Question for NYC steelers

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

How do you guys/gals get to sessions,or gigs?The last time I was there it was impossible to find parking spots,Is a cab the best way,do any of you use the subway?and how much equipment?I used to take the subway from Queens thru Harlem to get to the South Bronx to go to school,It will make you tough. Thanks,Stu

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Stu--you will get different answers from different guys here. I know a couple of guys who do cab/car service. But most guys I know (and myself) drive. Parking is a pisser but it is what it is. It can take from 5 minutes to an hour. Obviously it depends on what gig, where & when. Some are harder than others. The rare suburban/rural gig where you park in the back and load in thru the back door is such a luxurious oddity. The city is a different animal, for sure.
Right after 9-11 I couldn't drive into Manhattan because the bridges were closed. I didn't have any gigs at the time but was regularly rehearsing so I did the subways. The light weight of my Carter was a blessing. The rehearsal studio had amps so I could travel light. I would not have taken any gigs that required me to haul an amp on the train. Forget it.

Steve Alcott · From: New York, New York, USA

I take the A train from 207th, MSA D-10 and Marrs 1/15 on RuXXac handtruck. Amp, volume pedal, etc. in shoulder bag. Elevators at the major stops. Cab to gig and back to subway. If no elevator, one step at a time. It can be done, but it's not fun. I try to arrange for an amp or a speaker cabinet to be at the gig if I can.

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MSA Millennium D10, Acoustic Image Clarus SL-R, Marrs 1x15

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

Hey Stu,

I drive in from CT. 75 miles each way. Sometimes 3-4 times a week, it's always time consuming, expensive and not fun. I use parking garages, sometimes at as much as $48 for a single hour. Street parking cannot be counted upon. Everyone pays cartage and parking, added to negotiated fees, except for one long standing thing which I do for me, and not for the money. It's just the cost of doing business in NYC. I've gotten $200 tickets for unloading for less than 10 seconds, in non obstructing areas. NYPD's sensitivity to working stiffs is non existent, and explanations and pleading never work. I know guys who have had their rigs stolen in the blink of an eye. Sometimes clients who balk at the charge need to have these realities explained, and if that does not work, then someone else can have the gig. Sometimes the madness makes me feel like a lab rat, but mostly I love working in NYC. It truly is the capital of the world, and an amazing place, and I love it. Especially at this time of year. My Marrs lightweight cab and Acoustic Image rig are Godsends. Peace, JW

[This message was edited by john widgren on 27 November 2006 at 02:39 PM.]

Jon Light (deceased) · From: Saugerties, NY

Amen to that "sensitivity to working stiffs" stuff, John. On the other hand, miracle of miracles, I was 20 seconds late coming out to do the final meter feed at Rodeo (9:01) and there was a full police van there with one cop starting to write me up. I did my best 'aw shucks' routine about being a working musician and what a bummer & all and he said, without stopping his writing, "pretend like i'm giving you a ticket--this is just a blank piece of scrap paper--act like it's a ticket until we drive away. I don't want the rest of the guys to see that I'm giving you a break". And sure enough it was just a scrap of nothing. I kept looking around for the candid camera moment. I mean, this doesn't happen here.
I fear that in an even-steven universe, this is gonna cost me somewhere down the line. Although I've pre-paid for this moment many times over.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

John,John,and Steve I salute all of you,That's going way above,and beyond just to do what you love to do.I went with a friend of mine to Manny's in the early 70's he bought one of the first Yamaha acoustic guitars that day.while he was at the counter paying for the guitar we watched the police wrecker tow his car away from the front of Manny's.Another friend of mine double parked in front of the Lonestar,unloaded his steel,and amp..came outside and his car was gone.My last year of high school was at a private school across from Carnegie Hall,while some construction workers went inside a building that they were working on another police wrecker took there van,the workers asked us school kids where the van went,at this point the wrecker was coming back up 57th.and they ran thru the parking lot of Carnegie Hall and dragged the driver a NYC cop out of the wrecker and held a tire iron to his head until he let the van down,that was something else.

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

PS Stu,
Regards I'm sure from all the Hudson Valley guys...I'm hoping to see them around the holidays.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Stu,
The cartage is usually a hassle but the crime has dropped down to almost nothing. The days of NYC being a rough crime ridden place are gone. Unless you consider how much the rents are and what Disney did to Times Square ! The streets at night where junkies, artists and muggers used to hang are now pefectly safe for partying rich kids. It is a very expensive city but not so tough. Its like central London or any other major European city. The music scene is fantastic and its my favorite place in the world but I liked it better when it was more artisticly vibrant and cheap. It was dangerous but there was more and better paying work for musicians.

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Bob
upcoming gigs
My Website

David Doggett · Posted 27 Nov 2006 9:06 pm

I was in a small club on Christopher Street a few weeks ago. A guy came in with a Hammond B3 organ on a hand truck. He then dissappeared to park his car. They waited and waited for him to come back. Finally they started the first set and were half way through it before he came back.

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