“Gigs to go” is a growing trend; here’s some gear to help you along

IT’S SUMMER, which means many things to many people—including casual (and not-so-casual) outdoor performances. Whether you’re just gathering to gig with a few friends, performing at the local bar or restaurant on Saturday night because they know you can draw a crowd, DJing at parties, or hitting the road for gigs, summer’s a great time for playing music.

But given today’s economic realities, to be successful, you need to be fast, efficient, and seeking new performance venues that you may not have previously considered. I know one musician who’s found a lucrative sideline playing at art openings, with the constraint that he has to be able to set up and tear down fast, and take up virtually no space; another has an act in a “Sunday in the Park”-type series, and it’s already paid off in terms of getting him additional gigs.

Thankfully, there’s plenty of gear that accommodates this new way of gigging—portable P.A.s you can stuff in a sedan, compact but powerful laptops, audio interfaces that fit in your pocket, keyboards you can sling over your shoulder, and much more.

The days of the portable performance are upon us, and if you’re moving into that brave new world—or just thinking about it—here are a few tools that make it easier than ever.

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