SUMMER IS HERE... for my band at least

[wheresgrant3]

People in the Northeast are cooped up all winter long indoors. It's like living in a cocoon. Short days, ice, snow, it starts to take a toll on the nightlife scene, especially come spring when the weather breaks and everyone wants to be outside.

 

This Friday is the seasonal opening party for a local riverfront joint called "Gullys" that's been around for 23 years. It's a riverbarge that was converted into a floating bar with a vinyl roof. I've basically spent most of my adult summers there so it becomes part of your DNA a little. For musicians and bands it is really the marker for the beginning of the summer season. They dock it in the winter and reopen it every spring. Over a decade ago it was THE PLACE to play on a hot summer night. These days there are a few more places to play in warmer weather, but bars tend to come and go... support bands, then change their minds. This bar has been hosting bands every Tuesday-Sunday for over 20 years now. For the last 6-7 years my band has hosted the opening and closing parties. I've been playing music here in some project every summer since 1997. Part of that brings a smile to my face... the other part says "christ I have problems moving on"! LOL.

 

It is also the birthplace of my current band (which I write about frequently on this board) 9 years ago this weekend. At the time, we were just a side project to pick up dates our current bassist had when his band at the time folded. He called me at the end of March (I had my own band at the time) and asked if I was willing to play guitar for four summer dates. Our singer player played in another Tribute band he was in. Our drummer from another local band still plugging away. The deal was supposed to be just four summertime shows and then we'd go our seperate ways. After the summer they decided to continue and I stepped back (I rejoined a year later). I said 'sure, as long as we don't play the same songs in our current bands/projects'. He agreed but in hindsight it was pretty dumb... it was alot of work putting together fresh setlists and with only two rehearsals we didn't even have 2 sets. So our first set was acoustic... which pissed off the management and we almost lost all the remaining shows. But our 2nd & 3rd pulled together and we realized we enjoyed playing with each other more than our main projects.

 

So 9 years later and 800+ shows with no signs of slowing down. I've taken more of a backseat on stage playing only 1/2 the shows, but more of a role co-managing/promoting... something I'm very comfortable with as I grow older.

 

So Gully's has alot of history to me and the people in my local music community. It's a place where people come out of their winter shell's and let their hair down a little. It's a place no matter the differences, everyone has a common bond, shares a drink, laughs about good times. It's a place where the management is constantly mean, and accepting that and laughing about it is a rite of passage. There's no PA... a slanted corner to play in... bad electric and a 200ft ramp to haul your gear up. Oh, and they often forget to remove the tables during load in making load in even more insufferable. I've posted this before but here's a little video of the place:

 

Gully's Closer 2009

 

 

So is your local scene run by season business? If so when does your summer season start... does your local scene have a place like this, that's a seasonal marker for good weather and/or more recreational good times.

[TrickyBoy]

We have a couple "seasons" here.

- The first is if you are playing the college scene, obviously the "season" is the two school semesters. Summers tend to be pretty dead on campus.

- The whole gulf shore is more of a traditional beach "season" which is already starting somewhat but will kick into high gear in another 2 weeks when colleges let out for the summer.

 

Other than that, things tend to be pretty steady here

[wheresgrant3]

 

We have a couple "seasons" here. - The first is if you are playing the college scene, obviously the "season" is the two school semesters. Summers tend to be pretty dead on campus. - The whole gulf shore is more of a traditional beach "season" which is already starting somewhat but will kick into high gear in another 2 weeks when colleges let out for the summer. Other than that, things tend to be pretty steady here

 

 

It's pretty much like clockwork here:

 

NYE- Big night, then for two weeks the bars are dead,

Mid-Jan to Mid March (St. Patty's)- Good bar business.

April- So so

May- Mid Aug- Bars are packed!

Mid August till after labor day- bars are so so (everyone goes away in August)

Sept-Thanksgiving- Bars are packed.

Dec... bars are so so.

[dan88z]

The season is starting here too. 14 of our next 21 shows are outdoors. Odds are we'll have to deal with some inclement weather for some of them, but that's how it rolls. Most of the venues have an indoor option if it rains, or we're under tents. Only 1 of them gets iffy, we pretty much have to set up outside unless it's raining when we start. We bring big tarps to throw over the gear in case it gets dicey.

[TIMKEYS]

It goes dead here when the winter texans leave for a couple weeks , then things start picking back up slowly with holy week and the spring wind surf and kite board people and weekenders from the valley comming to the beach. School lets out and all hell breaks loose again. They go back to school in the fall and its slow till the winter texans start showing back up in mid oct and just keeps getting better till peaking the end of feb...then spring break in march. We have two slower times ,, spring and fall.