The Steel Guitar Forum

Well here is anoter Sat.nite and nothing to look forward to as far as playing out. HELLO TO ALL, My name is Art and I`m 61 yrs. young yaddayadda. One of my greatest joys is playing steel(Emmons loafer,nash.1000,Boss DD-3) and the music of the 40`s thru the early 70`s.. I imagine this has been offerd before,but here goes...I`m wondering how many others like me are finding it more difficult to locate other pickers that want to play the older music and better yet places to play the "traditional country". As I listen to what`s being offerd today as country music it`s sad to hear or not hear the little use of the steel and when it`s there a lot of the time it doesn`t sound like a steel. At least on the few radio stations around where I live.. I guess I will have content myself with the 1 or 2 jobs a month and a few sessions that I do. Lately I have been looking for those tapes/cd`s that I can jam with(to keep the chops up).. I understand that the Boss Jam Station is a good place to start with.. any other suggestions? Well anyways ,thanks to those that took the time to read my ramblings.... Lookig forward to the Mass Bash and hello to Bobbe Seymore,it will be great to see you again and better to talk with you in person. Your tapes are great. Later guys and gals... KEEPING IT COUNTRY...

Hi Art! I can certainly sympathize with you, as there ain't much music 'round here anymore...period! Most of the clubs that are still open around Baltimore have gone to the DJ/Karaoke format. The only venues for older Classic Country are the Moose, Elks, and American Legion Clubs. You can still find work, mind you, but you have to drive 50-150 miles to do anything steady, and of course, you have to move around a lot. Big change from the old days when I was the "house steel player", or worked with the "house band" for years at the same club. I don't know if that stuff will ever come back, so I just do a session once in awhile, and play out with my old band about 2 or 3 times a year. Hell, I'd even welcome a band that does all Eagles, or James Taylor stuff, just to play a few times a month. The very few bands that are working now work too much for me (4-4 gigs a week). I don't care to do it quite that regular, so I just spend most of my free time here. (And once in awhile in the "Steel Guitar Chat Zone"... a chat room for steelers.)

Fortunately I've found a place to pick that is strictly traditional country. The bandleader/singer's favorite singer is Wynn Stewart and he toured with Tommy Collins. You can see what I play a lot of.

But, gigs like that are few and far between anymore. Living in a retiree area of Florida, there is a lot of big band music (played by one man bands), but there is also the tourist area places and there it's Jimmy Buffet clones or carribean or rock.

Hello art,
In this very small Georgia there was never much going on,now there's nothing.I remember
the good ole days in Birmingham Alabama,played six nights a week for nine years.1970 thru late 1979.Played the same club fo four years.When i moved back home in
1979 there was weekend work at the vfw's,legions and moose clubs,now thats gone.
Since im 62 years old i dont miss the six nights a week stuff but i do miss the weekend
gigs.Im a bedroom picker now.I play along with Jeff Newmans rythm tracks.There,s a town
twenty miles north of me with some things going on but i cant find any pickers who want to do anything,I'll just keep at it here
in the bedroom.

Wayne

Thanks for the replys guys, just got thru watching The Grand Old Opry, at least Mr.Gene Watson still knows what Cuontry is.

Art---If your computer is close to your guitar set up I have been told the Band in a Box is pretty good and I think about $53.00 when I looked for it in Musicians Friend catalog. Big difference in $$$, but I don't have a computer close to where I practice. Good luck with what ever you choose, I have played around with the Boss thing at Guitar Center and it's a lot of fun, but the soft wear does the same stuff and maybe a little more.
Steve

Art,

I play in your area quite a bit. Keep your eye out for the band "Due West". I don't know if its the sort of country music you like but there is plenty of steel guitar playing going on. It would be nice to meet you.

We are playing at the Cadilac Ranch on July 28th if you around. Drop by, I'm always looking for a competent sub.

Bob

I think the real problem is marketing. In the band I'm playing in we have a slant to the traditional country and don't appologise for it.
You go into a club on tuesday and they have three dart boards and two pool tables. On Wednesday they have a comedian(maybe), on weekends they have Kareakoe or live music.
if the have live music, it's a different act each weekend or in some cases each night. The venues are working very hard to be all things to all customers. And, in doing this, they lose the identy they desperately seek.
When I was a kid, I set my stuff up one night and didn't tear it all down for a year and a half. The club was always jumping because the audience knew what they were going to get.
Same thing with our band. We have an act, we're not a living juke box. We do request if we have them in our mix, but we don't try to play "color my world" or something by Stevie Nicks becasue someone is obviously lost and asking for material we don't know well enough to play.
Put a group together that does what you guys like, and stick to it. Sell it that way for what it is. I met a fellow in Dallas who has the only western swing band in his Pennsyvania market; they are busy every week. Just don't expect to hear "Watermellon Crawl" when they play!

Hello Bob, thanks for the msg.. Yes I know of DUE WEST. Caught them at Amarillos one when Don Hemmer was with them.. Would like to hear you play.The nite I was there,however, I had just finished a stint in the VA hospital and let myself get called to play Don`s steel. Not a good nite...yeccchhh. Oh well I wont let that happen again.Best regards and if you ever wat to chat my number is 860-482-6326..

Hey Art hope to see you Sunday at the Mass Steel Bash.Plenty Of Country on display there I Garontee you as the old cajun cook Justin Wilson use to say.

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CJC