Real country music, SE PA and S NJ area?

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 21 Dec 2005 7:40 am

I am recently getting some requests in the Philadelphia area for traditional country bands, or from country musicians looking for a traditional country band. I think there are some playing the few country bars in surrounding small towns, but I'm not in contact with them, and don't know any in the city. Also, at the Mermaid Inn in Northwest Philly, I have tried to host a country music jam the first Tuesday of every month. After a year or so, it has just never taken off, and the owner is wondering if there is any point in continuing. We get the odd bluegrass picker, or country rocker with complicated singer-songwriter songs from the '70s and '80s that nobody can follow. But nobody ever shows up who sings traditional country 3 and 4 chord songs we can follow.

So my question is, is there anybody in this area who likes and plays or sings traditional country? If so, would you care to come to the Mermaid jam, or be hooked up with other country musicians? If you would, please email me. Thanks [This message was edited by David Doggett on 21 December 2005 at 07:42 AM.]

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 22 Dec 2005 6:14 am

Well David if its any comforts at all, you are not alone..Anything that even remotely resembles country is DEAD here in the North East.. I have been dealing with it for years.. There are a few guys that get country gigs, but don't ask me how.Its been many many years since I've done a country gig here in NY.... I feel for you ,honestly,but at least you are fighting the good fight and TRYING to get something worthwhile going... alas, there just may not be enough interest in both participants and spectators... I hope I'm wrong... best of luck bob[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 22 December 2005 at 06:15 AM.]

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 22 Dec 2005 10:37 am

Country is alive and well up here in western, N.Y. Bands like Ghost Riders and Stone Country play all the time. In fact country has really exploded in the western, N.Y. region. Bars are switching out their rock formats and going with country bands. Of course if you think that you are going to play shuffles all night there is no market for that. Rochester has a very thriving country scene. Syracuse also. We are booked a year in advance.

Ralph Higgins · Post by **Ralph Higgins** » 22 Dec 2005 10:57 am

David, i know just whot your saying, traditional country to me is the only kind. I played and sing 3 and 4 cord traditional country music for over 20 years. i don't get out much any more but if i could here some good old country i sure would go. good luck David, E-Mail hdogralph@charter.net

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 24 Dec 2005 8:14 am

Kevin my friend, with all due respect..I think David was thinking about traditional country music .

If not David,I apologize for mis understanding your post.... yeah ,I guess we CAN all find gigs playing Big and Rich, Shania,and Chesney, but personally, I'll stick with my rock gig before I'd play much of that stuff. "Today's Country" is not even close to what I would call country music... Buck Owens is country... Big and Rich is???????? bob

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 24 Dec 2005 9:14 am

Big and Rich is????????

extremely successful?

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 24 Dec 2005 10:19 am

Yeah they are DVA, but I STILL like Buck Owens better... You know me,... I've fallen in 1970 and can't get up.... bob

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 24 Dec 2005 3:17 pm

Well, I'm talking about traditional, up about through the Outlaw '70s stuff. Unlike a lot of older guys here on the Forum, I have nothing against modern rock/pop country. I listen to it some on the radio, and even occasionally watch the videos on CMT. But I don't have any desire to memorize top 40 covers and play that stuff. I enjoy playing rockabilly and alt-country, and would like to play some traditional stuff too. I have been hoping for some venue, no matter how small, for classic country, and for a small group of people who like to sing, play and listen to it. There are venues for everything else around here - bluegrass, old time, folk, zydeco, jazz, whatever. But I just can't find that little group of traditional country players and fans.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 24 Dec 2005 10:24 pm

The bands that I listed above are straight traditional country bands and work all the time, and they are very good. They play for $50.00 each, but they work. Now I'm going to say something because I've been doing this 40 years. The first thing that you have to find are the players. If you do not have dedicated players then you can't form a successful organization. In order to play traditional country these days they have to be real good. Real good. Out of tune, overweight, baseball hats, poor attitude, lousy equipment, poor playing skills, excuses for not rehearsing, showing up late for reahearsal and jobs, and short term (whats in it for me) attitudes just won't cut it. I maintain and always have maintained that if you have solid players with entertainment skills that you could literally play Mary Had A Little Lamb on stage and people would pay to see you. There is NO market for traditional country music unless it is an organized, rehearsed, and very skilled effort, and even then its a challenge. What I find is that the people who complain about no work are the ones who want to show up unrehearsed, dressed like a bum, overweight, wanting to play three chord shuffles all night, with lousy equipment and playing skills and expect people to pay to listen to them. I've seen some so called traditional country bands that were God&^%$#!
aweful. They looked like bums and sounded the same, and they expect people to pay to see them.
We started our band six years ago when there was literally NO market for any kind of country music in the Buffalo area. We are all former rock players and cover country players. Its true, we are a country rock band who plays some traditional country. As soon as I saw the core members I knew that it was going to work. We CREATED our own market. We worked out butts off in the basement and then went out and played anywhere that we could get a job. We played sometimes for free. Played for any amount of money, but I was absolutely sure that it was going to work because of the players and their attitudes. All were highly skilled and organized. I do not, and refuse to attend jams because to me they are a waste of time for any serious musician who is interested in creating a polished band in a long term effort. We just won our second Buffalo Music Award. I am not a great player.
Young people have very little idea of what traditional country music is. Alot of young people just flat out do not like traditional country music and think it twangy and boring. If you combine that with a poorly presented effort you destroy your market. My suggestion to anyone who wants to try to play traditional country music is to find the right players first. Then equip it, then rehearse it until it shines like polished chrome and is impressive. Then dress it. Then go out and CREATE your market. If its good it will sell.
One of the best traditional country bands that I have ever seen is the Renfro Valley Barn Dance Band with Greg Jones playing straight traditional country music in Renfro Valley Kentucky. Every player in the band is a highly skilled and organized player. Greg Jones on steel will bring tears to your eyes. It sent shivers down my spine when I heard them pull off a reahearsed Conway Twitty tune. There are like seven people in the band and they work all the time.
Dave, sorry for the rant. I understand what you are trying to do and its very frustrating trying to find the right people. I hope you do because traditional country music as an art form needs to be kept alive. It is very difficult to start a new band and even harder a traditional country band. I wish you luck.[This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:26 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:30 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:33 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:36 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:41 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:41 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:42 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:43 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:45 PM.][This message was edited by Kevin Hatton on 24 December 2005 at 10:46 PM.]