Merchandise sales boost popularity of Where’s Amy?

by Jolene Bulmer

Windsor’s local musicians rely on their fans to buy merchandise.

Kelly Ronholm is the lead guitarist in the all-girls local punk band, Where’s Amy?

She has been a member of the band since April and says that without the people supporting her band, there may not have been one.

“People look at other people,” said Ronholm. “If you see someone wearing a shirt that just says Where’s Amy? or has a really cool design, sometimes people’s innate sense of curiosity sparks. They want to know, what or who is Where’s Amy? Maybe they want to know where Amy is. That’s more potential fans.”

Ronholm has been in many local bands, including The Infidels and Ticking Time Machine and has one full length self-titled album. She has had many merchandising items in her previous bands, such as t-shirts, pins and stickers.

“Some would sell for under a dollar, like the pins,” said Ronholm. “But the shirts would go for around 10 to 25 dollars. That’s where we make our money. We’ve been on small tours and selling merch helps us buy gas, food and order more shirts.”

Ronholm said she and the band are designing more stickers and t-shirts to go on sale.

Some lesser-known bands need to use marketing to spread their brand. Nathan Moore attended the Coheed and Cambria concert at the Detroit Fillmore Feb. 8 and brought his paycheck with him.

“I’m not sure what I’ll buy at this concert,” said Moore. “I just counted my Coheed and Cambria shirts last night and I own 19.”

Moore says he has been to five Coheed and Cambria concerts, with his favorite one in Chicago.

“Their newest album I bought on vinyl five times, plus the CD,” said Moore. “I bought all their comics and own a lot of stickers. It supports the band in a way that buying the CD one time doesn’t really amount to. I really want to support them so I buy as much as I can.”

The director of merchandise for 28 years at the Fillmore, Bill Blackwell has seen many concerts there and has sold merchandise for artists like Between the Buried and Me, David Bowie and Animals as Leaders.

“It’s their image,” said Blackwell. “Back when I started the vinyl LP was very important because it had photos of the band and background information. Now, in the digital age, you really lose a lot of that. So, I think bands really realize how important (it is to) their image to present themselves via t-shirts, vinyl and other merchandising items.”