Anyone here interested in music anymore? I would love to see the amount of ethusiasm, time and research that some put into politics (that we can't really change) and put that time and effort into the local music scene (which we can change).
this isn't a thread to bash against the political type of threads either. so don't make it into that.
i wanna see the local music scene flourish, does anyone else? what are you doin to make it better? what can us younger musician's do to keep the scene alive? what can i do to get younger musicians involved? these are sincere questions, so please dont be a jerk.
i dont know, i guess i just wanna see some people passionate about music.
I love music. I don't get out to see live music nearly as often as I would like to. Being on second trick has alot to do with that. But as soon as I get back on first, i'll be out alot more. I'd like to see this site go back to being a music site as well, but................I really doubt that that will ever happen. It is nice to see the ocassional music topic. I seen something on facebook I think it was that said "Music is how feeling good sounds." I thought that was pretty cool.
We have some things we are working on. We have been busy doing other things over the last few years, so we haven't been able to spend time on music. Things will be changing though
Geetarzz wrote: "Music is how feeling good sounds."
thats a great quote, im stealin it
to the_underground, i really enjoyed the kids festival thing you guys did last summer. thought it was really a cool idea for the local kids, if you guys do that again this summer/fall punk fiction would definitely be down to helpin out again.
When musician friends and I get together lately, the big topic seems to be the idea that the bar scene is on life-support, at best. It's not necessarily the bars' fault, either, there are a million factors in it's demise, from PLCB to DUI checkpoints to video gaming, and beyond.
I've been saying it for awhile, now... adapt or die. Not only do clubs have to adapt, so do we, as musicians. The days of lugging tons of equipment into a hole-in-the-wall and putting on a huge show are numbered, not only is it a lot of work with a small payoff, the audience seems to be wanting something more intimate. The over-the-top show I trained for now seems to be passe', in favor of more intimate one-on-one interaction, and I'm not sure why.
Whatever the reason, local musicians should be beating the bushes for gigs outside the club scene. That's where the gravy is right now. I'm very appreciative to the clubowners who book our project, and we still play clubs frequently, but we also play restaurants, festivals, community & church carnivals, private parties, arts festivals, and anything else we can find. Obviously, if you play death metal, you're not going to be playing a lot of church parties, but you can still hustle a buck, and play enough to keep sharp.
Also, you have to dedicate huge amounts of time to it. We've been around for 5 years, and only now are we at the point where we get more calls than we make. BUT... we're busier than ever, and profitable, even in the current economy. That's not a boast, it's a warning that you have to work your ass off and be better than the next guy.
I say spend less time trying to impress a few drunken revelers, and see how it works outside the bar. What say you?
Trial and error. That's the only advice I can give you. What works for some bands may not work for others and vice versa. Sure a big production with lights and smoke machines and lasers probably doesn't fit the bluegrass scene... however in the rock/metal scene it's almost a necessary part of the show. The idea is to figure out what grabs the audience's attention. Don't be afraid to stick your neck out and take some chances....and pay attention to the results. One song may not work well for one venue, or particular crowd....but may send another type of crowd into a feeding frenzy. There is no doubt the local scene has been on life support. Maybe it's just waiting for the right band to wake it up. Don't whisper okay we're here to play some music.....grab em by the balls.....and scream in their face....WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!! But most importantly have a good time or make it look like you are having one. Energy breeds energy... and if you build it......they WILL come.
I would caution against asking for/taking advice from people who go online and bitch about politics/MRIs/MTV/Yinztube/footyball/each other/bands that haven't been cool in 20 years/bands that haven't been cool ever/etc.
Jasaoke wrote:I would caution against asking for/taking advice from people who go online and bitch about politics/MRIs/MTV/Yinztube/footyball/each other/bands that haven't been cool in 20 years/bands that haven't been cool ever/etc.
good point.
i'm not askin for advice for my band per say. we've been workin our way into gigs and i'm sure it'll start picking up more soon. our demo cd is almost finished and we've been hittin up local jams, playin benefits, doin some openers and playin anywhere they will let us for a few months. i know that it takes work johnny, i've been workin my ass off for a while now.
i wanna see some people excited about what they are doin. musicians who dont care if they aren't makin a bunch of a cash a night, musicians who just wanna play for the sake of playin.
hawk mentioned it in a previous thread. but if we can't get musicians to stay and support the scene, then how can we expect patrons to support it?
Jasaoke wrote:I would caution against asking for/taking advice from people who go online and bitch about politics/MRIs/MTV/Yinztube/footyball/each other/bands that haven't been cool in 20 years/bands that haven't been cool ever/etc.
Why caution against it? When you get past the online bitching about said topics and get down to talkin music, a lot of the advice is good and solid. A lot of these people also have gone on to live long, successful musical careers. In fact it's kinda nice to see when there is an aspiring, young musician get on Rockpage to ask questions, that most of the veterans are willing to take time from their daily 'Obama is the devil' posts, to help them out with advice. Do we all agree about those previously mentioned topics? Hell no!! But when it comes to music topics.....we all take our gloves off and give civil, helpful advice.
Went out to see J.P. 's band last night. Dismal crowd. Where's the support for the man who supports ALL OF US... Just sayin'.
On another note. I'm enjoying my new part with Triple Thread (every third Thursday at Pelleys) And I'm looking forward to a new Blues project that I'm so thankful to be invited to share the music with, AND to possibly be re-united with a former Hawks member. And I'm also looking forward to a side project playing polkas. Life is good !
Just wanted to tell Kayla: you're going about it the right way.
Asking lots of questions is good... there was a time, especially locally, when the oldtimers would look down on you, and competition kept them from helping you at all. Young folks were expected to figure it out on their own, for the most part. Believe it or not, in it's infancy, Rockpage went further to change that than any other factor I've seen (except Jim Price, of course). The first Rockpage Jam made ripples in the local pond that are still going, there was a lot of good vibes at that show.
Understanding that hard work and persistence are the keys, is more than half the battle. Beyond that, finding your hook is all you need. For instance, kBand is the ONLY band I've ever heard of in the world who does what they do. Once people get used to the premise, they could really reap the benefits of it. Mama Corn uses decades of bar-band experience, mixes rock, blues and jamband with bluegrass (against the rules BIGTIME), and treats the audience like old friends. The Hawks are a great traditional blues band with a prog-rock guitarist. Find what people like about your band, and work that angle. I hate to say it, but you don't even really have to be a great player or singer (but you should ALWAYS strive to improve that, ALWAYS)... you will, however, be expected to put on a show, so you have to keep that in mind. As an entertainer, you'll be expected to entertain.
Generally, though, you're on the right road. A lot of us wish we could do it all again, starting from where you are.
I'd like to see more discussions on music related topics as well. Times are changing & have been & the more we can work together & learn from each other the better the chances are that we can continue to do what we love to do. I still remember not that many years ago on here when guys like Fat Vinny, Bobby Watters, etc would share their experiences & advice that would benefit veterans as well as new musicians. The last few years have shifted more towards politics, sports, celebrity drama, etc. More music related talk would be great.
Kayla, your passion for music and the passion of other young musicians is what fuels my fire. I live and breath music. I have had the pleasure over the years of jamming with some of the greatest musicians in the world right here in the area. I am not a musician, so when I get the chance to jam with young musicians like yourself, I get just as anxious and humbled as when jamming with the " Old Musicians". Age is only a limitation one puts on oneself. Just last month when we played at the Blue Moon, the best moment in the entire night for me was when Jason and Sebastian Steele( Fore Day Creep) traded off leads in 3 songs, and it could only be described as magic. So there is magic in the future for the local scene, as long as we all stick together. B
I think it's important to get non-musician involved in a hands-on kind of way. I think this area could greatly benefit from people working on music support services like management, booking, and promotion.
sstuckey wrote:Trial and error. That's the only advice I can give you. What works for some bands may not work for others and vice versa. Sure a big production with lights and smoke machines and lasers probably doesn't fit the bluegrass scene... however in the rock/metal scene it's almost a necessary part of the show. The idea is to figure out what grabs the audience's attention. Don't be afraid to stick your neck out and take some chances....and pay attention to the results. One song may not work well for one venue, or particular crowd....but may send another type of crowd into a feeding frenzy. There is no doubt the local scene has been on life support. Maybe it's just waiting for the right band to wake it up. Don't whisper okay we're here to play some music.....grab em by the balls.....and scream in their face....WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!! But most importantly have a good time or make it look like you are having one. Energy breeds energy... and if you build it......they WILL come.
Well said Mr.Stuckey.I love having this guy in my band.
sstuckey wrote:Trial and error. That's the only advice I can give you. What works for some bands may not work for others and vice versa. Sure a big production with lights and smoke machines and lasers probably doesn't fit the bluegrass scene... however in the rock/metal scene it's almost a necessary part of the show. The idea is to figure out what grabs the audience's attention. Don't be afraid to stick your neck out and take some chances....and pay attention to the results. One song may not work well for one venue, or particular crowd....but may send another type of crowd into a feeding frenzy. There is no doubt the local scene has been on life support. Maybe it's just waiting for the right band to wake it up. Don't whisper okay we're here to play some music.....grab em by the balls.....and scream in their face....WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!! But most importantly have a good time or make it look like you are having one. Energy breeds energy... and if you build it......they WILL come.
Well said Mr.Stuckey.I love having this guy in my band.
Thank you sir, but no more than I like being in it!
Jasaoke wrote:I think it's important to get non-musician involved in a hands-on kind of way. I think this area could greatly benefit from people working on music support services like management, booking, and promotion.
I love this area, but I'm very glad I moved away for 18 years too. I left 6 days after graduating high school. I went to Dallas, TX for 5 years where I made connections, played and recorded with members of Point Blank & auditioned with a management company who put me on the road for a year. It wasn't a perfect sitch but I got to travel all over the US, open for Joseph Cotton & met Heart, so it was worth quitting my job on a Friday, selling my 4 month old new truck, storing my furniture, learning 40 songs in a weekend & starting the first gig on that Monday.
From there I moved to Illinois with a guy I met while playing there. I met my husband to be who was a drummer, played every gig in the Quad Cities there was. We realized there wasn't much else we could do in the area, so 4 days after we got married on the Mississippi River we moved to Los Angeles with 2 trucks, all our belongings & $2000. (wedding gifts)
There were a couple hard years, because we didn’t quit our day jobs. We knew no one, in fact I had never even been to California. But we worked our asses off and wrote songs and played any showcase we could. That meant setting up our equipment with 4 to 5 other bands and playing a 45 minute set when it was our turn, which sometimes didn’t happen until 12:00 am. Then we’d tear down and make the hour long or more drive home to unpack and get up and go to work. Pay? Ha! No pay. Those clubs knew how desperate we all were to be heard by some A & R rep who just might be in the audience, so they didn’t pay. The pay was the chance to get seen. When we played The Whiskey we were given tickets to sell. If we didn’t sell the tickets we owed the promoter the difference. (We sold all of ours). And this was from 1988 to 1996 so there was no internet. No facebook, no YouTube, no Rockpage. All our posters had to be distributed by hand.
I got close to maybe making it once. I was flown to Albuquerque by a manager looking for a female singer. I got to meet with some industry folk & they like my singing, but for various reasons it didn’t work out. We stayed in LA 8 years. I moved back home because I missed my family & I didn’t want to have a child in LA. I didn’t play music for 7 years to make sure my little boy had his Mama. Of course I’m back out there. It’s awfully hard to stay away.
If I have advice for anyone it’s this. Leave this area. Go out and see what the world has to offer. Take BIG risks. It’s the only way to stand out and make connections. This area is great for raising kids. But even in LA you’ll find that it’s the kids with rich daddies that get all the chances. (and yeah there’s a couple here too, even if they do run off to Nashville once in a while). You’ve got to be brave and make your own chances. You have many more tools at your disposal than we did. You have one life – make it count!!!!
good point. 
