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Gigs you like to play and why...

#3
My favorites lately are the thrown-together last-minute gigs. Some guy calls me on Thursday and says "Hey how bout tou, me, Steve and Joe play AJ's Saturday night? We got canceled and I'll email you a set list. Whadaya say?"

I usually say "I'm in." And the gigs are a blast. Some of the best music I have ever played and it's all out of the blue. It just goes to show you that my theory that musicians worry/rehearse too much holds up in many cases.
 
#4
Nashville Jazz Workshop-it's set up like a nice listening room, good PA and the audience is actually there to hear you. Nice stage, too. Honorable mentions, Douglas Corner Cafe and Nine48Jazz.
 
#8
two fingers said:
My favorites lately are the thrown-together last-minute gigs. Some guy calls me on Thursday and says "Hey how bout tou, me, Steve and Joe play AJ's Saturday night? We got canceled and I'll email you a set list. Whadaya say?"

I usually say "I'm in." And the gigs are a blast. Some of the best music I have ever played and it's all out of the blue. It just goes to show you that my theory that musicians worry/rehearse too much holds up in many cases.
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Ditto. I like the ones without even a set list.
 
#9
There are 2 private summer parties I go to every year. There is no pay, but they are always a blast. Lots of other musicians are there (at least 50 at each) to talk to and play with all day.

We have been playing a nice bar this year that has been a good venue. It is a long building with the bar at one end and the band at the other. the bar is far enough from the band that the local crowd inst turned off by a loud band, but the dancing crowd has lots of space up front to party.
 
#11
Can't really name specific venues or gig "types" but in general it's really nice to do gigs where the band is treated well... because it doesn't seem to happen that much anymore. "Band treated well" meaning:

1) Client actually seems glad to have you there (vs you being a "necessary cost")

2) Comp food and beer - used to be givens, now getting pretty rare especially on the bar scene

3) Some sort of private area for the band to hang out, prepare for the gig and (if outdoors) get out of the elements; street dances can be a lot of fun but changing clothes in the gear trailer or a porta-john in midsummer heat, not so much

4) A real stage and adequate amounts of clean power

5) Decent pay (duh)

Now granted I've played memorable gigs where none of the above applied... and I realize a lot of the reason bands don't get this treatment so much anymore is cause they took advantage of it or felt "entitled" to it in days gone by... but if you get treated halfway decently it can make a low paying, low attended gig in less than ideal conditions much more tolerable.
 
#12
Church. No rig to haul. 100,000 watts of power. IEMs. Subs in stage floor. Sound engineer is great (and a bass player). Good musicianship. People are appreciative. Your serving a purpose instead of selling beer. Granted we r playing CCM, but I create my own parts (that serves the music) to keep it interesting.
 
#13
A local place called The Rib House. It is a rare (for around here) musicians' bar. The talent in that place on a Sunday is incredible (and free). We will almost always have a guest artist or three join us for a few tunes. The patrons love music and when we play there, we get to do the stuff we love (and they love) and not the crap that most bar owners insist we play. Tons of good ol' fashioned rock and blues.
Probably the lowest paying gig we have but still my favorite place to play.
 
#17
River City Saloon in Grand Rapids MI!

They have killer lights, and the crowd that goes there are just great people! (Plus the owner is a dream to work with, and the staff ROCKS!)
 
#18
rtslinger said:
I like to do outdoor shows always fun
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Ditto. Waaay better than bars....for me. I do not have any "regularly scheduled" outdoor gigs though.

We are doing the Allentown/Bethlehem Music Fest this year though and we did a car show a few weeks ago. Have "Horsham Days" gig coming up which is also outdoors but these are too infrequent...for me.

I guess my first answer was geared towards places we appear regularly. Can I stick with two answers? Ha!
 

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