Musically and performance-wise, things are getting a bit weird out there. It's my understanding that ASCAP and BMI are pressuring bars and restaurants to a point of making them make the choice between jukeboxes and live music. And some of the establishments are very small businesses that can only accommodate single and duo acts. Now, I'm a member of BMI but this really puts the squash on live music locally. I'd hate to think that these new generations of jukeboxes (that can pull any band's music up from any album they ever put out) could eventually, technologically, put a lot of musicians out of business. The DJs put a lot of bands out of business. I was in a small wedding band a long time ago that was essentially put out of business by the advent of DJ's, who without putting in the time and effort and training musicians have to put in to learn their crafts, just underbid the bands and pull up songs on their iPods and flip on their sound-sensitive lighting systems.
Have you ever been to the same Karaoke Night for more that three times in a row? From a musician's standpoint, it's mildly entertaining for about 20 minutes and then it just becomes a pure living hell. I know people are having fun thinking they can sing. It is entertainment, in a way. However, this is again taking away opportunities from musicians and those of us who have had to spend years and years to hone a skill.
And it can get worse. Last summer, I went to downtown Crystal Lake and they had a band playing in the gazebo at the train station for one of those lunch in the park deals. It was a good band. It had a female lead singer and the crowd liked it. The crowd was all out there in their lawn chairs enjoying some music and the warm weather. Then the band announced who they were and said they were from Chicago. Chicago? What the hell. Chicago. In McHenry County, where there are lots of very suitable acts to perform this kind of function, the Downtown Association picks a band from Chicago? I'm relatively sure the lawn chair crowd there did not train in from Chicago. I don't have to say anymore as I think you know where I'm coming from with this.
It's hard enough to put together three, four or five like-minded players and form a band. It's 10 times harder for that group to find a place to play. Certain booking agents control all the live music venues. They want to make their cuts off the band's pay. Restaurants and Bars use these agents to book in the entertainment so the restaurants and bars does not have to. Then you get the same group of bands simply circulating the area almost forever ... and many if not most of those bands are not from this area.
I'm not a booking agent. I never have been and I never will be. I don't know all there is to know about that occupation, although I've had to deal with them enough. However, I feel the restaurant/bar owners, booking agents, jukebox technology, karaoke, DJ's and the pressure put on small businesses by ASCAP and BMI all contribute in their own way to crippling the development of live music and musicians and on a local level it's musicians that all of them (except some of the restaurants and bars) depend on.
Just ranting.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Alex and the All Stars - Broken Oar, Cary 1.28.12
Well, it's been a while since I've been out and about. Last night though, I had to go out to see one of my favorite bands, Alex and the All Stars. I had not seen them with this most recent lineup and it was a really fun group of people.
Playing inside at the Oar can be a bit weird as when it's an inside gig, the band has just about as much room to perform in as the audience has to listen in. The band sounded great and the biggest thing for me was the greatly improved harmonies. Alex has always been a great singer but Lisa's addition of some very tight harmonies has really popped the vocals to a different level. She adds some keyboard as well. It's good to hear Buddy sing, too. There was some excellent bass playing. Dr. Woods' licks just get hotter and Alex has always laid down a great groove. There are also some new songs.
A lot of us who play should take an example from these guys. Bands are supposed to entertain, sell beer for the bar owner and, most of all, have fun. An audience can always tell when a group of performers is nervous, has an attitude, or is just plain having a great time. These players are picking songs they like to play and you can tell they love to play them. That's the key. You can set your sights on becoming a huge regional act and work your ass off playing songs that most all of the others are playing and take yourselves as serious "artistes" or .... you can have genuine fun doing what you're doing and make this your life's enjoyment; not you're life's "work".
Good job, y'all. And good on your fan base and followers for making your performances fun events! Also, as a plug, Dr Wood's has a music store in Fox River Grove. Go there. Buy stuff. Take lessons. Support your local economy.
Playing inside at the Oar can be a bit weird as when it's an inside gig, the band has just about as much room to perform in as the audience has to listen in. The band sounded great and the biggest thing for me was the greatly improved harmonies. Alex has always been a great singer but Lisa's addition of some very tight harmonies has really popped the vocals to a different level. She adds some keyboard as well. It's good to hear Buddy sing, too. There was some excellent bass playing. Dr. Woods' licks just get hotter and Alex has always laid down a great groove. There are also some new songs.
A lot of us who play should take an example from these guys. Bands are supposed to entertain, sell beer for the bar owner and, most of all, have fun. An audience can always tell when a group of performers is nervous, has an attitude, or is just plain having a great time. These players are picking songs they like to play and you can tell they love to play them. That's the key. You can set your sights on becoming a huge regional act and work your ass off playing songs that most all of the others are playing and take yourselves as serious "artistes" or .... you can have genuine fun doing what you're doing and make this your life's enjoyment; not you're life's "work".
Good job, y'all. And good on your fan base and followers for making your performances fun events! Also, as a plug, Dr Wood's has a music store in Fox River Grove. Go there. Buy stuff. Take lessons. Support your local economy.
Friday, September 16, 2011
I think it's time to wake up.
I think it's time to wake up and start getting out again. Keep an eye open for some new posts! And by the way, don't try to add comments about my postings as I get nothing but spam in my comments folder and it's not worth sorting through all the e-mails to see which ones are legit.
Again, I'll see y'all shortly.
Again, I'll see y'all shortly.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Just Riffin'
Been a while. I've not been real active lately as during the summer and fall, I was playing pretty much non-stop. Also, there hasn't been a lot happening out there that gets me all worked up any more.
I understand we've lost some more live music venues. I understand Porter's Oyster Bar - Yellowtails Grill is closed now. Although I feel bad about that, the place was certainly not a great place to see a band in. Also, the owner had this attitude that was a touch "uppity" for Crystal Lake. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice place, but the food was too expensive for the quality you got and for ordinary average guys like most of us, this place was trying to be a little too "Chicago", if you know what I mean.
Although it's not in McHenry County, Idols Sports Bar is out of business. There goes another live music venue.
Talking about being a bit too "Chicago" for my liking, The Buzz, the new place out on Rt 14 in Crystal Lake, is another place I think may only make it to the end of the year, if that long. It's a square box room. Nice bar. It has a long line of benches all the way down one long wall. When I was there to see Phidget (yes guys, I was there), I was not impressed. It's too slick. The parking blows. The thing that really puts me off is that the management has obviously made a deal with Joey D to put some bands in there. I could of course be totally wrong but the band lineup as indicated on the web site screams of Mr. D.
So, if you missed Libido Funk Circus at the Fire Bar, don't worry, you can see them at The Buzz. If you missed them at The Buzz, don't worry, you can see them at Sideouts ... and on and on. That same circulation of the same old bands will continue. Therefore, the entertainment at The Buzz is nothing novel and exciting, except that you probably won't see many of the local bands there.
Bets anyone? I hope I'm wrong but I have The Buzz gone by December.
On the other weird side of things, The Cottage in downtown Crystal Lake has had some entertainment in there and get this, so does the Breakers. I haven't been to Breakers to see the entertainment but it sounds kind of scary to be thinking of single and duo acts in that place. However, KUDOS to both of you for having us play for your customers!
Thirsty Whale has bands. What an ant farm that place is. It's a place for the kids. It has bands but again, not a real fun place to see a band in, in my opinion.
Wool Street in Cary still seems to have bands although I'm getting tired of that place. As a side note, Double D, it might be nice to actually pay the bands a decent $. Just an observation on behalf of the musicians. The place seems to be taken over after 11 by the "Dance/Rap" contingent.
Well, I'm going to try to get out again to see some groups. Like I said earlier, there's not a lot out there that gets me excited any more. It's always the same songs. It's most often, always the same bands. I'll snap out of it eventually.
I understand we've lost some more live music venues. I understand Porter's Oyster Bar - Yellowtails Grill is closed now. Although I feel bad about that, the place was certainly not a great place to see a band in. Also, the owner had this attitude that was a touch "uppity" for Crystal Lake. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice place, but the food was too expensive for the quality you got and for ordinary average guys like most of us, this place was trying to be a little too "Chicago", if you know what I mean.
Although it's not in McHenry County, Idols Sports Bar is out of business. There goes another live music venue.
Talking about being a bit too "Chicago" for my liking, The Buzz, the new place out on Rt 14 in Crystal Lake, is another place I think may only make it to the end of the year, if that long. It's a square box room. Nice bar. It has a long line of benches all the way down one long wall. When I was there to see Phidget (yes guys, I was there), I was not impressed. It's too slick. The parking blows. The thing that really puts me off is that the management has obviously made a deal with Joey D to put some bands in there. I could of course be totally wrong but the band lineup as indicated on the web site screams of Mr. D.
So, if you missed Libido Funk Circus at the Fire Bar, don't worry, you can see them at The Buzz. If you missed them at The Buzz, don't worry, you can see them at Sideouts ... and on and on. That same circulation of the same old bands will continue. Therefore, the entertainment at The Buzz is nothing novel and exciting, except that you probably won't see many of the local bands there.
Bets anyone? I hope I'm wrong but I have The Buzz gone by December.
On the other weird side of things, The Cottage in downtown Crystal Lake has had some entertainment in there and get this, so does the Breakers. I haven't been to Breakers to see the entertainment but it sounds kind of scary to be thinking of single and duo acts in that place. However, KUDOS to both of you for having us play for your customers!
Thirsty Whale has bands. What an ant farm that place is. It's a place for the kids. It has bands but again, not a real fun place to see a band in, in my opinion.
Wool Street in Cary still seems to have bands although I'm getting tired of that place. As a side note, Double D, it might be nice to actually pay the bands a decent $. Just an observation on behalf of the musicians. The place seems to be taken over after 11 by the "Dance/Rap" contingent.
Well, I'm going to try to get out again to see some groups. Like I said earlier, there's not a lot out there that gets me excited any more. It's always the same songs. It's most often, always the same bands. I'll snap out of it eventually.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
90s Nation - Duke's Alehouse Crystal Lake, 10.15.10
It was an OK night at Duke's Alehouse. Not packed but not empty either. I've always kind of liked Duke's, as I remember it when it was Southside Johnny's and Cat Ballew's. 90's Nation was there and it's not a bad band. They played some fun songs and some material you don't hear all the time in bars.
90's Nation consists of a singing bass player, a female singing/keyboardist, 2 guitarists and a drummer. As the name implies, they specialize in 90s songs. They are all good players and are very tight together. They are entertaining to watch and obviously had some devoted fans in the audience. My only other comment would be that the vocals were not as strong as one might like. They were good but, I felt, not real strong and/or full of personality. But maybe that's just me. Their fans liked what they heard and that's what really matters.
Now, as a comment on the 90's, I was not blown away by the 9os. However, back in the actual 1980's, I remember a good friend and I agreeing that the 80s was a wasteland of musical crap that would go down in musical history as the "Dark Ages". Man, was I wrong.I also remember that in the 80's, 60's music was big and in the 70's, 50's was the nostalgic decade.
But then again, the big fad music every decade is the music of two decades prior. We just got through a few years of a huge resurgence in Bon Jovi, Poison and 80's hair band music and we are now moving in to the 2010 to 2020 era and it would only be natural that 90's music will be the next big fad music for the upcoming decade.
As I'm sure that 90's music will be the next big fad music, 90s Nation will be right there delivering what people will want to hear. Good job you guys. You will be on the cutting edge!
Check out 90s Nation at their Facebook page at http://pt-br.facebook.com/90snation
90's Nation consists of a singing bass player, a female singing/keyboardist, 2 guitarists and a drummer. As the name implies, they specialize in 90s songs. They are all good players and are very tight together. They are entertaining to watch and obviously had some devoted fans in the audience. My only other comment would be that the vocals were not as strong as one might like. They were good but, I felt, not real strong and/or full of personality. But maybe that's just me. Their fans liked what they heard and that's what really matters.
Now, as a comment on the 90's, I was not blown away by the 9os. However, back in the actual 1980's, I remember a good friend and I agreeing that the 80s was a wasteland of musical crap that would go down in musical history as the "Dark Ages". Man, was I wrong.I also remember that in the 80's, 60's music was big and in the 70's, 50's was the nostalgic decade.
But then again, the big fad music every decade is the music of two decades prior. We just got through a few years of a huge resurgence in Bon Jovi, Poison and 80's hair band music and we are now moving in to the 2010 to 2020 era and it would only be natural that 90's music will be the next big fad music for the upcoming decade.
As I'm sure that 90's music will be the next big fad music, 90s Nation will be right there delivering what people will want to hear. Good job you guys. You will be on the cutting edge!
Check out 90s Nation at their Facebook page at http://pt-br.facebook.com/90snation
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Scott Wesley Band - Duke's Alehouse 9.4.10
I stopped in at Duke's Alehouse Saturday night and had the opportunity to see a great band, the Scott Wesley Band. I really liked these guys. They were a group of young guys but they sounded every bit as good as many of the bands I've seen consisting of old guys (you know what I mean). Good original music. Some excellent covers and a great, laid-back sound. The band consists of Scott on guitar and most of the lead vocals, a drummer with an excellent voice, another guitarist and a bassist. These guys were well-rehearsed, tight and had some great harmony work. They were all good players. They also ran their own sound themselves and the mix was great. It's too bad it was Labor Day week end and most all of downtown Crystal Lake was dead Saturday night. There was not a big crowd at Duke's but missing these guys performing was your loss if you by-passed Dukes.
Keep it up you guys. I really liked what I heard and the originals were very good songs. You really slayed me when I heard your very excellent version of Quinn the Eskimo. Check these guys out at their web site at http://scottwesleymusic.com/ or at http://www.myspace.com/scottwesleyband
Make a point to see them live the next chance you get. I will definitely be back to see them again.
Keep it up you guys. I really liked what I heard and the originals were very good songs. You really slayed me when I heard your very excellent version of Quinn the Eskimo. Check these guys out at their web site at http://scottwesleymusic.com/ or at http://www.myspace.com/scottwesleyband
Make a point to see them live the next chance you get. I will definitely be back to see them again.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
High Life - Porters Yellowtails, Crystal Lake 4.3.10
Here is one great band. I saw part of their show at Porters in Crystal Lake and this was a treat. This is a local band (I believe) consisting of bass, guitar, keyboard, drums and lead vocalist. Everyone in this band was more-than-competent. One thing that really separates the "men from the boys" is the use of harmony. Most bands I see usually end up with only one vocal and sometimes there's a couple of mics set up and nothing happening at them. This band has obviously practiced their vocals and worked their vocals and made the lead vocal and harmony vocals the forefront of their show. It is an absolute joy to hear the results of a lot of real hard work.
The instrumental parts were also obviously well-rehearsed and the band was tight. The flow of the show was good and they had good presence. The show was not real spectacular but with this band, I really didn't care. The only complaint I could search out was that the mix was a little lacking in the guitar and lead vocal volumes.
You really need to seek out this band and have some fun! You don't hear a lot of Styx songs in clubs these days and I thought seeing High Life was worth it just for those. Check out the band at http://www.highlife-theband.com/
The instrumental parts were also obviously well-rehearsed and the band was tight. The flow of the show was good and they had good presence. The show was not real spectacular but with this band, I really didn't care. The only complaint I could search out was that the mix was a little lacking in the guitar and lead vocal volumes.
You really need to seek out this band and have some fun! You don't hear a lot of Styx songs in clubs these days and I thought seeing High Life was worth it just for those. Check out the band at http://www.highlife-theband.com/
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