Interview: Chris Marstall of TourfilterInterview: Chris Marstall of Tourfilter
Tourfilter's premise is quite simple, and quite brilliant. Enter a list of bands you like, and get an email alert when they hit your town. Tourfilter took 2nd place at Mashup Camp 3.
During Podbop's week in Boston, we got a few chances to hang out and get to know the really easy going and interesting Chris Marstall.
What language is Tourfilter written in?
Ruby on Rails.
Where do you get your data?
1300 club websites that I crawl nightly.
When did you begin?
April of 2006
Are you the only one involved?
Right now yes, although over the summer I had a Harvard student interning for me who was entering club data and researching where the clubs were.
What motivated you to make Tourfilter?
I was missing too many shows. I would read about them the next day in the paper, and I wanted to find a way to enter all my bands and get an email so I could buy tickets in time.
What's the last really good concert you went to?
Final Fantasy at PA's Lounge
If you could pick an artist/band to be your spokesperson, who would it be?
Brian Eno please! Then David Bowie.
iPod or Zune?
iPod, please. I have two of them (I just won one!) [Chris got second place at Mashup Camp]
What's your favorite music blog?
Hardcorbeau. A local music journalist that does a pretty kick-ass music blog.
New York or Boston?
Boston.
If you had a band what would you name it?
Chris Marstall and Other Stories.
Photo by David Kamerman for Tourfilter & Tourb.us' Boston Globe Article [also see print version]
