California steelers: is there a country scene?

Joe Butcher · From: Dallas,Texas, USA

Especially interested in hearing from steelers in southern California (LA etc) as to if there is a country scene and what its like.

Peace

JB

Herbie Meeks · From: Arkansas, USA

JOE

I think they all moved to Texas.

HM

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

scenes are where you make them....

Joe Butcher · From: Dallas,Texas, USA

Stephan Franck · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Hum... just when I though I was done writing for the day...

Well, here's what I know.

First of all, there are a lot of great players here in LA. I'm not going to list them, because I'll forget someone, but suffice it to say that I've never been in a situation where I needed a steel player for a job and couldn't get a real good one. So if by "the scene" you mean the community of players, things are good.

Now in term of clubs, it's not as great. In the haydays, the valley used to have cool clubs, with enough work for people to actually make a living -- such as the Palomino. That was before my time, because I moved to LA (and the States, for that matter) in '95. But it would be great to have Skip, Jay Dee, and those guys comment on that. But that particular scene went down in the 80's/early 90's. The story I heard is that when the aerospace industry took a dive in the 80's, a certain local blue collar culture died with it, a culture that included country music. Again, that was before my time, but that's what I've heard.

Now what's left in the valley is places like the Cowboy Palace, which I consider bootscooter hell. Honestly, that place is just sad.

A cool place in the valley is Casey's, a cop joint/jazz club where Al Vescovo and his band of jazz monster players work every thursday. The few times that I was there, the place was packed , and the crowd included 200 yr-old jazz fans, and young hipsters with tatoos. Very cool.

Now hollywood has a bunch of cooler clubs. No bootscooting there, but some alt-stuff, roots, rockabilly etc... So you may get to see some steels, if you're lucky. Those are "demo places" , where original acts play to get seen. But those aren't paying jobs for working musicians.

My favorite places in Hwood right now, is El Cid, where Ronny Mack has his monthly Barndance. Cool stuff. You'll see a lot of steel there. I've played there a few times -- once with Jay Dee, one with John McClung, and a couple of times playing the lap steel my self... Great place. It can be really slow or really busy, depending on the time of the year... But again, not a paying gig.

Last year, they've tried to do a weekly country night at the Whiskey A Gogo. Great house band, but it didn't work out. The whole thing wasn't really well thought out. Too bad.

Then, you have the coffee shops all over the place. That scene is pretty active. You work for the tip jar, but on a good night, that's better than what you would make at the Cowboy Palace. And the good news is that the crowds there are really there for the music...

Sessions-wise, this is obviously not nashville, but enough of an entertainment town so that there are some. Jay Dee, Doug L and those guys should be the ones to comment on that... A special category is ofcourse movie soundtracks, from Dukes of H in the olden days to Ray, more recently, or Broke Back Mountain, with great steel by Boo Bernstein. Or Sponge Bob. Vescovo has done movie sessions here for 35 yrs...

OK, I'll shut up now. LA cats, take it from here...

S

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

Stephen gave a pretty spot on report on the "scene", both now and his history too. I use to play 4 or 5 nights a week all over town in the 70's & 80's.
Then they cracked down on DUI's and club bussiness fell off and the steel player is the first one to get let go! LOL Use to play at Knott's Berry Farm and Magic Mountian but those gig's are all hip hop dj's now.
My current project, "the pink william band" plays original americana-living room-honest music and were working the coffee house, show case type places.
It's fun to play music you enjoy to folks who listen and appreciate what your doing.
We are playing at Gingis Cohen in West Hollywood on Sept 13 - see post in events for info.
JE:-)>

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Joe, I played in SoCal (mostly Orange county or Long Beach) in the sixties, seventies, and half of the eighties before moving to Virginia in Oct. of '85...

Back then, there were clubs on every block and you could make a pretty decent living and have a lot of fun to boot!. It was still going pretty good when I left but the two times I've been back I've seen nothing to make me want to ever live there again. So many of the players I knew have moved to other areas and the ones who've stayed aren't hardly gigging at all.

I think I'd stay in Texas if I were you as it seems that's where most things are happening anymore....JH in Va.
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Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

I played lead guitar or bass in sevral country bands in the 70's and 80's - the clubs really started to die quickly in the 90's and there's little action now at all. Few regular clubs feature country, and most gigs are "one time" shows, special events, etc. from what I've seen.
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Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Stephan pretty much summed it up. There's only a handful of clubs nowadays. There used to be tons of places to play, but not any more. All the blue collar honkytonks are gone and there really aren't any more country music venues, like the Pal used to be. I think the old Silver Bullet (not sure what it's called now) near Long Beach still has bands, and the Cowboy Palace in the Valley is still going.
It's a shame, too. There were dozens of places to play, and you could work 7 nights a week if you wanted to. In the urban cowboy days there was more work for a steeler than you could shake a stick at. And it was none of the current one set/multiple band stuff that goes on now...it was 5 sets a night.
It was a great working experience, too. It wasn't at all unusual to work with a different bunch of people on the bandstand every night...real sink or swim on the job training.
As far as sessions, there's still a few, but it's nothing like it used to be.

Barry Blackwood · Posted 30 Aug 2007 9:32 am

I 'died' there and bailed at the tail end of '05, although my playing days in L.A. were essentially over by the mid-90's. Honestly, I don't know how even JayDee makes it there anymore ...... Oh Well

Mickey Adams · From: Bandera Texas

I know this isnt news for anyone...But I live in Vegas now. When i first moved here I was so excited becuase I knew there was going to still be work. There is more entertainment in one square block here than anyhwere else in the world. I began playing with one of only 2 country bands that I could find. Absolute mediocrity. Hauling a 400lb rig to a gig to play with players that were making 40.00 a night...IN VEGAS!....Nowadays I get more out of playing at home and honing my skills...and thats what I will do until a REAL band finds me, and wants me to play steel.....And Id do it for nothing, just for the love of playing great music. Its not just SoCal that work is scarce...We should all move to Branson?...
Mickey
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Rich Weiss · From: Woodland Hills, CA, USA

Eric Jaeger · From: Oakland, California, USA

Not sure if it's what you mean, and it's the other end of the state, but all is not completely lost....

http://www.hickswithsticks.com/

-eric

LJ Eiffert · From: California, USA

Hey Brother Joe, you better stay where you're at.I could tell you what's wrong with all these stories from most of these people that I know better then they know me.But, what happen to all these Country Night Clubs is So-Cal and it's Music is no more Different then Dallas or any where else.If I was to tell you on this forum, I would be wearing a shirt full of Arrows for telling the truth. so with that Joe,Their are Clubs out here,you just need to come visit for yourself and I'll be glad to take you. Sincerly in Country Music, Leo J.Eiffert,Jr.

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

Saying California Country Scene is like saying Egyptian Ski Team

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

I think Rich said it best.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

I often play steel with one country band or another a couple of nights a week at a restaurant in Burbank. We usually have 10 or 20 customers in there. Tonight I think I will try the push-pull guitar.

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

Doug is at Viva Fresh.
I'm usually in the welding/machine shop.

Brandin · From: Newport Beach CA. USA

The music scene here for me is just fine.
I work two or three gigs every week with
different bands. The money isn't aways good,
but that's why I have a day job. If I had to
go back to the old days of five to six nights a
week, or going back out on the road, I'd kill
myself. Be careful what you wish for.

GB

Herbie Meeks · From: Arkansas, USA

The Designated Driver,
Cops staking out the Joints.
Following patrons as they were Bar Hopping
the many Joints, and there was many good paying Joints all over the West Coast, The Joints were competing for customers back then and paid more than union wages 6 nights a week, A Steel and Fiddle was a must for the bigger Joints, the customers were not ripped off with high priced beverages.and cover charges
Breathalizers, walk the line, touch your nose, go to jail, pay a DUI fine,suspended drivers license.
This is when the good jobs went down the tubes.
Some Musicians booked on the Holiday Inn Circuit where the customers could walk to their rooms, many booked into the Nevada Circuit. Many musicians just quit. I moved out of CA, joined a Holiday Inn Circuit Band, That finally fizzled out, I burned out,
and hung it up, played a few VFW Halls, Fund Rasers.
did some studio work,in small studios, retired with this Computer. and a weekly Radio Show,mediocer learning musicians, and here I sit trying to keep in touch with my many old buddies from the good times, ( To Old to move to Branson )

Herbie Meeks

Barry Blackwood · Posted 1 Sep 2007 8:46 am

I hear ya Herbie. "....now you're losin' all your highs and lows, ain't it funny how the feelin' goes away."

Herbie Meeks · From: Arkansas, USA

Yep BARRY
And the ,highs, have become hard to hear, The hands don't cooperate with the head, and loosing it by not gigging 2 0r 3 nights a week, and afraid to sip a beer to loosen up a bit at a gig, !! Oh well, Been There,Done That, My Way,no teachers back then, Here is a self made up tune, at one of the last "Flat Bed Truck Gigs" only 5 years back, At De Queen,Arkansas,
If anyone can use it, Welcome. That S10 Emmons PP I bought from Dean Markley, Santa Clara,CA,1971,,it's sitting here now gathering dust, along with me

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=687688

Herbie

Herbie Meeks · From: Arkansas, USA

Joe,, I want the first copy of your Big Faded Love CD, I fit that Category, ( Just Kidding ) I like your nit pickin Posts, Keep em flying

QUOTE
I hope all this new technology dosent put a crimp in my plans to release a project called "The Best of Faded Love." Its going to be a cassette-only box set with over 2,500 versions of Faded Love played by aging steelers with out-of-sync drum machines. I'm hoping it will draw in the young crowd.

I think I probably played that tune 2.500 times. also 2.500 different ways

HM

Joe Butcher · From: Dallas,Texas, USA

Thanks for all the info fellers. Cant we just move Cali's weather to TX ?

Very Happy

Stephanie Carta · From: Florida, USA

I feel bad that Buck had to live long enough to see it come to this. Crying or Very sad

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