General Music Chat

It seems many musicians I meet do not go to see their peers play and are not aware of the local scene. I think this is a big mistake. Most of these "musicans" play in cover bands; original artists tend to network and support each other more.

I supported my local music scene heavily when I was part of it some years back. When I stopped singing live locally I stopped going to local shows. Now that I am thinking of singing live locally again, I probably will start going to see local music again.

The decision to see local music is probably more involved for me than many others on this board however because I live rurally and most music that I like (prog rock, progressive bluegrass/newgrass, alt country, indie rock) is not well represented in my area.

Thank goodness for the internet!!!

Steve S-N
aka Tuxedo Cat Sings!

Boy Ill tell ya Jimmy, thats the talk of this town lately.I was SO HAPPY to see a guitar player friend of mine wonder in while gigging last nite.Seems like in the last 10 yrs Ill say, its been less and less that I see other players wonder in to a gig.NOW, while I WAS in a band doing original material, ya gotta remember that the musicians alotta times (my case) are just hired guns so , yeah , Ill agree that the "hired guns" arent supporting eachother anymore. We have a Citywide smoking ban here that has KILL this area.
I gotta admit, Im not heavy chested in the morning after gig anymore,BUT, I miss the networking and comraderie we had of yrs past.

I play many various open mikes to help generate a following for this spring when I'll be gigging. Establishments like it when you bring in paying customers.
But - anyway - I play all originals, - got a singer and a harmonica player, and I'll tell you, people, I have met some of the nicest most supportive people you can possibly imagine.

I prefer local venues. I prefer to have acess to musicians. I want them to know me as well as me knowing them. That can only happen in the local music scene. Along with that, you get more band for the buck. There is a gentleman who puts on fingerstyle guitar concerts. Along with these concerts there are often free workshops. I know nothing about the guitar but I had the opportunity to talk face to face with people who normally, are under the watch of security. I met Lawrence Juber who once played with Wings...I thought that was the coolest opportunity.My music friends wait around until some big name comes to the performing arts center. I'm sorry but watching a concert from the nosebleed seats because I can't afford the 150.00 tickets is not appealing at all.

Anything that's not in bars yes.

Yes that's a problem for many, I know a lot of people who don't like smoke or don't drink anymore and they don't like the bar scene. Unfortunately bars are where most bands play in this area. Of course there's coffee houses and restaurants but these venues are limited in the types of music they allow. I used to go see bands once a week but I've cut back to once or twice a month now.

To be perfectly honest - NO, & I haven't for the last 15 years or so, other than the open mic that I co-hosted for so long.

It just got old for me, & I didn't like most of what I heard - same old classic rock junk & nothing new. That's what sells in these parts, but I just won't buy it.

I was truly surprized when the hippie-jam-band I was in became as popular as it was, but in retrospect, it was the only alternative to the same old same old at the time. Well, we were pretty good, too, but I just didn't see it getting a following in this backward area. I was wrong about that one, & I'd love to do it again, if I could find the right ppl to play with.

If it isn't anything different then why bother?

I gotta agree with you there Phil, if there's not a lot of cool bands in your area why bother. In the Detroit area we are blessed (or cursed) with thousands of really good musicians and many great bands. Of course there's some crap but overall I am amazed at the talent. The day after Christmas I'm going to a great show at a "small" club - The Meatmen, Chapstik and Mazinga.

http://www.smallsbardetroit.com/

Currently juggling 2 bands, looking at scheduling gigs, practice 3x a week, doesn't give me a lot of time with the wife and kid. I do attend a local open mic night every two weeks, but outside of that, I just don't have the time.

I go out and see other bands every chance I get.

I ussually get to sit in with the bands I go see and then I let them sit in at our gigs. These days we are a really good cover dance style band, so not as many musicians come and hang out as they did when we were one of the local hardcore metal bands. Most of the bands that kinda compete in the arena I play in play a lot and so they dont go sit in or hang out at other bands gigs. I go and hand out cds of my band at any bands that have the same kind of following as ours.

I must admit I have not been supportive of the local scene in quite a few years.
The only bars I venture into these days are associated with resturants.
I did bop off into one with some friends while at a Kung Fu seminar in the Houston area. Was a jazz pianist who was a pretty darn good entertainer.
It was a nice place, no black tie kinda thing but more than the usuall dump where they keep the lights dim so you dont see the filth on the walls.

I don't like playing in bars. Lotta people watching TV, always one loud drunk, guys just looking for some action from the ladies . . . hearing damage, '(cause bar bands are almost always in the danger zone with the volume) . . .
Restaurants w/ attached bars are ok, though.
Cause besides the bar crowd, there's also a lot of just plain folks mixed in with the crowd, - men & women who were eating and happened to hear you playing . . .
.
I wonder how many people here actually perform in public . . . ?

Daayyyam... everytime I play out with either band, the audience is at least 1/4 musicians from other bands... we all go out on weekends if we're not gigging to support our other musician friends. On New Years Eve, My wife and I were invited to an awesome "musicians only" party and we actually got a secret invite like one would get for a wedding. From what I hear, there are going to be quite a few well known musicians there... I'm looking soooo forward to this one that we moved our gig from New Years eve to Jan. 3rd just so the band and I could attend this one!

A coupla threads ago, I said that I only buy local independant bands' CDs as a form of support. Gigs whenever I can, but my schedules don't treat me well