The Steel Guitar Forum

Cue to Covid restrictions in all States when was the last time you played a 'live' gig?
Mine was before we moved out of TX subbing for my pal Ricky Davis playing with Weldon Henson in Luckenbach Texas on November 23, 2019
I also had to cancel 64 of my singer-songwriter tour dates I had coast to coast between April and August of 2020 because of Covid.
Here's the only known footage which features a pal of Weldon's from Brazil singing a tune.
I wish someone had recorded 'A Way To Survive' or something I knew LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5xCEnhiaOk

WC

Mine was a month ago outside with a temp of about 47 degrees.

New years eve at a local Eagles lodge December 31 2019.
We had no clue what 2020 would bring.

Our last Show was a large dance hall in Romulus, Michigan, October 10th. Was our last show for the year.

Halloween night in Wichita Falls, Tx

February for me. My state still prohibits live performances entirely.

Two weeks ago. Playing tomorrow. I'm the only person in the club that wears a mask. I resemble a cowboy bank robber.

Before bootcamp, I played one of my last sets in Albuquerque at a Tractor Brewing Co., right before I went to boot camp. In A school down in Texas, I didn’t have my steel with me because we were only there for 6 months (4-5 of those months we had a curfew and it was expensive to Uber & Lyft anywhere off base). Now that I’m here in SoCal, it is hard to find a gig with all the restrictions and on top of that, lots of bands already have steel players with them. Hoping there’s some when I move to Virginia next year!

3 weeks ago was my last gig, I have 2 dates booked coming up . These are DUO gigs, I am on guitar, no Steel. both outdoors but they will come to a crashing halt very soon due to weather, NO INDOOR performances. I have not played a Steel gig since early March and quite frankly don't see our 2x / mth shows ever coming back. I was on that 2x/mth show schedule for 5 years non stop.

I don't know what to make of it, downtown Charlotte NC , Blumenthal Theaters, 5 or 6 venues, world class entertainers and performers, weekly, closed since March. This includes all of the brand new restaurants and developments the City Of Charlotte has put into the 5 or 6 block area. Lite Rail Train terminals, Bus terminals, parking garages etc... now all empty.

Charlotte area also has an Arts/Music district , North Davidson, referred to as NODA. Same deal, clubs, a main theater,( National Acts) and eateries, all now defunct. Last I heard was the district was asking for the community to send donations to keep some of the venues afloat.

Last time was back in March when I did a benefit show for a local player with cancer. A couple of later gigs had to be cancelled, and I've only seen one player since. I have several family members who are at very high risk, so social gatherings are pretty much out of the question until a vaccine is made available.

It sucks to lose a year of social life and face-to-face contact with family and friends, but I'm still blessed in many other ways. Hopefully my patience will be rewarded by having a few more years after this is all behind us...sometime next year.

Last Saturday and this afternoon. I’m in Florida in a “low numbers” county and only do outdoor jobs where I can stay in open air not close to people. I’m careful and working enough to keep my sanity.

Social venues were shut down in March and re-opened in May in Iowa. Since the spike in Covid, I expect another shut down soon and likely through the Winter. The only way entertainment and businesses will recover or open is when a vaccine is on the market. Any other remedies are just political talk. During the 1918 Spanish Flu, businesses remained open and schools fired up the coal furnaces and kept school windows open. There was no Flu vaccine. Also, families opened all the windows in their homes several times during the Winter to air out the house for a few hours. My grandmother still practiced that into the 1950's. It was this way at our house when I was a kid and there were no vaccines for the common childhood diseases and Polio. It would be a good practice now. Many homes and businesses go from air conditioning to furnace heat and never open windows.

It’s not really a gig, but we’ve been playing in a vacant lot next to a coffee shop on Saturday mornings. Socially distant. There are a few picnic tables scattered around. Weather will probably shut us down soon.

I feel for my friends who depend on gig money. These are tough times for working musicians.

last gig i did in june out door with fill in gig steel/guitar some old band mates had great time
hope next year will be better for all of us pickers

p.w

Back in March with Stetson Walker at the Cotton Club in Granger, TX. At the time I was hoping to pick up more work with this young guy, he's very cool and 'steel friendly'.. but the timing wasn't so great.

https://youtu.be/0tPEJKFJP44?list=PLkND ... xfTGBfIC8O

I play every Tuesday night at our cowboy church not as many attending as usual social distancing and masks. So far so good Wes

September 5th, playing tonight Nov. 7th free live streaming 7:00 EST

www.Cadenzafreeport.com

b0b wrote:It’s not really a gig, but we’ve been playing in a vacant lot next to a coffee shop on Saturday mornings. Socially distant. There are a few picnic tables scattered around. Weather will probably shut us down soon.

I feel for my friends who depend on gig money. These are tough times for working musicians.

I'm playing a keyboard with my Latin jazz friends. This picture was taken last Saturday. We're doing it again this morning. No pay (and no boss) - we see it as a community service to lift people's spirits in these hard times.

Three weeks ago. No more gigs until spring. Indoor gatherings are now limited to 10 people, and outdoor: 25 people.

Last year I was in 4 bands and rehearsals every week. I played 1 gig in August and then nothing. The holiday season was always packed but not this year. Lots of practice time😋

September 5. Out of town, outside, well-distanced from crowd. The students got back to Penn State around August 20, it took only a few weeks before covid cases went from 1-3/day to 90-100/day in this relatively small but major university town - population around 160,000 with 40-50,000 students here. It has stabilized down around 40-50 case/day now, but there's no way I'm doing anything inside in-town. There has been some gradual spread out in the country the last couple of weeks, so inside out-of-town is probably out for now also. So I'm probably done with public gigs until things thaw out next year.

It's been abnormally warm here - 70s this weekend - but everybody figured outside gigs would be impossible at this point.

I drove through Iowa City on my way home an hour ago. It's Hawkeye game day and several groups of students partying in the neighborhoods and downtown. No masks and no social distancing. Makes me wonder if brains and high I.Q's got them into college?

February 12

They finally reopened the clubs here (Kauai) with limited hours. We got Wed & Thur’s last month for the next 6 weeks if nothing changes for the worst...6pm-8pm instead of 6-10...very few tourists but getting to play again!

I've played three gigs over the last three months. Latest was last Saturday in the Fort Worth Stockyards. We had a good crowd. I'm at Billy Bob's Nov 13/14