"SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC" - Ask for it or do it ?

[Hawk]

EDIT: 3/25/12

After I read some posts I re-read the thread opener and it does sound like I was chastising musicians for not supporting live music. However that was never the intent of this thread. My sincere apologies, in that, it made some Rockkpagers unnecessarily defensive. Believe me, there have been many times over many years that I was so busy I didn't get out much.

Nor did I in any way attempt to point out any specific band or musicians relative to the benefit I mentioned. Big Jimi, I believe I heard you guys talk about going to practice after your set. That is admirable in and of itself. Given that you gave your time to the benefit before heading off to practice.

What happened the day of the benefit was that by the last bands, which were REALLY GOOD, there was a sparse crowd and I was thinking, "Where are all the musicians who were here today? They would enjoy these bands". (There were some there, it wasn't an empty house. ) That's all there was to that.

The same with other posts, I feel badly if I quilted anyone into a defensive post. Gallow, I agree, the teaching you do given your family time, band time and personal time is admirable. Dan, I think it's great what you do to help young talent get a stage to perform and showcase their abilities.

And I've been there with my own young kids who take up a lot of time. And I understand that my kids are grown and have there own families. Since they're out of the house I do have more time than some others to go out and see some local talent.

Kudos to each of you who posted !

Like I said, when I re-read my post I failed miserably so I'll try to say what I was hoping for.

A challenge to Rockpagers was to say to oneself, "You know what, I'm going to try and go hear that band I've been wanting to hear for a long time, or perhaps a favorite band. Then I'm going to post and say what a good time I had." So if you've been out lately, let us know about it.

Like me last night. I kinda wanted to stay home and watch basket ball and relax with Cathy. But I went out to see Johnny Danger, ran into Harmonica Dave and we had a good time listening to some good local talent. Then Cathy and I headed over to Pelleys to see Jason and the K Band. Jason played in probably what was Shawn's first band, so it was cool to see him on stage gigging away and having fun and we really enjoyed the K Band and what they're doing. So in the end, I'm glad we didn't stay home to watch TV.

I'm leaving up my original post, but it was poorly stated and I'm sorry. EDITING complete.


This is a challenge to Rockpagers.

If you ask or expect people to "support live music", let us know when you go out and support live music.

I know musicians are busy and busy playing on weekends. I noticed at one of the recent benefits that many musicians showed up in time to play and left when they were done. Only a few took their time (literally) to show support for the other bands.

Many local venues are trying their best to support live music. Support your local venue that SUPPORTS LIVE MUSIC !

Lead by example. Show your support.

Who are you going to see or who have you seen recently...?

[ToonaRockGuy]

Gueasing that my situation is unique, but since I quit drinking, I really don't go out much anymore. The band plays most every Saturday, and Sundays I am too tired to go out anywjere. I try to help out and repost shows when I can, but I just have better things to do than hang out in a bar all night being uncomfortable because I don't drink.

[kayla]

i definitely support the local music scene every chance i can get. this week i saw the hurricanes monday night at the blue moon, thursday night played an open jam and made it in time to get to see dan klock's new project at the blue moon. tomorrow night i plan to either be at madhatters and see shades of leather or head out to ebensburg to catch rick ramsey.

some times i get a lil bummed when i spend so much time supporting the seasoned musicians and dont see many of them out supporting the younger musicians.

you have no idea how much confidence it gives me to see someone that i look up to supporting what i'm doing. jus sayin.

- kayla.

[floodcitybrass]

Support the young musicians.

If your local high has a band concert, choir concert, play/musical, go an watch it.

It won't be long until the only after school activity is football.

[KeithReynolds]

I personally have a job. Among other days, I work fri and sat nights EVERY WEEK and cant afford to take off to go watch some band play. Sad, but true. Would I like to? Sure, there are some bands I havent seen in a while that id like to see again for sure. Am I gonna risk getting fired over it? HELL NO.

[Gallowglass]

When I was younger I definitely supported the scene more by attending local shows. I still try when I can. This might sound lame, but nowadays with three kids, two gigging bands, and all the other stuff I do, there is rarely time to go out. I like to think that I am supporting the local music scene by passing on as much of my knowledge as I can to the younger generation. I have a number of current and past students that are in gigging bands and I'd like to think I have helped them at least a little bit. It's also cool to contribute to something that's bigger than just myself. I don't know, does that still count?

[Big Jimi Cee]

I know musicians are busy and busy playing on weekends. I noticed at one of the recent benefits that many musicians showed up in time to play and left when they were done. Only a few took their time (literally) to show support for the other bands.

I guess for me it comes down to schedule. and the fact that I have a life outside of music. My day job which pays the bills and buys the toys is in Pittsburgh and requires a good bit of travel. I actually have more opportunity to see live music in da burgh than I do in Altoona to which I take advantage at every opportunity.

When I am not doing the day time thing, I have a wonderful wife that I truly enjoy spending what limited time I have with her. I am playing in a working band, that is playing on a regular basis, writing and learning new material and is trying to get ready for a competition in April. From the band business side of things, I am booking the band and working collectively with the other members to market and do all of the back office stuff required to keep a band operating. We are producing our own cd at the moment, and most of this has to be crammed into the weekends.

I have a list of bands that I want to see schedule permitting. When Fore Day Creep played the Hard Rock in Pittsburgh, I was in town and made sure that I was there to give them some local support. Last night, Mama Corn at Pelly's, get show BTW.

So I guess at the end of the day to base an observation one one event is a little presumptuous, I think that I can speak for a lot of other fellow musicians when I say that many of us do in fact support both local and live music at every opportunity possible as our schedule and lives permit!!

[tonefight]

I've caught 4 shows this month, The Hurricanes, Sunset Strip, Ruff Tymes and Denise Baldwin. I have a CDL therefore a .04 limit so I usually stick within walking distance unless I got a DD or I just show up and catch a set and leave if I'm driving cause it just isn't that fun sitting in a bar not drinkin, LOL.

[songsmith]

I'd go out more often if I could, but I'm kinda on the same page as ToonaRock on this one. It's usually not as much fun being the sober one, unless you're onstage... kind of like how ex-smokers are the loudest critics of current smokers. My wife is more of a homebody now, too, and she likes having me around when I'm not playing.
That said, it's not because I don't like the youngins' music, I'm often surprised at how well the up-and-comers throw down, especially when I recall how poor I was at it, at their age. I really like that the younger set seems far more open to different kinds of music than my generation... we were marketed to differently. They kinda made us choose sides, if you liked metal, you weren't supposed to like anything else. Now, Lady Gaga is a huge fan of NWOBHM. My 12-year-old neighbor likes George Jones AND Katy Perry. That's pretty cool.
You're right though, Hawk, I could get out more.

[bassluvver]

Playing in 2 bands plus working a 50+ hr per week job that requires me to get up at 3am keeps me pretty busy. I have found the time to promote live music here in Huntingdon county by teaming up with a fellow musician friend and starting this Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/129551323789658/

It's place where all Huntingdon County musicians/Venues can promote themselves, no matter what genre you play.

I have also found the time in recent months to get out to catch shows by Velocty, Channel 5 News Team, Nasty Habit,and The Distractions.

My band has played several benefits in the last few months. Was it me that left after playing? Most likely! 3 AM comes quick after playing 3x in one weekend.

[Mysterytrain]

Nice thread, Hawk.

I try to offer newer bands some exposure at our events. The crowd is pretty responsive and encouraging at times. Whether or not that helps them get venue gigs I don't really know.

I also love turning on the out-of-town'ers to some of our longtime local talent. Like... who the hell wouldn't be impressed with the Hurricanes!

For me, going to see music I think it's one of those things that when I finally get a chance to go out then I check RP for whats going on that night. It doesn't happen all that often with so much going on in my world. Which is a total bummer too.

As for benefits, perhaps that since a lot of them happen on Sundays may have something to do with it. Many times they are all day long. For me, I really enjoy hanging out with fellow musicians and finally meet a few RP'ers.

[bassist_25]

I know it sounds like we're all just getting on here and putting out a laundry list of excuses, but like many here, I'm in the same boat. In addition to music, I work two day gigs and I'm a full time doctoral student. When I have a night off, I'm more apt to spend it with my girlfriend or get work done or just decompress. I recently played early in the day for one of the benefits at Pelly's, and I had to bail two songs into the following band's set. I normally don't do that, as I've always believed the classy thing to do at benefit gigs is to stay if at all possible; unfortunately, I had to get home because I had a project to get done.

Also, I'm an introvert, and I honestly find large crowds mentally exhuasting. I know it sounds strange, but I love being on stage, looking out and seeing a huge crowd in the room; at the same time, I wouldn't want to be out in that crowd.

At the end of the day, though, unless you're Dream Theater, your fan base is going to have to be made up of much more than a bunch of other musicians - kinda how your fan base has to be made up of much more than your immediate family and coworkers. It's great to see other musicians in the audience, but their presence probably isn't going to sway a venue owner's mind one way or another about rebooking a band.

[Jasaoke]

It is quite difficult to be a working musician and support other working musicians. I'm a contractor, and I don't 'support' other contractors by hiring them. I'll give a referral to somebody, or recommend someone for a job that I can't do, but I wouldn't hire another guy to paint my garage.

Occasionally, we get the opportunity to work together, swap secrets and tips, but I think we can support each other more if we get more non-musicians involved with local music. Not just "come see my band" but "what kind of music do you like? ... Have you heard of ______ they play that kind of thing and I think they'll be @ _____ on Saturday".

[Merge]

I go out and see other local bands when I'm not playing. I enjoy live music.

[Hawk]

After I read some posts I re-read the thread opener and it does sound like I was chastising musicians for not supporting live music. However that was never the intent of this thread. My sincere apologies, in that, it made some Rockkpagers unnecessarily defensive. Believe me, there have been many times over many years that I was so busy I didn't get out much.

Nor did I in any way attempt to point out any specific band or musicians relative to the benefit I mentioned. Big Jimi, I believe I heard you guys talk about going to practice after your set. That is admirable in and of itself. Given that you gave your time to the benefit before heading off to practice.

What happened the day of the benefit was that by the last bands, which were REALLY GOOD, there was a sparse crowd and I was thinking, "Where are all the musicians who were here today? They would enjoy these bands". (There were some there, it wasn't an empty house. ) That's all there was to that.

The same with other posts, I feel badly if I quilted anyone into a defensive post. Gallow, I agree, the teaching you do given your family time, band time and personal time is admirable. Dan, I think it's great what you do to help young talent get a stage to perform and showcase their abilities.

And I've been there with my own young kids who take up a lot of time. And I understand that my kids are grown and have their own families. Since they're out of the house I do have more time than some others to go out and see some local talent.

Kudos to each of you who posted !

Like I said, when I re-read my post I failed miserably so I'll try to say what I was hoping for.

A challenge to Rockpagers was to say to oneself, "You know what, I'm going to try and go hear that band I've been wanting to hear for a long time, or perhaps a favorite band. Then I'm going to post and say what a good time I had." So if you've been out lately, let us know about it.

Like me last night. I kinda wanted to stay home and watch basket ball and relax with Cathy. But I went out to see Johnny Danger, ran into Harmonica Dave and we had a good time listening to some good local talent. Then Cathy and I headed over to Pelleys to see Jason and the K Band. Jason played in probably what was Shawn's first band, so it was cool to see him on stage gigging away and having fun and we really enjoyed the K Band and what they're doing. So in the end, I'm glad we didn't stay home to watch TV.

I'm leaving up my original post, but it was poorly stated and I'm sorry.