New band with old dudes

[EricssonB]

I responded to a Craiglist ad a few weeks back of a guy trying to start a new Country/Rock band in Denver. I said "I play bass" and the conversation went on from there.

He's 42, I'm 23. I met up with him yesterday for a face-to-face. Turns out he's exactly like me but 19 years older:
- delusional about our musical projects of which we post solo material under the name of long-dissolved bands from our youth;
- obsessed about music and always collecting faster than we can listen to it;
- living a double life of contrast -- he's a principal/former teacher at one of the bigger schools in town on one hand while always preoccupied with wanting to work on and play songs that he writes on the other -- I'm an involved member of the USAF with a good face for things... says he hardly feels older than 20.

I didn't know that other people did this stuff! Seems like good chemistry. He found a drummer around his age who has been stuck in a classic rock cover band rut for years and is looking for some originals, which is most of what we plan on doing. Should work. All of our kids are the same age, too. Seriously.

(How's a few reinterpretations of Waylon Jennings and Dwight Yoakam sound? Rad, right? We think so.)

Sure, I might be the same age that my son will be by the time I'm their ages, but that's cool.

I've read other threads on here about folks having a rewarding experience in bands with older musicians. Please share any advice or experience that I might be able to take into this band!

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by EricssonB

He's 42

...

[HertzWhenIPlay]

I am fortunate to have reconnected with a band i was in 15 years ago, but i also find myself doing other projects with younger musicians. I guess this is what happens as musicians get older?

years ago i went on a leadership outing that was sponsored by the local chamer of commerce. I discovered that i was rooming with the a local highschool principal who played blues. he brought his les paul and i brought my bass and we jammed, jammed, jammed late into each night.
it was great!

[HertzWhenIPlay]

42 is the new 30

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by RustyAxe

...

"New band with old dudes" was a lot simpler than "New band with dudes who are in their 40s scratching their heads about how quickly that happened."

[Marko5657]

I guess that would make me an ancient dood…



When playing with people who like the same kind of music, the age thing isn’t much of a factor.

Between the band and jam buddies, we're all 50+ and I swear we behave like a bunch of juveniles.

.

[BluezBassist]

I think that's awesome! I'm one of those older guys and a long time ago the age issue became a non-issue for me... I play in 2 bands, one where our ages are all mid 40's and another where the singer is only 23, the rest of us mid 40's. The group with the younger singer seems to have a lot more going for it just because we all have the same mindset, get what we're after and it just feels more like a band if that makes sense.

For you guys, if everyone is on the same page musically speaking you'd be crazy not to pursue it despite age or anything else. It's hard enough to find band members who mesh together in the first place so you're lucky to have that.. I really hope it goes well!

[makkE]

You're just 20 hehe. Let me tell you this - within a blink of an eye, you'll be 40 too, and you will find that you basically don't feel that much diffrent than you did at 20. It's just other youngsters that look at you as if you were an old fart :P And it's not really nice sometimes.

When I was 18, all those guys and girls in their 30ies seemed sooooo old to me. Now I'm 34, still feeling the same as I did at 18 - more or less - actually it's a lot better, because I got a little bit wiser :P

Age is only a number. I am the oldest in my band, my drummer is 14, guitarists are 20 and 25... it doesn't matter as long as the music works out.

Anyways, it's cool to see you really have no problem with his age

[Session1969]

When I was sixteen(1986), these guys from Seattle moved to the little town I grew up in and it turned out that I was the only bass player around that was available. They took me under their wings and I learned 40 songs in about 40 days and played my high school homecoming dance that year aside from a bunch of bar gigs. At eighteen I moved to Vegas to play music and was able to hang quite well. I didn't see a future with them because of their habits after our gigs but I also didn't realize how good they were until I played in Vegas for a while. It took me a long time to find cats as good. My girlfriend at the time even told me they were better than any of the cats she'd seen me play with in Vegas. Trippy. What a great head start I had.

[chris4355]

Well... think about it this way. You are given a chance to play with older people, who are likely to have a LOT more experience than you.

Even if they are not "better", theres always something you can learn from someone whos 20 years older.

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by chris4355

Well... think about it this way. You are given a chance to play with older people, who are likely to have a LOT more experience than you.

Even if they are not "better", theres always something you can learn from someone whos 20 years older.

Absolutely. I'm definitely looking at this a way to learn as well as have fun. I'll be learning to play differently than I have for the past ten years. I didn't listen to any Country at all until about two weeks ago when I found a good vein of Outlaw Country and have been digging into it. Roots'n'fiffs.

He asked for my input on finding a drummer, which I appreciate as we both agree that the bass and drums should click first. I took that as a sign that he respects me as a player so far. Could be the start of a good project.

[awakefie]

Is this Nick's band in Parker?

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by awakefie

Is this Nick's band in Parker?

A link to the picture that I had posted before it killed a dozen people: http://pakmediablog.net/wp-content/u...4_negative.gif

[awakefie]

Wow, that blows your eyes out.

I take it that means no.

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by awakefie

Wow, that blows your eyes out.

I take it that means no.

Yeah. Wow. That's terrible. Sorry about that. =D

[awakefie]

N/P. Good luck. It sounds like you've found a good fit.

[EricssonB]

Originally Posted by awakefie

N/P. Good luck. It sounds like you've found a good fit.

Thanks! Do you know much about the Denver music scene? I was inspired to Country when I visited Toby Keith's B&G a few months back and realized that you can actually get people to dance if you just play songs correctly and it's a heck of a lot more fun than some wannabe alternative rock scene.

...how about that new IKEA?

[Icey101]

you might learn something

[EddiePlaysBass]

I've been on both sides of the coin, i.e. I was in a classic rock cover band with a bunch of guys in their '50s when I was about 23. At one point my dad actually sang in that band, which is cool because before he retired from this music stuff, he had a really great voice. Anyway, turned out most of the geezers in that band were delusional AND mediocre. Bad combination! I stayed way too long in that band, but the age issue never really cropped up.

In my current gig (I am now 30), 2 of the guys are in their 40s and the drummer is well in his 50s. They are the best musicians I have played with and I feel as if I am learning more and more every single rehearsal. I could not be happier and the relative age issue really is non-existent. The drummer and I hit it off from the first jam session we did together and we are getting to a point where we "feel" each other (yeah, that musical second base thingie )

My input? Have fun with it. I know I am.

[bluewine]

Old, older it's all relative. I wish I was 42,I'd be young again.

In other words the post doesn't make much sense to me.

blue