Have you ever been recognized as a musician?....

[comatosedragon]

Have you ever been recognized as a musician?....

...In a non-musical environment?
...By someone you know would never have seen you play?
...By someone you literally just met?


I went with my wife to her lawyer appointment yesterday*, and as he was asking questions, he suddenly looks at me and says "are you a musician"? I was flabbergasted, and a little impressed. I confirmed that I was indeed.

Now, let me say a word about appearances: I was not wearing any band T-shirt, or anything like that. I was wearing a collared button down dress shirt, a tie, and black dress pants. I do not have long hair, visible tattoos, or wear makeup. I do wear a closely trimmed beard.

So what was it? Something in my attitude, my demeanor, my way of speech? Are we (musicians) really that far outside of 'the norm' that people who are trained to pick up on such things (Lawyers, Private Investigators, Reporters, Police) can easily pick us out after something as innocuous as a five minute conversation (that has absolutely nothing to do with anything music related)?

So, have you been recognized for what you really are?
I would love to hear the stories!!

*for those inquiring minds, the lawyer visit was not about divorce. It was her immigration lawyer*

 

[DirtDog]

Sometimes when I'm at a store and I'm paying cash, I'll pull a handful of picks out of my pocket along with cash. That's a dead giveaway, especially to another guitar player.

I can usually pick out a drummer from the crowd. It's usually that guy who's rapping out paradiddles on the board room table.

Perhaps your lawyer saw you drive up in your van with the "BASSMAN" license plate? His guess was was either a musician or an angler. Or proctologist.

 

[comatosedragon]

Perhaps your lawyer saw you drive up in your van with the "BASSMAN" license plate? His guess was was either a musician or an angler. Or proctologist.

Awesome!
Nope, just a Subaru Outback. I do have a Peavey bumper sticker, but I know he didn't see my car in the parking deck from his office.

And remember, if you ever meet a proctologist at a party, stick by him. He has the best stories.

 

[Richland123]

I have had people I don't know say to me that I am in band. They recognize me from seeing me play or in an ad or brochure or TV interview for an event.

 

[LBS-bass]

Maybe your wife mentioned it to him and he was trying to remember if it was you or some other client's husband? I'm not generally recognized as a musician except on the very rare occasion I bump into someone who has actually seen me play. The number of times that's happened is pretty small.

 

[comatosedragon]

Maybe your wife mentioned it to him and he was trying to remember if it was you or some other client's husband?

Thats what I thought at first too, but no, she said she never told him. Very odd.

 

[LBS-bass]

Thats what I thought at first too, but no, she said she never told him. Very odd.

Yep, that is odd!

 

[dan1952]

All the time, since I was in high school. Around town, out of town, out of state, even in Mexico City. I can't sneak up on anyone...

 

[grimjim]

No, I have had people that I didn't know come up to me because they'd seen me play, but not out of the blue like that.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Maybe he had a list of your online usernames which included your Talkbass profile. He may have just worked it into the conversation because being a musician is interesting. But it may have been a part of his investigation as part of your wife's case.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've never been mistaken for a musician.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Yep, happens to me every so often...usually I’m pegged as a drummer or guitarist. Then again, I’m also mistaken for a bouncer or undercover police officer, particularly when I’m wearing black clothing.

Not sure which I’m happiest about being profiled as...

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

No. I am however often thought to be other people. Several times a year people stop me and ask if I am so-and-so or just flat-out call me some other person’s name thinking I’m them. I’ve actually seen two or three of my doppelgängers walking around before but never stopped them.

I guess the moral of the story is there are a lot of ugly dudes out there.

 

[jchrisk1]

Maybe he is a musician as well. You know, it takes one to know one. My guitarist is an attorney, so you never know. Of course, the judges often think he is the defendant.

 

[StudioStuntz]

...So what was it? Something in my attitude, my demeanor, my way of speech?....

Did one of your hands have long fingernails, yet the other hand's nails were neatly manicured or almost chewed down to the nubs?



No one has ever wild-guessed I was a musician as myself, merely by site, they would have had to see my play.

Since I was 21, I have been mistaken many times for about a dozen actors/musicians, but everybody gets that in LA.

Even a couple I looked absolutely nothing like!

In those cases, it's usually one of their favorite celebrity crushes that ends up distorting their perception, such as confusing a blonde-haired actor with glasses, with a brown-haired John Doe without them!
Wishful thinking I guess.

I have also been mistaken for several different ethnic groups.

When I told one guy who wanted to converse with me in his native tongue that I wasn't, he almost wanted to start a fight with me because he thought I didn't want to bother with him.
One boss at work made a comment regarding a facial feature that, according to him, was associated with a certain ethnic group and would shout out the same "Hey, gimme a ham sandwich" -alleged ethnic slur every time our paths crossed!

The last time someone asked me if I was a particular actor (one of the ones I've been confused with many times) was about six years ago (ahh, old age!).

I always say some sort of no right off the bat, but her wording was "Has anybody ever told you you look like ___ ____?", to which I just had to reply, "Nope, only my mom, Mrs. ____!".


Please don't misinterpret any of these recollections as any thing else other than star struck people desperate to meet a celeb.

My favorite comebacks/exit lines when people used to ask me "Are you an actor" were:

Well did you ever see E.T? (why YES!!!!!), yeah, me too!

"Why would you think that, just because I have film all over my teeth?"!

"Yeah...I've been acting like I knew what I was doing my whole life".

 

[dreamadream99]

Have you ever been recognized as a musician?...In a non-musical environment?

I am frequently not recognized as a musician even in a musical environment.

 

[mikewalker]

I was in the Commodore Cafe about 30 years ago with a drummer friend for one of those 2AM after-gig dinners. We were having some heated philosophical argument which attracted the interest of the guys in the booth next to us (a group of local aboriginal fellows who all looked like they were linebackers clad in beaded buckskins).

One of them said to us "That's all very interesting. So what do you guys do, anyway?"
My drummer pal proudly informed him "Why, we're musicians!".
"Small world!" our new friend replied, "We're magicians too!"

 

[pcake]

Did one of your hands have long fingernails, yet the other hand's nails were neatly manicured or almost chewed down to the nubs?

my left hand's nails are trimmed all the way down, my right hand has bass player length nails with acrylic overlays, and several people over the years have guessed from them that i play.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Eh. Tall guy with really long hair, tattoos and most of my jeans are organically ripped to shreds. It happens..

 

[lbbc]

I am a teacher and during a parent/teacher conference, a parent asked me if I was a musician. I said "yes, why do you ask?". She replied " the way you talk and smile made me think you are very comfortable in front of people". I took that as a compliment.