Who wouldn't want this gig?

[ggm1960]

That is usually the case but like all things mileage varies on that one. I recently discovered a local open mic that believe it or not features tasteful acoustic guitar-ish music and very little blues wankery.

 

 

The two that I wish I could attend more often are like that. They are in smaller towns a few miles away from the "big city". The second one has a piano they told me they were going to try and fix up a bit.

[mr3lions]

This page has some interesting facts on Alchohol abuse:

 

 

and this thread has some interesting abuse of alcohol facts.

[richardmac]

I just sat and read all 7 screens of this entire thread, and I think one critical point was missed.

 

I am a solo performer who graduated from open mic to non-paying (ie tip jar and cd sales only) gigs to paying gigs. Some of what I experienced flies in the face of what people have said here... I got the gig opportunities by joining the local Tampa music community, which happened via local JFP (www.jpfolks.com) chapter, AND open mics. Blues is popular in Tampa but I've never been to an open mic that had blues players. It's ALL acoustic stuff here. And networking with other musicians at these events definitely has helped with opportunities. I'm about to release a new CD and I've got local radio and local TV appearances lined up... all due to networking with local musicians.

 

But that's not the critical point. The critical point to me is that I, like many musicians, will choose a gig based on what's in it for me. And to me, there are three factors: will the audience be large enough, will they be receptive to my music, what kind of money are we talking? I will typically make $30 to $50 per hour at this point. That's not a lot, but it's not "nothing." If I can make that, I'm OK. So I can play someplace for free for two hours, and if I sell 10+ CD's, or 5+ CD's for one set, well, then I'm in that range. So will I play at a coffee house for free for two hours in front of 8 people? Hell no. Would I play for 45 minutes for free in front of 100 people? Yeah, probably, if I think I can sell 5 CD's and I think I'll have fun.

 

So when we're talking "playing for free" as being this evil thing that is killing music, I don't agree.

 

When we are talking about Joe Blow and Company stealing the bar gigs because they can bring in 50 friends who will drink... I am sympathetic to the old timers, but I'm not going to blame the bar owner. Like BlueStrat said, well, to paraphrase, the guy's in business. His job is to sell booze and make money. Not to advance music as an art. Reality is what it is.

 

I am also sympathetic to the folks who play free gigs where they're playing in the coffee shop for two hours and the place has like 9 customers all night. I've been there. Everyone has to pay their dues. That's where you can get some experience. Like someone else pointed out, that coffee shop is not making a lot of money. I played at a place like that where I played for two hours and they'd give me ten bucks, and I KNEW that the place lost money that night. It motivated me to get better gigs. But ironically, I did appreciate the owner's effort to at least pay something. Ironically the place is still there, two years later, and they still have musicians playing there every Friday and Saturday night. People working their way up the food chain as high as they can go, I guess.

[ggm1960]

So will I play at a coffee house for free for two hours in front of 8 people? Hell no. Would I play for 45 minutes for free in front of 100 people? Yeah, probably, if I think I can sell 5 CD's and I think I'll have fun.

 

 

Kudos to you if you can get 100 people into a room for a solo acoustic performance.