An overview of all things MFC

Clint Zer0 — January 3

And a Happy New Year to you too! Welcome to MFC! Now for a lot of you guys, this will be mostly review, but for some of you wanting to know what we’re all about, this could prove to be very useful or something to share with your friends who haven't been enlightened yet.

MyFreeConcert.com is your one-stop shop for all the free and close to free concerts and other fun events going on in the NYC area. Off the top of my head I can say I had a good 2011 (UNDERSTATEMENT) in terms of free shows and events I got to attend. I’m pretty sure I got to go to over 200 concerts, and saw countless more bands and artists perform all over the place. The common denominator in the vast majority of those shows was the fact that I didn’t have to spend one solitary penny to get in. Impossible right? Well in NYC, impossible is nothing, all you have to do is ride the train for 5 minutes and you will see stuff happen you probably couldn’t imagine!

How is this possible?!

Well it’s actually quite simple. Companies throw events to try and do some brand awareness building for their name. They want people to come to their events and have a good time, but more importantly, have a time so good that that brand’s name is instilled in your brain, so you can say only good things about them when given the chance. The best way to do this is to have free events, with free stuff available to the masses. What free stuff pre tel? Usually to the tune of free booze, free food, and free performances from artists. And you'll find all of those things listed here.

So how’s this all work?

The vast majority of events are RSVP and/or guest list events. You sign up with your name (and usually email) to be put on the list for said event, and you get to rock out for free and have a grand old time. Most of those guest lists allow for you to bring a “+1”, because honestly, who likes to rage alone? Not I. There are some events that are ticketed events, like a regular concert that you would pay for, you just don’t exchange any money for the tickets. A few of the events are contests that a person can win entry to, and they (more like WE) have tons of those contests running all the time.

So what kinds of stuff can you expect to see?

Honestly there is something for everyone in the free concert and free event space.  It is, literally, whatever you’re into. Do you like great hip hop? This year I saw for free artists which included Pusha T, Big Sean, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Chiddy Bang, Childish Gambino and Wale just to name a few; and of those shows, only the Wale show WASN’T an open bar.

If you like music with guitars, then maybe you’d like these other artists that I saw: The Smith Westerns, Caveman, The So So Glos, Beach Fossils, Walk The Moon, The Black Keys, Foster the People, Best Coast, Cults, Coldplay, Deer Tick, Chairlift, and Davila 666. Those are just a few of many, really.

Or maybe you’re a fan of great DJ sets, because I witnessed quite a few this past year: DJ Reach, DJ Skribble, DJ Kid Capri, LCD Soundsystem, Juan Maclean, The Night People, Holy Ghost!, WAVVES, Justice, Questlove of the Roots, Zeds Dead, Claude Von Stroke, Jaques Renault, and DJ Spinna. I’ve gotten the chance to go to some of the most exclusive spots in the city, like Boom Boom Room, Soho House, Fig. 19, 1OAK, SL, Dream Downtown, and new downtown hotspot W.I.P.

This year will most likely be even more insane than the last, so hopefully you guys can rock with us, and if you do, I’ll see you there. Our staff came up with a list of some of the best free things from 2011, and we know that 2012 will easily equal that and might even eclipse it.

How do I stay on top of things?

Getting in to many of these free events takes a little bit of luck and a little bit of skill. What we've done for you is put all of the necessary info conveniently in one spot. However, you really must follow our Twitter account at @MyFreeConcertNY and our Facebook page. We'll also send out newsletter updates occasionally, so be sure to sign up for that on the right side of our mainpage. But I must emphasize again the Twitter account-- it is by far the most essential thing to follow most of the time. Even if you don't use Twitter for your own thoughts, it is worth it even just for our constant updates and exclusive giveaways.

So without further adieu, we hope you have a happy New Year full of free fun.