How do you promote when you got no money?

I've found the internet to be a moderately useful tool for the few shows I've played in the past year, as long as I combine it with lots of nagging -- I mean follow-up e-mails and phone calls. I'm not certain putting my shows on various event calendars all around internet-land brings in anyone.

The Central Valley Blues Society has been helpful to me by putting up my shows and information without asking me for any money (Thanks guys!). (The Sacramento Blues Society said I could pay $50 to be listed on their website and a member of their "bands" or whatever. I tried to explain that I'm a BLUES musician, on a fixed income and therefore I have no money to spare, but I guess they think because I'm young and have all my teeth still that I must be a liar. Maybe I'll hock some teeth...hmmmm)

I haven't done much promotion via posters and flyers and such. Seems like a waste of paper to me, but I do try to put up things in strategic locations at venues. Right now things are so tight I might just tag some alleys for promotion. I went back to the Bay Area this weekend and gave away all the cash I had -- a lot of it to my parents, since my pops is out of work and my mom is worried they may lose their house.

Radio... radio is good. At least, I've heard people say to me "I heard about your show on KWhatever station" but not while I was at a gig... and those folks weren't at my gig...

We-yelll.... Food for thought (since the cupboard is nearly bare anyways)