Legendary Atlanta-based hip-hop outfit Goodie Mob has announced its first nationwide tour since 2009—featuring all four original members CeeLo, Big Gipp, Khujo and T-Mo—in anticipation of its forthcoming LP “Age Against the Machine,” out Aug. 27 via the Right Records/Primary Wave. Helping the act organize its jaunt is William Morris Endeavor agent Brian Ahern. “Having been gone for a couple years, to rebirth something like this with a new tour is very special and a great opportunity for all of us.”??
Routing: Anchoring the tour with a hometown finale appearance at ONE MusicFest in Atlanta, (Sept. 14), Ahern worked in reverse to fill out the rest of the dates. “We looked at where their ticket-selling history was, in addition to both record sales and previous airplay, to make sure we got to where the fans were, then we routed backwards from there.” To create buzz for the tour, Ahern worked to make it a hot ticket in each market, reaching the in-demand clubs in each.??
Audience: Ahern depended on the group’s legacy to engage fans and increase ticket sales. “This is a rebirth, if you will, of Goodie Mob and a comeback with hot new material.” Hitting a mix of clubs and theaters, the foursome will touch down in Washington, D.C., at the 9:30 Club (Aug. 24) before swinging through the Fillmore in San Francisco (Aug. 29), House of Blues in Chicago (Sept. 3) and the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Sept. 7).??
Promotion: Liaising with management and the Right Records/Primary Wave, Ahern helped to ensure that local promoters were doing their jobs to market the tour properly for each date. “There is some promotion at the local level whether [the label is involved] or otherwise, but there is no, to my knowledge, national promotion.” With an active CeeLo-aided social network, Goodie Mob worked to maximize ticket sales via its social platforms. “I’ve seen CeeLo pretty active on Twitter and whatnot. They’re pushing their stuff online.”
??BOOKING AGENT: Brian Ahern, William Morris Endeavor ?
TOUR DATES: Aug. 24-Sept. 14?