Best area in the country for steel/utility guy

[Rich Upright]

I've been in Florida for 22 years & I'm starting to think it's getting played out...the music scene here is horrible at best...very little country, lousy pay ($50-$75/night)mostly substandard musicians with zero sense of integrity, aesthetics or professionalism. I'm thinking it might be time to leave & spend my last few years somewhere where musicians act with integrity & are treated decently,and they have a good classic country music scene, and decent pay (at least a Franklin/night) I love Texas,especially Austin, but there I'd be a minnow in the ocean;lotta good players there. Right now here in Florida I'm a whale in a bathtub.
I'm a utility guy; play steel, guitar,bass, & 5-string banjo, and sing. I realized this stupid virus has ruined a lot of music scenes, but where would be the best area right now for someone like me to get some decent gigs?
One caveat...Not interested in being up north;it has to be someplace WARM; at least warm enough to have palm trees. No palm trees...then it's too cold for me.

[Bill McCloskey]

If I knew where such a shangri-la exists, I might keep it to myself.

I think it is just past the big rock candy mountain.

Actually, Asheville North Carolina is a little like that. One of the forumites I'm friendly with is buying a house there and he said he found music friends almost immediately

[Butch Mullen]

Ain't no palm trees in Asheville. Butch in NC

[Bill McCloskey]

Missed the palm tree requirement.

[John Peay]

I'm a utility guy; play steel, guitar,bass, & 5-string banjo, and sing.

Surely you play upright bass?? . (Sorry, couldn’t resist, and I’m sure you’ve heard THAT before!)

[Pete Burak]

I was Brainstorming with a friend about doing an Acoustic-ee Solo or Duo as a means of breaking the Covid/Gig lockdown.
Do you think something like that could fly in your area?

[Rich Upright]

I was Brainstorming with a friend about doing an Acoustic-ee Solo or Duo as a means of breaking the Covid/Gig lockdown.
Do you think something like that could fly in your area?

Actually, most of the clubs here have gone to solo/duo acts, as they are trying to recover from the shutdown. My band is fortunate enough to have some gigs booked,but we are doing 50s & 60s as well as country,blues & rockabilly.
Have done a few duo acts, but the problem here is the audiences only like Southern & Classic rock, and I am SO sick of that stuff. I love the hot weather, but Florida is getting really played out.


"Surely you play upright bass??"
Actually, I do, but I ain't got one right now.

[Paul McEvoy]

Europe or Japan?

[Frank Freniere]

[Ray Mangrum]

If you find an ANSWER, please share it and I'm sure you'll see a large in-flux in population quickly!!!

[Pete Burak]

I was Brainstorming with a friend about doing an Acoustic-ee Solo or Duo as a means of breaking the Covid/Gig lockdown.
Do you think something like that could fly in your area?

Actually, most of the clubs here have gone to solo/duo acts, as they are trying to recover from the shutdown. My band is fortunate enough to have some gigs booked,but we are doing 50s & 60s as well as country,blues & rockabilly.
Have done a few duo acts, but the problem here is the audiences only like Southern & Classic rock, and I am SO sick of that stuff. I love the hot weather, but Florida is getting really played out.


"Surely you play upright bass??"
Actually, I do, but I ain't got one right now.

One of the spin off ideas was to do a Solo-Acoustic Jimmy Buffet Tribute Show.
Do you think that could be a thing down there?

[Rich Upright]

Europe or Japan?

Nooooo way...not happening!
Only other country I would ever consider would be Australia, and it would hafta be in the far north, like Darwin (In AU, the farther NORTH you go, the warmer it is.
Nope...gotta be in the southern US. But I guess it looks like I'm stuck here for awhile anyway. Unless I pack up & go to Austin,but too much competition there to try & get work. One good thing about Florida...it is very motorcycle friendly...no insurance,helmets, or inspection required, great weather, & great roads. That's just as important to me as a good music scene.

[Bill McCloskey]

"no insurance,helmets, or inspection required"

for me, those would be 3 good reason to stay out of florida.

[Ken Pippus]

But they do have the market cornered on flying, biting insects.

[Rich Upright]

But they do have the market cornered on flying, biting insects.

Almost...I would hafta go with Alaska for the win in this department.

[Jacek Jakubek]

Don't fear the cold...Become an Ice-man! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XKcsm3dKs

Palm Trees are nice, but the huge spiders that live in areas with palm trees are NOT...

[Jon Voth]

I'm in northern Virginia, and as a classical brass player the gig scene is enormous. Lots of work (but with all premier service bands here there is competition). Covid shut that down of course but all there is left is room for improvement.

Joined my first country band early this summer as a new steel player and gig about once a month but that will rapidly increase next year-things are opening up. Currently make a franklin a gig.

Lots of music around here, many suburbs (Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, Hagerstown etc. have semi-professional orchestras). But I know of several country bands in the area, and there is a lot of bluegrass, especially in MD. Lots of festivals and recital series for band that do a circuit (at least as I see it). And plenty of clubs that have regular live bands (but plenty of bands).

VA/DC/MD has a big population, great economy, and very high cost of living, so wages should be higher. What I make for some services I do as a tuba player would make some people angry (for example this Tuesday I'm recording brass parts for a choral group Christmas show in the DC area-$500 for about two hours of my time). But also lots of talent and opportunity here, and folks are always very professional-they would have to be. And regarding the country band I'm in, they are absolutely the nicest people I've met, very similar to other musicians (country or instrumental) I've met.

Maybe consider the Mid-Atlantic area. There's lot's going on here.

[Jon Voth]

And you can have a palm tree here, you just have to bring it inside for four months or so.

[Ian Worley]

I believe there are some nice palm trees inside the big greenhouse at the botanical garden by the capitol. It's a great place to hang out in February, 80 deg and humid. Perhaps there are some winter gigs in there

[Rich Upright]

Yea; I know the Va-DC area has always been good for music; just too cold for me there. Can't take the endless gray months of Winter.
I'm thinking Austin would prolly be my cuppa tea.