The Steel Guitar Forum

Some of the older pickers have mentioned here, that their playing has sorta been reduced from "headline status" to simple low profile performances in their own garage or at the local rest home, hospitals, and/or prisons.

Does anyone just group-up and go jam at the local city or county park like in days of olde? NOT the LOUD drive 'em nuts kinda noise but just simple, layed back, nostalgic sorta gatherings, somewhat like the old Mitch Miller hour, where everyone can just sit on the lawn, eat a picnic lunch and sing-along, if they choose.

OR, has bureaucratic rules and the lack of available electricity coupled with exhorbinate FEES.....put the cabosh to that also? OR, is it too difficult to find musicians that are willing to 'play together' instead of hogging the show with their uncontrollable, excessively LOUD VOLUME?

Simpler times used to offer and provide so many different outlets for really good music.

My acoustic group plays outdoors when we can. Most city parks and other public places either prohibit or require licenses for electric instruments or other sound devices (in an attempt to control boom boxes).

If you play acoustic instruments, there should be no problem gathering in a park or other setting.

At least in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are many open jam sessions for bluegrass, folk, jazz and other types of music.

Hello Ray,

Yea, our band, The Leftovers, play all the local rest homes, farmer's markets and private parties, etc. But, we also attend a Friday jam session at our local senior center where everyone is invited to play and sing.

I sure agree about the simpler times and also simpler music. I really enjoy a melody line with real highs and lows. Much of todays pop music seems to have little modulation. I have not seen the sheet music for these songs, but I'd bet the notes almost form a straight line on the staff. And, I believe that simpler chord patterns are often more pleasing to the ear.

Since I sometimes sit in with his older brother's band, I attended Chris Issak's local concert last Saturday night. I have to admit, I enjoyed it more when he performed covers of Roy Orbison and other artists older music.

Paul

a group of 12-15 of us (all retired except me) play acoustic sets at a nutrition center for the old. we play 6-9, bring snacks and break about 1/2 thru...have a great time...no amps allowed...most of the time it works great...sometimes we really need a mic or amp for playing some lead parts...for the most part...all works well with this arrangement...
fun times.....a few guests come to listen...and they seem to enjoy.....we tried amps...NO GOOD...seems like there is always some knucklehead who just has to "out do " the others...causes some hard feelings..
my comments...

Every other Saturday evening, we get together in a barn on the Imnaha River with Banjo, Bass, Rythem, Lead and PSG. We have people coming from a 50 mile stretch of the River and it has kinda turned into a potluck/snacks and BYOB. We have a great time. Have played a wedding on top of a mountain, wedding reception on a ranch, BBQ at my place (had 75 people here and 7 piece band.) and a family reunion near by complete with a whole pig BBQ. All of it is done for free and the fun of it.

Ray, interesting you should ask. Although I gig 2-3 Hwn guitar gigs/week (during the summer... I won't pretend I get that kind of work year-round), the 30+ tunes I keep in my head get rusty unless I rehearse them frequently. To keep them fresh I often busk in our city park, Balboa Park. Unfortunately this month I didn't get a permit which is generally not a problem if you arrive after 5:00 when the rangers have gone home.

Today I loaded everything in my bike baskets and rode to the park (about a 45 minute ride, much of it uphill * puff pant pant *) and located myself in the Prado covered walkway near the restaurant. I got through 3 tunes and a ranger busted me! This happened less than 3 hours ago and is a total bummer.

No ticket... I've never gotten one... but a stern warning. I'm 56... I don't like being lectured by a 35-year-old. No point in arguing (interference with a public walkway... I was stupid) and later he thanked me for being co-operative. This is the 3rd and (I guess) final time I've been busted.

Feeling kinda low right about now.

P.S. If the permit system is ever legally contested there is a good likelihood it would be invalidated. But do we really want a park where anybody who felt like it could show up and be a rock star on a battery-powered amp? My concern is that would rapidly descend into chaos.

Yep; I got shut down by the police last summer. I wasn't playing loud at all. Just a small battery powered amp, but the cops said in Hillsboro there is a 65db noise limit. (that's really low!)
It's very difficult to play lap-steel without an amp!

I play at nursing homes quite often, and they are very appreciative. Hey Ray we should get together and gig sometime. I'm just across the river in Beaverton.

Dom

In our area, the local Grange and a fire company host bi-weekly jam sessions. It’s kind of an open mike thing where one group of musicians is featured, and others join in. These sessions draw a fairly large group of spectators, and the sale of refreshments and 50/50 drawings benefit the organizations that host the gatherings.

At this very moment, in the little town of Waimanalo on Oahu, sheltered inside the Gabby Pahinui Waimanalo Beach Park Pavillion, with the ocean on one side and the beautiful Koolau mountain range on the other, they are having the Mother of all local Hawaiian jams right now.

The 1st annual Gabby Pahinui Waimanalo Slack Key Fest is showcasing a long list of all the best Hawaiian entertainers alive today, with the last 2 hours to be a Pahinui family affair culminating with the 3 remaining sons of Gabby, Bla, Cyril, and Martin, joining in a very rare moment of playing together.

While this isn't exactly what Ray's thread is about, it is a culmination of exactly that.
Gabby was the king of layed back, beach, park, front porch, or back yard jams, and today's event is paying homage to Pops and all those of his kind.
And, it's free.
Try find that anywhere else these days.

I believe Derrick Mau is to be on stage playing steel with Albert Kaai. I saw somebody's Fender 2X8 Stringmaster in the waiting, and Bobby Ingano may make it out there after all. So, steel is getting some time in at this awesome gathering, which is quite fitting, as Gabby was originally a steeler and one of the best.

The 'livin' on an easy' style of jams Ray refers to are still quite prevelant these day's in Hawaii, and often are real jaw droppers, but always good fun.