General Music Chat

When I was playing in Lisa Ege Band few years back we auditioned for a gig live at Boondocks in Chesapeake, Mo. On a weeknight..I am trying to figure out how to mimic a full band and then trying to get a gig with what they hear rather than what they see..my buddy Faron and I have decided its too cold for busking outside so need to come up with a different game plan

as i understand it....it is mike's opinion (and that of other's as well) that you need to show the perspective new venue video of you playing to a well populated venue.

and that very well might be the case elsewhere....but that's not been my experience around my parts. I've NEVER shared one video that shows the crowd, and still I've been keeping my calendar quite full.

but for real....in the way of "promo", nobody is checking out cds anymore.

good luck.

i'm a band guy. always have been. and when you're lucky enough to be playing with talented folks, well, there are few things that are as much fun for me as interacting in the moment w a group of talented musicians.

that said.....i am absolutely LOVING this duo thing that Sarah and i are doing. it's been challenging for me getting my acoustic gtr chops back and up to snuff, and it's been challenging in a fun way coming up w material that flies w audiences (we both lean towards "off the beaten path" tunes) and still satisfies us, and then there's how do we rep these tunes with our limited instrumentation.... all fun challenges.

but what HASN'T been challenging is trying to book a duo vs. booking a full band. granted we're not gonna get hired (nor do we want to be) to play some shitkicker bar where bands are expected to play J B Goode and Skynard.....but VFW clubs, Elks, Eagles, wineries, pubs, restaurants....they are all moving away from paying for full bands and instead mainly go w solos and duos.

all this to say....you already have a situation w you and Faron.... so, why not just try to book that? you'd likely score more gigs for better money.

Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got till it's gone

@Planetguy..Faron is a unique guitarist and I then have to become unique in order to jam with him..by this, first off, I must reveal he plays in E open tuning and E open tuning only.. He does not know the names of chords and the ear training required to know a C#m7 on how it would be fingered in his E open tuning playing..that as an example..I cant yell out chords to him while playing cause he wont know them and how to finger them anyhow..yet he has techniques beyond my comprehension and as long as we are playing key of E or perhaps A tunes completely off the cuff we then do seem to entertain passersby..we could and can go for hours mixing up variations of off the cuff blues rock and country stuff..he has no interest in jazz and has told me never to play T-Bone Walkers Stormy Monday ever again cause it has jazz chords in it although its a blues tune..he gets mad..I wanted to get together with him this week to work up Johnny B.Goode at his place or the laundromat but he says he will not do cover tunes but yet wont reveal his originals I guess in fear of somenody stealing them or some other reason?..I really think it boils down to him just wanting to improvise blues and blues-rock country riffs and hes content with that but a club will never allow that..I told him we need substance and just not flash in the pan riffings..but to no avail ..

well, while it sounds like it might be fun to jam w him and busk in low expectation situations (where the artist can play whatever the f**k they want to.) gigging at venues doesn't seem like a viable option.

back to the drawing board then. it still surprises me you can't find quality musicians/quality people in a city as big as Springfield.

C'mon, surprised pg?

well, while it sounds like it might be fun to jam w him and busk in low expectation situations (where the artist can play whatever the f**k they want to.) gigging at venues doesn't seem like a viable option.

back to the drawing board then. it still surprises me you can't find quality musicians/quality people in a city as big as Springfield.

I sympathize. Usually musicians worth something are already doing something. There's 3x more people in the city where I'm at than Springfield, MO. That seems to translate to 3x more people you can't work with because they want to do some narrow style exactly or don't have a clue how music works.

I dont live in Springfield and have not been but once since March 2018 other than 3 open mic events I went to in April May 2018..Ancient Vegan has openly stated he blackballs me to anybody moronish to listen to him and there are considerable numbers of morons on his level that take heed but since they are of lower caliber talent skills Im not out much..also age has been a factor younger people want younger people..be surprised at just not having a rehearsal spot kills opportunity..distance, age, rehearsal space, similar likes in music, similar personalities.lots of coarse assholes that want to portray a biker image rather than beatlesque stage presence..look at AV and decide?..laziness and actually loving playing with Faron keeps me from looking..winter weather approaching low pay if pay at all?..all factors...probably just wait until a warm day and do it again with Faron cause it is fun and challenging shooting from the hip and we get great tips..but it takes a revolving crowd base..like swap meet fairs or laundrojams...looks like AV is dissing my rendition of Johnny B.Goode but had some facebook people message me liking it

Shawn Lane who is deceased ..well..his grandmother liked it..you all probably never heard of him..she knows..

Yeah I'm the cause of all your band problems PD.

And yes you are such a great player compared to any of us who've actually worked
and are working the Spfld music scene.

Taking the easy way out again right PD.


There's a certain amount of socializing that has to go in a band.

You're not going to get anywhere badmouthing everybody you've ever played with.

Is Shawn's grandma your girlfriend?

So you are back into the music scene? Hows that working out for ya?.you told everybody here you had "retired".whatever that means cause you never quite got off the ground in the first place HA LMAO..you sit and bad mouth Stockton you two faced axx..I swore I would shut up if you would but you had to pipe up again..even asked you like a friend last Spring if you could meet me at open mic there on Commercial St. But did not even have the decency to say yes no or maybe..one day I will stop reaching out to you if you dont stop the hatred based on your own delusions

Dude the only time you ever mentioned "working the Spfld. music scene" is when you told me once you played as a bassist in Branson but they tired of you playing the bass lines different each time and they wanted the bass lines played the same way every time...it is your story..tell it the way you want to..but you told me this sitting at Wabash Hall or whatever Billy Longs auction house name was..now tell me Im liar..

Me and Faron will be sure to setup across from you at Butchs next warm Spring day 2019 God-willing..and will show you how to make tip money playing guitars..just to piss you off watching the dollars drop into the case