Playlist No. 1 - Launch Party
It’s been nearly 20 years since John Cusack’s character, Rob Gordon, shared his rules for creating the perfect mix tape in High Fidelity, while articulating the beauty and the challenge to getting it right: “The making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do’s and don’ts. First of all, you’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.” We think so highly of this perspective that we discussed it multiple times at length as we set about putting together the perfect playlist for our recent two-hour open house launch party. So we set about putting together a list that spoke to both of our musical tastes but that would reflect the sentiment above; the music would need to appear to be a subtle addition to the evening while also expressing how excited we were to be welcoming forty guests to our new space to celebrate with us.
We won’t attempt to create any new rules around the creation of a perfect playlist - just look up Rob Gordon’s. There’s nothing we can add. Rather, here are the philosophical and practical tenants we kept top of mind when creating our first actual medley: Playlist No. 1 - Launch Party.
Quick sidebar: times have changed and mixtapes never had commercials accidentally creep into the background between songs. So, the only hard and fast rule I will strongly recommend following here is: no matter what platform you are using, spring for the subscription that allows you to play commercial-free. You can cancel it right after the event is over. But nothing could undo the countless hours spent planning and crafting than a commercial for car insurance popping up here and there. And you know the decibel level gets cranked up for the advertising minutes. No one will miss it. Trust us, it’s maybe the best $9 you will ever spend.
Now that the practical business is out of the way…let’s get to the important stuff.
When it comes to music, we would venture to say that most people either make a conscious choice to go somewhere specifically for it (concert venue, local bar, etc.), or, they tend not to consider it all. But music is the absolutely perfect medium to enhance any experience, especially a launch party or other smaller gathering; it doesn’t need to be the centerpiece but it should absolutely be the heartbeat of the event. Think of how an expertly compiled movie soundtrack never detracts from the story, but rather, enhances the characters’ humanity, enriches the scenery, and resonates directly with the audience deepening their sense of connection with what’s happening on screen. Putting together the musical lineup for any type of gathering is much the same. It will never detract but it will almost always enhance.
The music needs to reflect the aesthetics of the space, and testing out the acoustics beforehand is vital. The common area in our office space, which we used as our venue, is a combination of industrial and modern; it’s a century-old building that was recently rehabbed to maintain the original character while adding bright touches of color throughout to blend the old and the new. When considering songs that might reflect this particular space, we mixed in some rustic-feeling blues and folk artists with some more digitally-derived beats.
Know your audience, and edit your selections accordingly. As much as this is about you as the hosts, it’s also about keeping everyone else in the room happy and engaged. This isn’t a referendum on how much you know about what’s current or past, but speaks to your ability to harness your knowledge for the benefit of the other people in the room as much as is possible. Finding that sweet spot is where the subtle art comes in.
Song selection is critical, of course, but the order of presentation is even more so. The evening will have some ebbs and flows depending on the program, and the music should too. You’ve got to keep refreshing the feeling in the room throughout the event. One speed won’t work; too many songs in succession with the same tempo will lead people to tune out the background. If managed properly, the end of one song will dovetail seamlessly into the opening bars of the next one. No disruptions, no abrupt starts or stops. Making those connections between songs that have never before been put next to each other can tell your guests a great deal about your creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
Make certain to have a large enough sampling from well-known artists so as not to make your list too esoteric - you need to appeal to the group at large - but then sprinkle in some lesser-known musicians to peak the interest of your guests and get them thinking. Who is this? Where did you hear about them? What else might you be able to help me with that I wasn’t previously even aware of that I need to know about?!
At the end of the day, how well did we use someone else’s poetry to express how we were feeling? If we did it well, our guests left with an overall appreciation for how all of the pieces seemed to come together with an effortlessness and ease, and couldn’t stop thinking that there was just something else about that launch party that made it memorable. Hopefully it was all of the little touches combined, but we also believe there was an amazing rotation of songs in a near-perfect arrangement that really tied the room together that night.