Tips on touring, production, publishing, performing rights, manufacturing, packaging, promotion and legal issues were shared during a lively Q&A session between attendees and industry pro panelists including Mark Mason of BMI Nashville; Kevin Connor, local radio host and chairman of the Austin Music Commission; Patrice Pike of Patrice Pike and Black Box Rebellion and longtime lead singer of Sister Seven; Casey Monahan, director of the Texas Music Office; Randolph Houston, trademark, copyright and entertainment lawyer; Richard Luckett, manager of La Tribu and entertainment merchandising expert; and Freddy Fletcher, owner of Arlyn and Pedernales Studios. Andy Langer, writer, radio host and on-air TV music reporter, served as panel moderator.

"Your Band As A Business" panelists Mark Mason, Freddy Fletcher, Randolph Houston, Kevin Connor, Andy Langer, Patrice Pike, Richard Luckett and Casey Monahan

Kicking off the evening showcase was Cruiserweight, a four-piece pop-punk band formed by brothers Urny (lead guitar, harmony vocals) and Yogi (drums) Maxwell, fronted by their sister, Stella, and backed by Dave Hawkins on bass and harmony guitars.

Cruiserweight in performance: Urny Maxwell, Stella Maxwell, Yogi Maxwell and Dave Hawkins

Endochine, led by singer-songwriter-guitarist Casey McPherson with Darrell Moran (vocals, drums) Steven Six (vocals, guitars) and Nathan Harlan (vocals, guitars), followed with its modern rock sound that's been described as "Radiohead meets the Beatles on the way to a Nirvana concert."

Endochine's Steven Six; Jill McGuckin; Endochine's Casey McPherson; Antone's Stephanie Seeley, Endochine's Darrell Moran; and BMI' Mark Mason

The dynamic Los Lonely Boys -- the Garza brothers, guitarist Henry, bass player Jojo and drummer Ringo -- wrapped up the showcase with their luscious three-part harmony of Latin-blues-Texas music whose sound seems to cross Richie Valens with Jimi Hendrix.

Backstage at Antone's with Los Lonely Boys: guitarist Henry Garza; Arlyn Studios' Freddy Fletcher; drummer Ringo Garza; BMI's Mark Mason; and bassist Jojo Garza

Special BMI Forum guests were Jackie Goodman, Austin City Council member and longtime music community supporter; Carlyne Majer, executive director of the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy; Wendy Morgan, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau music marketing director; and Nancy Coplin, City of Austin music coordinator for Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

BMI's Mark Mason; Patrice Pike; Capital Sports & Entertainment's Charlie Jones; and Jill McGuckin

Music reps on the scene included Motorblade Postering, Crystal Clear Disc & Tape, Austin Quantity Photos and New West Records.

MOBfest 2000 Showcase featuring BMI artists at Metro, Chicago's premier venue. For more information, please contact Samantha Cox or J.W. Johnson or check out the Official MOBfest website.

Joey Mazzola, Crud's manager John Mathiason, Vinnie Dombroski, BMI's J.W. Johnson, Warner-Chappell's Doogie Thompson, Jimmy Paluzzi, BMI's Samantha Cox, Danielle of Crud, Peter Lewitt, and Matthew Devine of Kill Hannah.

Get your BMI tattoo at MOBfest!

Featuring:
Crud Comprised of former Sponge frontman Vinnie Dombroski and members of the band formerly known as Hoarse, Crud is a band to watch in the coming year. The May 19th issue of Hits Magazine lists this Detroit-based ensemble as "a band with buzz."
Sister Seven This Arista Records act is on the road promoting their debut major label release, Wrestling Over Tiny Matters. Their single "Under the Radar" is garnering airplay throughout the US. Look for this band to break away from the pack in 2000
Organic Songwriter Rob La Forte's blistering, impassioned music and lyrical commentary has quickly moved Organic to the forefront of the Chicago scene. Hits Magazine calls Organic's music "Radio Ready Rock."
Kill Hannah One of the largest local draws in Chicago, Kill Hannah is a band on the brink. Their American Jet Set disc has been acquired for use by MTV's "The Real World" and "Road Rules." A recent issue of Billboard Talentnet has Kill Hannah charted at #1. Kill Hannah is definitely ready to rock the world beyond the friendly confines of Cook County.

As guitarist Wayne Sutton told The Austin Chronicle, "We used to find grooves and put songs around them. Now, lyrics and melody come first."

Fronted by tattooed singer/guitarist Patrice Pike, whom Rolling Stone described as "Tina Turner, Bessie Smith, Janis Joplin and Robert Plant rolled into a tiny but explosive package," the eclectic, hardworking rock/soul quartet first began life in 1991 as Little Sister, an acoustic duo consisting of Pike and Sutton. After expanding to a foursome with the addition of bassist Darrell Phillips and drummer Sean Phillips, the group became a fixture on the Austin club scene, where its three-hour live sets attracted a devoted following. A pair of self-released albums and relentless national touring helped to win them a national audience.

Sister Seven's 1996 Arista debut, This The Trip, included the hit "Know What You Mean" and led to spots on the H.O.R.D.E. and Lilith Fair tours, as well as a stint on the road as John Fogerty's opening act.

Sister Seven's current emphasis on sleek, compact songcraft yields impressive results on Wrestling Over Tiny Matters, which the band co-produced with Melissa Etheridge guitarist John Shanks. Standout numbers like "Under the Radar," "Leave This Love Behind" and "My Three Wishes" deftly balance pop hooks and rock aggression, while "The Only Thing That's Real" tackles weighty spiritual matters with a refreshing lack of self-consciousness.