Can I get a REVIEW from you?!
Can I get a REVIEW from you? Have you seen BlairOutLoud SOLO, DUO, or one of the full BAND line-ups? Have you had a good experience at our shows? Did you hire us for your special event or festival and we did great.. can you talk about that experience? We would appreciate solid reviews for our new GigSalad BlairOutLoud Page. This will help us get hired for events in the future. Thanks all!
Hello everyone! I’m excited to announce that BlairOutLoud now has a profile on GigSalad.com!
GigSalad is a web platform where you can search for and hire entertainment in all forms.. from music to magic, acting, speakers, etc etc.. many different categories to choose from. Here is the BlairOutLoud link:
https://www.gigsalad.com/blairoutloud_marietta
Our goal is to be featured when a client goes to search for live music in the metro Atlanta area.. and to be available for SOLO, DUO, or full BAND. One way to attract clients is to have REVIEWS featured on that page, and since we are just getting started there, we were hoping that you could take a moment to write a review!
Have you caught a BlairOutLoud show lately: solo, duo or the band.. or maybe you hired us for your special occasion like a private event or festival. If you had a positive experience we would love to hear about it would be grateful to have that on display on the GigSalad page.
BTW.. if you think we need improvement.. we would love to hear that feedback as well.. just if you can.. use the Contact form here on the website and let us know!
THANKS IN ADVANCE!
Here’s a way that you can Write a Review and it end up on GigSalad:
Transitioning from LK3 to BlairOutLoud
We are transitioning our former name Leonard Koggins Trio or LK3 to BlairOutLoud (insert project name here). We have been talking for some time about bringing all the projects together under the “BlairOutLoud Entertainment Presents” label, and now some of the promo efforts are starting to emerge. This decision is being thought through in real-time and we’ve got a lot to do, but we appreciate your support while we change things up!
Hello friends and fans!
I’m just getting back into my work week still reeling from the excitement of the BlairOutLoud BAND Event in Jasper, GA at a venue named Rocco’s Pub. We performed there Saturday April 10th, and it was a great night!
Check out the video that I captured of the beginning of our second set!
Several LK3 fans and some of the staff that remembered us from our debut performance in January, were curious about our name change and wanted to know why we changed. I appreciated the inquiry, and I see that as; we made solid enough first impression that people were paying attention for when we were scheduled to perform again!
Here’s the LK3 flyer I made for our debut at Rocco’s Jan 2021. We had such a great debut that night, I was invited to schedule several more events in 2021!
So I wanted to take a minute to describe what has been happening behind the scenes, and I’d like to give you and insight to where we are going incase you’d like to follow along!
Bringing LK3 and BlairOutLoud together
In 2018 I was starting to acquire solo acoustic gigs under the title of BlairOutLoud.
Wait, back up.. Towards the end of 2017, I was laying out ideas and working on a plan to create a platform where I could promote for gigs, make videos about products, provide studio work, and possibly teach. It was a little all over the place, but I felt like I could get one or two of the ideas going, and other features of the platform could follow. This became BlairOutLoud.
Here’s one of my EARLY BlairOutLoud acoustic flyers from April 2018.
So.. in 2018 when I booked solo acoustic gigs, I would book as BlairOutLoud because that was step number one of this whole process…
Also in 2018, as I was transitioning out of a cover band called SMAC (pronounced “smack”), but I still had my hands full with a chick alternative project called You Oughta Know, and I was in a Foo’s Tribute called Fighting Foos. It was a crazy year.
But in addition to all of that.. My good friend and former metal band manager, Tom Carling, asked me if I wanted to jam a few gigs with his band Leonard Koggins Trio (LK3). And seeing as how Tom C and I had not communicated much for years, it was nice to re-connect. I joined him for a string of events, it was great fun!
By 2019, I was a full-time booking cover music events with You Oughta Know, Fighting Foos, Leonard Koggins Trio, and of course, BlairOutLoud. 2019’s total gig count was 247! It was quite a ride! However, as we closed out 2019, it was becoming apparent that YOK, and FF were going to pause for a while. So this left me with nothing but Leonard Koggins Trio, and BlairOutLoud to focus all of my energy towards beginning in 2020.
Setting up for a Canton Neighborhood Event in the Summer of 2020!
Of course, we had a pandemic hit us hard this time last year, but the experiences with LK3 that we had, like performing Live on Facebook, booking big neighborhood events, traveling around the state getting gigs where we could, etc… Getting through all of that, just grew the band and its connections stronger around town. We actually finished out 2020 with a smile on our faces.. it was hard to complain. We had performed a zillion private events, and still had plenty of public events to keep us busy towards the end of 2020, and this propelled us mightily into 2021.
Transitioning to BlairOutLoud
Jammin’ with the TRIO at Full Throttle Roadhouse in late 2020.
As my own influence has grown in my BlairOutLoud acoustic gigs around town, friends and fans started to be inquisitive about my band efforts, so they would ask, “Aren’t you in a band?”, and I would reply “Yes, we are LK3, the Leonard Koggins Trio”. They’d look at me funny and say “Leonard who?” So I would have take the next few minutes to describe LK3 and what we do.
This didn’t bother me at first.. especially because I used to name LK3 as just one of the other bands I was involved in. But as LK3 became more and more exclusive to me, and as I realized that I was leading that effort more and more, it dawned on me that it might be the right time to change everything over to the BlairOutLoud Label. The “BlairOutLoud Entertainment Presents” label was being kicked around.
I discussed this with the members of LK3, Tom Carling and Darren Goot, and talks went well. The guys wanted assurance that the frequency of gigs wouldn’t change, and we discussed keeping all the same material. I’m not sure that they were married to the name, they just wanted to continue to grow as a band and work on better material and get better gigs. And then there was one other contributing factor…
Amanda Blair joins the group
It was around the turn of the year from 2019 to 2020 that it was becoming obvious that if there were opportunities to get Amanda on stage with us, we were going to take them.
We were contracted for a wedding in January of 2020 (set for May 2020, eventually postponing to July 2020) and we scheduled several rehearsals to pool our material together and see what we had. Amanda and I had been active in an all alternative 90s group called You Oughta Know, and it was pausing so it felt like the right move to make to allow Amanda to start playing gigs with the TRIO where possible.
An LK3+ Flyer for a show at The Wing in Marietta, GA in Dec 2020.
We began using a name called LK3+ (plus).. so as to say Leonard Koggins Trio PLUS Amanda Blair. It worked for a while! LK3+ had plenty of opportunities to perform in the slew of private events and some club gigs that we did in 2020, so during that time we were starting to explore how to be a four piece. It was a fun time of exploration.. and honestly we are still figuring this out currently LOL.
So let’s bring it all together
Beginning in 2021, the group has begun to transition all of our labeling, promo, flyers, and social media to be under the BlairOutLoud family of projects. We understand that this is a hefty transition. After posting thousands of photos, videos, and working to build a following on the LK3 FB Page.. its now a question of what exactly to do with that page. ??
The BlairOutLoud FB Page will host all of my events from Solo Acoustic to full BAND. The LK3 Page will most likely host events that have something to do with me and any of the guys when we play out separately from the full BAND. At least for now, this is settled.. but subject to change I presume as new ideas emerge.
We are reaching out to local artists to get redesigned logos, stage banners, and other misc promo for my website, and social media accounts. So by this summer you should start to see some evidence of that type of material rolling out.
We will also be printing up new song lists for song requests at shows! This is requested at many places that we play, and this comes from the influence of my SOLO shows, where I let requests run the event, and that’s usually a good crowd pleaser for sure. It also helps to build a connection with the audience!
But there are still many questions, and many moves to be made, but for now here are the active projects in the BlairOutLoud Entertainment family:
BlairOutLoud SOLO - Just good ol’ me doing my thing in front of the crowd
BlairOutLoud DUO - An acoustic duo featuring Amanda Blair contributing vocals and playing keys, flute, and percussion… and I on guitar and vocals.
BlairOutLoud T2 - Borrowing a name that Tom Carling and I started with years ago “T2”, we are rebranding as BOL T2 for duo acoustic gigs.
BlairOutLoud TRIO - Official line-up of the former LK3; three dudes on a mission to joke around, entertain, and party down like no other.. All fun.. very serious.. NOT.. and killer rock and roll to glue it together!
And finally BlairOutLoud BAND - Making a strong run for one of the best rock cover bands on the scene, incorporating a vast song list with the inclusion of keyboards, harmonized vocals, amazing stage production/lighting, yet keeping everything light, never too serious, and just a plain super fun.
Check out some more recent video of the full band line-up:
Please go check out our videos and links.. and CONTACT me here for booking!
Bare with us as we change the promo around, change the flyers, and start to say BlairOutLoud everything..HA.. We hope this is a seamless transition. It’s feeling good so far.
Once we get new promo photos and group shots, you’ll probably see that material pop-up on the website here, and our social media feeds.
THANK YOU ATLANTA! See you at the next event!
-Tom Blair
“The Many Faces Of Tom Blair”
Mitch Talley of The Best of the North Georgia Mountains Magazine interviewed me earlier this year! We had a great conversation, and it’s featured in the March Issue! Click Read More to grab the link to the digital format and read the article! Enjoy!
Earlier this year, I participated in a phone interview with Mitch Talley, a writer for The Best of North Georgia Mountains Magazine.
It was great fun and of course, I blabbered on and on about stuff. So just a quick heads-up, some of my answers are a little long-winded, but Mitch was very accommodating, and we had a great conversation.
Mitch was interested in my recent accomplishments, and also we discussed my 2020 experience, my musical history, and what my current plans are for BlairOutLoud!
In addition, he combed through my website as well as my social media accounts and picked out several pics of me living life and performing music, so there’s a bunch of fun photos to go along with the commentary included in the article.
I would love for you to check it out!
Below is the link for the digital copy of the magazine, where you can pull up the article through an Adobe plugin within most internet browsers. The print version will go out soon and be available in many locations all around North Georgia!
Thanks for reading! If you would like to ask me anything or leave me a comment, feel free! Thank you for the support!
CLICK BELOW TO OPEN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE!
https://indd.adobe.com/view/a4335f6b-6559-49c5-8ee8-2d507f2ca628
St Patty's Day ANNOUNCEMENT!
I’m honored and so excited to be performing at Social Lounge GVL in downtown Greenville, SC for a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration Wednesday March 17th, 2021. I’ll be representing Crest Point Entertainment and the Atlanta music scene.. Join us!
Hello ALL!
Special Saint Patricks Day Announcement:
I’ll be performing as a part of the GRAND OPENING WEEK of Social Lounge GVL (stands for Greenville) in downtown Greenville, SC on Wednesday March 17th, starting at 9pm! Here’s there new FB Page Linked HERE.
I’m proud to represent the metro Atlanta music scene, and I’m honored to have this opportunity booked through Crest Point Entertainment Group! I’m so excited, and I hope that I can get some of my South Carolina friends to come on out!
Disclaimer: I won’t be necessarily singing Irish songs.. maybe one or two I can pull off.. But I will be doing my thing: 60s-90s rock/pop tunes, taking requests from my 265 song list, and entertaining the crowd!
WEAR YOUR GREEN! Also, we will be doing Irish toasts all night and having a blast!
Tom Blair is performing on Saint Patrick’s Day for the Grand Opening of Social Lounge GVL in downtown Greenville, SC Wednesday March 17th, 2021!
CLICK HERE to go to the FB Event Page!
OTHER EVENTS THAT WEEK!
There are several great events happening at Social Lounge GVL ALL GRAND OPENING WEEK! Click the links below for other events! If you are in the area, you should check it out!
So.. March 2020 was a very different story.
Last year we were in a very different place around this time period. Many venues were shutting down, cancelling, and postponing events. There was a lot a fear about the virus spreading. My band was right in the middle of promoting for a huge St Patty’s Party, when the event was cancelled the week of! What a mess.. and then, just a week later.. EVERY GIG on my schedule was gone. It was rough!
I want to share a very special photo from the weekend BEFORE St. Patty’s Day from last year. I performed in Rome, GA at a place called Moon Roof Bar. It looks apparent in this photo that everything was A-Okay. But I feel like most of the patrons as well as myself were in “denial mode” regarding the reality of what might hit us. Here, we were pushing forward and making the night happen no matter what!
March 14th, 2020: Patrons enjoying a St. Patty’s Day celebration with BlairOutLoud live at Moon Roof Bar in Rome, GA…. the weekend BEFORE many places were closing due to covid.
So let me take a second to be GRATEFUL.
I’m grateful for all my work picking back up. I’m grateful for my friends and fans that stood by me that whole weird time during all the shut downs and quarantine. I’m very grateful for those that pitched in a little money for virtual tips during my online “live” performances. And here in 2021.. I’m grateful that we all have the chance to get back out there.. SAFELY OF COURSE.. to celebrate life, enjoy music, and push on.
I want to mention Crest Point Entertainment one more time to end this blog post. Angela and Drew Ashworth have been AMAZINGLY SUPPORTIVE in my career and booking efforts. They are responsible for booking me at the Moon Roof, from the photo above, where I had this very rememberable experience that I captured. AND.. because of that experience, when it came to booking me for a St Patty’s Event.. they remembered this experience and thought of me to represent Crest Point and Atlanta music in Greenville for this year’s event!
Lets make Atlanta proud and take our energy and excitement to Greenville and show ‘em how we do it!
I do wish that I could celebrate with my Atlanta friends and fam, but it’s an honor to be chosen for this. And getting a chance to play as a part of the Social Lounge GVL GRAND OPENING WEEK… that’s pretty cool too.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone!
Greenville, SC.. see you Wednesday, March 17th, 2021 at Social Lounge!
-Tom Blair
Check out my latest covers and clips!
Check out my BlairOutLoud Solo Acoustic Page here on the website.. I’m putting together a killer collection of video from several shows that I think you’ll enjoy. Plus, there’s a Promo Vid for BlairOutLoud that I’m really proud of. Thanks!
Jamming for my friends at Dockside Marina Sept 4th, 2020!
Hello friends!
I have a decent collection of clips and covers on my BlairOutLoud Solo Page that I’m starting to collect there!
My solo acoustic gigs are tons of fun, and I can provide music for almost any occasion! Hire me for birthdays, grad parties, weddings (and rehearsal dinners), .. um.. divorces.. HA.. You name it!
Before the summer is done, I’m playing several private events, including a pool party soon, but for those that can’t get their events scheduled in time, I’m currently (via word of mouth) promoting for fall special events! There are still several holes I have left to fill in my schedule for Nov/Dec so reach out on the Contact Page, and let me know what you have in mind!
Also on my Solo Acoustic Page, there is a Promo Vid that I put together at the top of the list that outlines what I’m trying to accomplish with the BlairOutLoud Solo Acoustic Rock Show. The footage was from an amazing show in June at Hixtown Brewery in Villa Rica, GA.
Enough Readin’ - More Rockin’… Head on over to my BlairOutLoud Solo Acoustic Page and check it out when you get a chance!
Thanks for visiting the website, and I hope to see you out there soon! Everyone stay safe and for those of you that are still keeping indoors, I hope that some of my videos bring you joy during this tough year! Thanks all!
-Tom Blair
blairoutloud.com OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED!
BlairOutLoud.com is officially launched! Parts of the website are still being added everyday, but most of its pages are ready and available for interactivity. Thanks to all that support BlairOutLoud.. I hope you enjoy the website and get value from visiting.
It’s been a goal of mine for over 2 years to have a cumulative section of the interwebs where I could personally post news, updates, and blog entries and it be solely owned and operated by me. I’ve used social sites and entities like BandsInTown (and will continue to utilize these tools) in order to promote myself, but having it all start from here was essentially the goal.
Thank you for your patience, and I apologize for all of those posts “claiming” that my website was on the way.. It was in fact “on the way” but it took some serious hard work to get it up and running correctly. If anything positive has come from covid it’s that I’ve now made this effort to finally launch blairoutloud.com.
Thanks for all the support everyone. I hope you enjoy the website. Weekly I’ll be adding blog entries that feature my journey, or highlight weekly experiences. I’ll use this medium to post my opinion on subject matter that I generally leave vague on my social sites. But mostly I want this to be a place where folks, that are genuinely interested in what I’m doing, can swing by, get updated, and feel good about their visit.
NEWSLETTER NEWS:
I’ve taken a hiatus on my BlairOutLoud Shout through covid, 1) because I had no idea what the day to day would bring.. cancellations, postponements, etc, and 2) I wanted to create these blog posts on my website here, and then start to use the Monthly Shout to point back to my news and updates here. So… You will see a restructuring of the Newsletter that gives a brief update or “hello” message from me, and then links back to news, updates, and event postings right here on blairoutloud.com.
THANKS ALL!
-Tom Blair
Congrats Nick and Jessie Gaba!
I performed at Nick and Jessie Gaba’s Wedding!
I performed for their beautiful outdoor wedding at the Marietta Educational Center!
I got a chance to perform for Nick and Jessie Gaba. They had a beautiful outdoor wedding with friends and family. I played instrumental tunes on acoustic on the far side of the open yard space that was being used for the event. I appreciate the opportunity and I’d like to grant the happy couple a lifetime of love and success.
Cul-De-Sac Concerts Catching FIRE!
Neighborhood Concerts are gaining in popularity, and demand is off the chart! If you’d like to schedule a show in your neck of the woods, email tom@blairoutloud.com
We are living in a strangely wonderful time…
All of my late March into April into (at this point) May events have been cancelled or postponed. Of course, I hope everyone is staying safe, and making smart choices on when to get out and about, or when to stay in and shelter with friends and family.
But one silver lining during all of this has been the availability in my schedule to participate in new types of events to still entertain the masses, all while keeping good social distancing in practice. Neighborhood / Cul-de-sac Concerts are a hit! We come and set up in the street, or driveway, or cul-de-sac.. or even an elevated back porch, and people gather on their own lawns, spread out as far as they need, yet all get to witness a fun entertaining show! This has been a blast the last few weeks.. I’ve been involved in 4 of these, either rockin’ solo or in duo form with my partner Tom Carling in LK3. Here are some pics and vids from recent events!
April 1, 2020 Cul-De-Sac Concert Holly Springs, GA
Later in April I set up on a back porch in Woodstock:
April 10, 2020 Back Porch Rock Show - Woodstock, GA
And below are pics of me and my partner Tom Carling, setting up for an acoustic duo show on a neighborhood street in Acworth, GA on April 24th. Concert goers gathered across the street and in surrounding yards to enjoy the “social distancing” live music event. This was a huge success, that has led to more of these type of bookings while the weather has been so nice.
