is live music dead

[lowfreqgeek]

Yeah, cuz nothing draws a crowd like a bunch of 50 year olds playing music no one has ever heard before

This.

We play alot of VFWs, Fire Company's, Private Clubs and bars where originals would never work. Most people I know and have played with are a little older now, did the whole originals band thing back when there were a million places to play live music, and moved onto cover bands to keep playing as a hobby.

Those are exactly the kinds of gigs I hate, personally. I wont' do them them but once in a blue moon, and only if they pay well enough.

I'd MUCH rather play engaging originals to a small handful of folks who are captivated by the art of what they are hearing than stodgy old covers to a crowd of people looking to be entertained. I did that for many years, then I started working with original artists who basically pour their soul into their art and the difference in reception is night and day. Those who are looking for entertainment don't and won't get it, but the people who are looking for something more can be awesome.

That's my personal experience. I have absolutely no desire to step into a bar gig ever again, but I'll drive 500mi to a small town in Colorado to play original music in a small theater to 20 people who are totally captivated by what we're doing.

 

[Jim Carr]

There are worse things. I finally threw in the towel a couple of years ago and bought into just playing every Friday night at a local house jam with a crew of people I really enjoy. Little ego or pretense, a chance to teach casually and enjoy seeing late bloomers progress, and the stoke of knowing that a few really strong players might show up in any given week. And if I take a week off occasionally there's no vibe or pressure at all, and a few other bassists who are happy to get more playing time.

While I still have my towel, lol, I too found the local bar's blues Jam, which I help host, to be fun and a chance to teach, learn, and play any of my instruments as the mood strikes. A regular gig is a great chance to fine tune tone-related things like EQ settings, strings, pedals, etc.

Naturally, the jam is on pause given the pandemic.

 

[lordradish]

There won't be any big gatherings of people until there is a vaccine for this Coronavirus...
Give it at least a year....

I suspect that nothing will change with the bar scene when things get "back to normal".
The same drunks will want to hear the same overplayed, rubbed into the dirt 50 times over, CRAP set lists that they've heard every weekend for most of their lives....

"Allright..."Sweet Caroline", ...make some noise!!

What bars are you playing in where people want to hear Neil Diamond? Nursing homes? It's still Freebird and AC/DC as far as tired old crap goes in the bars around here.

 

[TWolf]

Nothing against your point of view, but I see it 180 degrees the opposite. I don't want to think or be inspired by art when I go out to a bar. That's not what bars are for. I want to yell the lyrics of my favorite songs with my arms around my best friends. I want to act like an idiot. I want people to send me embarrassing pictures of me the next morning while I'm popping Advil and trying to pretend I don't feel like hell in front of my daughters.

When I'm on stage, I want to play the opening lick of a song everybody knows and see every woman (and half the men) in the room race to find a good spot on the dance floor. I want to see half a dozen thirtysomething women in the front row yelling the words to "Strawberry Wine" as they fight of tears of joy remembering their college days together. I want to hear that huge man with the 3 foot long beard of the gods yell "YEAH" so loud it shakes the walls when we start "Shoot Me Straight" by Brothers Osborne. I want the whole bar to scream in unison when I get to that part in "Your Love" by The Outfield and I sing "I just wanna use your love tonight" and then I say "YOU TAKE THIS LINE".... and every.... single... person..... throws a fist in the air and screams "I don't wanna lose your love, tonight!!!!!"

Go inspire people by playing your thought-provoking originals in a museum. Keep your lofty goals out of my favorite watering hole.

Celebrating is what bars are for. Connecting over things we have in common are what bars are for. Hugging people you just met and high-fiving strangers when Chavis (Red Sox) sends a baseball into next week is what bars are for.

Familiarity. Commonality. Comfort zones. Laughing. Celebrating. Dancing like nobody is watching. Dancing like EVERYBODY is watching. Sharing what we all know and love... from favorite beers to favorite foods to favorite songs to birthdays and bachelorette parties to (yes) favorite songs you have heard/sang a zillion times....

That's what bars are for.

Go sip complex beers with a "chewy note" and sing meaningful songs about the environment and awareness at the local book store or museum.

(My post is all in good fun. Don't take me seriously. I assure you, nobody does.)

^^^Post of the year?

 

[lordradish]

Nothing would make me happier right now than playing the first 50 pages of the bar band hymnal, one right after the other, I'm front of a happy crowd of people sending money.

"Sweet Home Alabama"? You got it.
"Brown Eyed Girl"? Absolutely.
"Mustang Sally"? Coming right up.
"My Girl"? What key do you want it in?
"Brick House"? I thought you'd never ask!
"Don't Stop Believing "? You better believe it.
"Freebird"? Free of charge.
"Wagon Wheel"? Fasten your seatbelts.
"Born to be Wild"? I was born to play it!
"Chain of Fools"? Foolish question. Of course!

I would play the ever loving HELL out of "Sweet Caroline" right now. (Even better would be yelling the words with 25,000 of my closest friends at Fenway Park.)

I HOPE we get back to the time we requests for tired music is coming at us from every angle. Sign me up for that gig right now.

I think I'd beat myself to death with my bass before I'd ever want to play (or in the case of half of them, hear) any of those songs again.

 

[john_g]

Those are exactly the kinds of gigs I hate, personally. I wont' do them them but once in a blue moon, and only if they pay well enough.

I'd MUCH rather play engaging originals to a small handful of folks who are captivated by the art of what they are hearing than stodgy old covers to a crowd of people looking to be entertained. I did that for many years, then I started working with original artists who basically pour their soul into their art and the difference in reception is night and day. Those who are looking for entertainment don't and won't get it, but the people who are looking for something more can be awesome.

That's my personal experience. I have absolutely no desire to step into a bar gig ever again, but I'll drive 500mi to a small town in Colorado to play original music in a small theater to 20 people who are totally captivated by what we're doing.

Well, Ive been there and done that when I was in my teens and 20s and these days I would hate playing for 4 disinterested people (that we brought lol). Not to mention that there are only a couple of places anywhere close to my region where it would even be possible for a 22 year old, let alone a 48 year old. To each his own.

 

[john_g]

I think I'd beat myself to death with my bass before I'd ever want to play (or in the case of half of them, hear) any of those songs again.

Still got a Wal? Hmmm....need any help with that bashing? =)

 

[jerry]

Look what's getting people through this isolation, music, literature and movies and TV...…..art! It's going to take quite a hit, but it will come back. It might even come back pretty strong, I think a lot of people might be realizing right about now how great it was to go out and hear music or go to a movie.

 

[LBS-bass]

I sorta hope it kills off all or a high-percentage of rock tributes and cover bands (nothing against you guys who do what you do, I just don't want to hear you) and forces everyone to play originals, for better or worse. Or jazz-only covers for weddings, country clubs, etc. Or country. Just anything but the same tired and worn-out 50 'rock' songs that everyone seems to play.

Art over Entertainment

Unlikely, given that the originals bands I'm in draw far smaller crowds than the covers. You may not want to hear the covers but a lot of people do.

 

[two fingers]

I think I'd beat myself to death with my bass before I'd ever want to play (or in the case of half of them, hear) any of those songs again.

It's not my absolute favorite scenario either. But it's one that I would eagerly accept right now.

 

[two fingers]

What bars are you playing in where people want to hear Neil Diamond? Nursing homes? It's still Freebird and AC/DC as far as tired old crap goes in the bars around here.

I've never seen Sweet Caroline fail anywhere. Anywhere. I've been to rock festivals where a band would play a metal version of it and the crowd would go nucking futz.

 

[Jim Carr]

As long as boys and girls want to meet (in which ever permutation), bars will be there. The music being played is another question. Making money from live music is certainly harder in the last few decades than it was when I was young.

 

[gln1955]

It's not my absolute favorite scenario either. But it's one that I would eagerly accept right now.

After playing to my cat the past two weeks, I'd pay to play.

 

[Passinwind]

Nothing against your point of view, but I see it 180 degrees the opposite.

<snip awesome rant I don't agree with a whole lot of, but I laughed a ton>

(My post is all in good fun. Don't take me seriously. I assure you, nobody does.)

Truth, my friend. May all us dinosaurs of various stripes prosper for a bit longer!

 

[BEADG63]

WNY music scene is (was) pretty busy, and just about everyone I know is chomping at the bit to get back out and play. While the number of venues offering live music has dwindled somewhat in the past decade or so, it's still a thriving scene, and I miss it terribly.

 

[LBS-bass]

Well, Ive been there and done that when I was in my teens and 20s and these days I would hate playing for 4 disinterested people (that we brought lol). Not to mention that there are only a couple of places anywhere close to my region where it would even be possible for a 22 year old, let alone a 48 year old. To each his own.

This is the problem. Yes, it's gratifying to write and perform your own music, but how gratifying is it really when your audience is practically nonexistent? I play music, in part, because I want others to hear it, not just the same 20 friends and family who show up only because they actually want to "be supportive," not because they appreciate the music. That's the reality on the ground for a lot of originals bands, and I say that as someone who plays originals pretty often (see link in sig).

Those little hole in the wall venues that support original music are the least likely to survive this shut down. That's a sad thing, but the reality as I see it is that if you aren't actually entertaining people to the point at which strangers might want to come and see you more than once, you probably aren't going to have a room to play in when this is all said and done.

 

[Russhhh]

Will bands start youtube channels? and can they make money that way?

Check out Small Town Titans. I stumbled across their cover of Fulsom Prison Blues and was blown away by their channel content and merchandise. I don’t know them, so I don’t know if they are generating money, but they seem to be finding an online audience.

 

[lordradish]

Still got a Wal? Hmmm....need any help with that bashing? =)

Funny you mentioned the Wal, considering how heavy it is, I almost made some reference to my head beating with it, as to how easy it would be. But sorry, that bass is getting buried with me.

 

[Passinwind]

While I still have my towel, lol, I too found the local bar's blues Jam, which I help host, to be fun and a chance to teach, learn, and play any of my instruments as the mood strikes. A regular gig is a great chance to fine tune tone-related things like EQ settings, strings, pedals, etc.

Naturally, the jam is on pause given the pandemic.

Our house jam is in an actual house Jim. Mostly acoustic, Americana/Bluegrass kind of vibe, and until recently with a doghouse living there. I could just walk over and back when the upright was there. Still could if I felt like carrying my fretless BG a mile each way, I guess.

But open mikes at bars, wineries, coffee shops, etc. are something I have run and participated in as a player for over 40 years, and that scene will come back strong, I'm quite sure.

 

[lordradish]

It's not my absolute favorite scenario either. But it's one that I would eagerly accept right now.

I do get that, as do I about your earlier post about what you find so exciting about it. I'm just so far removed from that whole ethos, now. I think it's great to make people happy, I just can't do it with music I don't like.