Members Chickentown Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Visited Nashville this past weekend and had a great time visiting friends. I wasn't expecting to be floored by the shows in the tourist traps on Broadway...but I certainly wasn't prepared for what I saw/heard. The bare minimum effort and investment was put into the PA rigs and mixing in the four or five bars we visited on that strip. Bands were apparently mixing themselves (very poorly) from stage with no audio people anywhere in sight. I completely understand that this model probably "works" for the tourist clubs where people want to be in a "honky tonk" more than hear top-rate live shows, but in many of the cases we could not even hear or understand the words coming out of the singer's mouth. I heard a woman say to her husband in a syrupy drawl, "hun, the words here sound muuuffled...let's go." Robert's had tolerable sound, and not surprisingly, was the most packed. (btw if you can check out JD Simo playing his tele, do it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted May 16, 2011 CMS Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 Considering how badly it's done at so many large national touring act shows, it's no surprise the dives, even in a city that lives and dies on music have more than their share of bad sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ShizzelDizzel Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 The Mrs. and I are headed down there at the end of June. Looking forward to checking it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MarkGifford-1 Posted May 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted May 16, 2011 Lower Broadway is the bottom of the food chain in Nashville. The majority of the bands play for tips. Considering that the average PA is an ancient Peavey 6-channel powered mixer and some speakers nailed to the ceiling, I've heard some remarkable bands down there... MG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 This was exactly my impression as well, I was shocked at how poor the systems were and how poorly they sounded for being in the music capitol of country music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Maybe that's another reason I just can't see myself becoming a country music fan. I know the music has changed a lot but I still just can't enjoy it as much as other genres. I still occasionally play it because that is what people want to hear but I just seem to be more apt to accept and enjoy just about any other genre but country. My iPods and iPhone are full of incredibly diverse songs and artists but maybe only a handful country songs (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, etc...). We've been to Nashville and enjoyed some shows but frankly, the music scene might be smaller in Chicago but the talent here seems to blow Nashville away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scarecrowbob Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 "Maybe that's another reason I just can't see myself becoming a country music fan." There is a lot more to country music than Nashville . Though I have to say I am becoming far more partial to music being unamplified. The more sound systems I see, the more I prefer to play and listen to folks playing acoustic music: jazz, string bands, orchestras... whatever... Both in terms of how it sounds and the set/setting surrounding the music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 I seem to have been spoiled by decent sound here in southern Ontario. Most mid to large venues in the Toronto area are packing some heavy gear... I see a lot of l'acoustics dV-DOSC and Adamson Spectrix rigs in the bigger venues, and a lot of Meyer UPA, JBL SRX, and Ev QRx in the smaller places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RoadRanger Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Though I have to say I am becoming far more partial to music being unamplified. The more sound systems I see, the more I prefer to play and listen to folks playing acoustic music: jazz, string bands, orchestras... whatever... Both in terms of how it sounds and the set/setting surrounding the music.My gripe is that it seems that folks think it has to be stoopid loud if you've got a PA. What ever happened to the concept of sound reinforcement vs overpowering the acoustic sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 16, 2011 Members Share Posted May 16, 2011 Same experience my wife and I had. Powered mixer and speakers that looked like they were pulled from my high school back in the mid 80's. Band playing for tips. We did see Steven Tyler walk by. The band tried to lure him in by playing "Walk This Way"...... didn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bugzie Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 If you're going to Nashville, make the trip over to Beale St in Memphis...........blues heaven. My respects to Chicago also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 I guess you didn't make a stop at Tootsies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 Visited Nashville this past weekend and had a great time visiting friends. I wasn't expecting to be floored by the shows in the tourist traps on Broadway...but I certainly wasn't prepared for what I saw/heard. The bare minimum effort and investment was put into the PA rigs and mixing in the four or five bars we visited on that strip. Bands were apparently mixing themselves (very poorly) from stage with no audio people anywhere in sight. I completely understand that this model probably "works" for the tourist clubs where people want to be in a "honky tonk" more than hear top-rate live shows, but in many of the cases we could not even hear or understand the words coming out of the singer's mouth. I heard a woman say to her husband in a syrupy drawl, "hun, the words here sound muuuffled...let's go." Robert's had tolerable sound, and not surprisingly, was the most packed. (btw if you can check out JD Simo playing his tele, do it ) Did you tip the band handsomely? if not, it's probably a good reason their not bringing in thousand and thousand of dollars worth of a PA rig just for $1-5 dollar tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chickentown Posted May 17, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 I guess you didn't make a stop at Tootsies From the back alley by the Ryman, Tootsies sounded like straight karaoke so we didn't stop. How's the production in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chickentown Posted May 17, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 Did you tip the band handsomely? if not, it's probably a good reason their not bringing in thousand and thousand of dollars worth of a PA rig just for $1-5 dollar tips. These places have installed systems. The club was typically selling drinks as fast as they could get them over the bar. I was surprised the *clubs* didn't invest in sound...not expecting the bands to haul in gear. And yes, I think I tipped quite well and play for tips myself sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 So there is a crappy front room and then the real room in the back. Room probably holds 100 people packed in like sardines. Sound system would comfortably handle about 800-1000 people ... probably $50k in gear and a full time house engineer. Some pretty big name performers drop in and play regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trevcda Posted May 17, 2011 Members Share Posted May 17, 2011 So there is a crappy front room and then the real room in the back. Room probably holds 100 people packed in like sardines. Sound system would comfortably handle about 800-1000 people ... probably $50k in gear and a full time house engineer.Some pretty big name performers drop in and play regularly. The last couple of times I was there, the back room may have had more gear (I don't know if "better" is the operative word) but the band was better in front and that's where everyone was, despite the "custom" flown speakers we read about here so often. The part that killed me was that this place is basically a dive bar. During peak hours they actually have a mens room attendant in what is basically a broom closet with two urinals, a crapper covered with a shower curtain and a couple sinks! And, yes, he expects to be tipped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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