# Connecting Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini to a Live Music Venue MCP Server

## README.md

# Connecting Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini to a Live Music Venue MCP Server

## Overview
Gigging musicians spend many hours finding stages, mapping driving paths, and writing booking notes. Large language models can speed up this work when they have direct access to live venue records. The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, connects AI assistants to outside tools and data stores through an open standard.

You can connect Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini directly to the [No Stairs Please MCP Server](https://nostairsplease.com/mcp). The server runs as a stateless Streamable HTTP endpoint at `https://nostairsplease.com/mcp` with OAuth 2.1. It gives your AI assistant live access to small and mid-size music rooms across North America.

## Available Data and Coverage
The directory focuses on small and mid-size rooms where working musicians book paid performances. It covers all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and British Columbia.

The server shares live counts across the full directory:
* 16,612 live music venues
* 5,159 towns and cities
* 4,225 booking routes
* 766 published submission rules
* 2,017 stage records

Each venue record keeps talent booking contacts separate from general business or private event rental contacts. The database tracks usual music nights, room capacities, stage sizes, sound gear notes, and past show history.

## MCP Tools and Capabilities
Connecting the endpoint gives your AI assistant eight tools:

1. `search_venues`: Search and filter stages by text query, state, area, venue type, music genre, usual show day, or room size. You can filter by radius around a town, two-town driving corridors, or full multi-stop tour routes.
2. `get_venue`: Read a venue record, including descriptions, web links, room capacity, stage setup, act formats, and sample bands.
3. `reveal_venue`: Unlock direct talent booking email addresses, booker names, recurring show nights, and source links.
4. `find_by_performer`: Look up show listings by band or artist name to see where similar acts play.
5. `get_profile`: Check your account level, remaining 7-day reveals, and saved Favorites count.
6. `list_saved_venues`: Fetch your saved Favorites list.
7. `save_venue`: Add a room to your saved list directly from your chat prompt.
8. `remove_saved_venue`: Remove a venue from your saved list.

## Connecting Your Client

### Claude Desktop Setup
To connect Claude Desktop, edit your local configuration file. On macOS, this file sits at `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`. On Windows, it sits in `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`.

Add the remote server configuration under `mcpServers`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "no-stairs-please": {
      "url": "https://nostairsplease.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

Restart Claude Desktop. When prompted, sign in through your web browser to finish OAuth 2.1 authorization.

### ChatGPT Setup
In ChatGPT, go to Settings and open the Developer or Connected Apps menu. Add a new MCP server action with the endpoint URL `https://nostairsplease.com/mcp`. ChatGPT uses OAuth 2.1 to authorize your account. Once linked, the tools become available in your chats.

### Gemini and Custom Agents
For Gemini or custom agent runtimes, point your Streamable HTTP client to `https://nostairsplease.com/mcp`. Authenticate through the standard OAuth 2.1 authorization code flow. Your client can then discover tools through the standard MCP protocol handshake.

## Practical Use Cases

### Routing Multi-Stop Tours
Routing a tour by hand takes days of searching map pins. With MCP tools enabled, you can ask your AI model:
"Find small music venues along I-5 between Eugene, OR and Bellingham, WA that book original music on Wednesdays or Thursdays, sorted in driving order from south to north."
The model calls `search_venues` with highway stop points, sorts the rooms in order, and displays stage sizes and capacities.

### Finding Stages by Similar Bands
Independent artists book faster when they pitch rooms that already welcome their genre. You can ask:
"Search for bands similar to our sound, check where they have played across the Pacific Northwest, and list rooms with capacities between 100 and 300."
The model calls `find_by_performer` to match historical show dates and return tested rooms.

### Drafting Focused Booking Emails
Generic pitch blasts get ignored by bookers. An AI model with tool access can write targeted notes:
"Look up the booking contacts for the top three venues on our Montana route. Check their published submission rules and recent show dates. Draft a three-paragraph pitch referencing two bands that played there last month."
The model pulls verified booker emails and specific room guidelines, then drafts a personal note without guessing.

## Account Levels and Access
No Stairs Please offers a free tier to get started with no credit card required. Free accounts include 10 7-day venue reveals to view direct booking contacts and source links.

For heavy tour planning, All Access passes are available as one-time purchases. Pricing is $25 for one month or $200 for one full year. All Access unlocks unlimited venue reveals and full performer search across the whole database.