I need to download the album, it’s quick and very easy to use.
H: Are you currently hiring at your site? If so, how can people submit an application?
C: Yes, we are always hiring for writers and photographers. They can contact me at corey.kleinsasser@gmail.com.
H: What are your long term goals for (I think you meant Concert Crap) Face The Noise? Short term (year or less)?
C: I am hoping that I can eventually do this full time with a full time staff. If we can have our own business space that would be even better. My short term goals are just to keep growing it as much as I can at a greater speed than I currently am.
H: What’s the easiest way for people to keep up with everything you do?
C: Follow us on all our social medias and Youtube and always visit our site consistently as we’re ramping up content much more than ever.
