Views And News: "Covering Up In 2024 / Maintaining Dignity In The New Year While Rocking A Ukelele Version Of Copacabana"

January - February - March - April 2024

What is up my brethren? I'd like to start out the New Year with some unsolicited advice from a sometimes funky resident musical senior citizen - and yes I do mean Yours Truly. No...Really. Well…anyway, I am addressing the cross section of musical performers that seek to avoid playing cover tunes like they are so many strains of dysentary. As if playing "Sweet Caroline" at a given gig is some sort of sell out, or comprimise to some pre-existing musical commandments. Well, to all you Archbishops out there - To start off… most of what you are "complaining" about is really a matter of simple supply and demand. For instance, if you are looking for a job as a rodeo clown, but you are also qualified to be a network administrator… Which job do you think you are likely to land first? It's not that every musician other than you, sits at home just Jonesing to play in a cover band. It's more that, if you want to play out, overwhelmingly…those are the jobs that are the most available. Really. 90%+ of the gigs out there specifically REQUEST cover music. And the other 10% or so, if you can find them, may not be worth your time and effort due to geography, compensation, safety, or all of the above. Believe me, I'm over 50, and I've seen what's out there. And secondly… What makes a great original band? What makes a bar or a venue owner want to bring an original band onto their stage versus a cover band? Because that is the bottom line…Logically, the only way an original band gets to play the average venue (that is… if there are venues out there that don't mind giving original bands an opportunity), is to play out enough publicly in the venues that will allow you to do so….and build a following. I mean, do you think any venue in any town in America wouldn't want to have John Mayer play their room? Sure they would. First off, John Mayer IMHO is a great musician. But at one point, John Mayer, by his own admission, struggled to find places to play his original music. So what did he do? He played covers…And then sequenced his original music in between the covers. And he still does. Yes. We likely have to compromise if we want the rest of the world to help us satisfy our need to be unique. And it is an age old concept. Now…Are there bands that never made that compromise? Sure. But I guarantee you they are a minority percentage. Once again, I don't disagree with you conceptually. I personally love writing original music, and performing it as well. And would love to do it for a living. But I grudgingly realized a long time ago… whether you have two left proverbial feet or not - If You Want To Be Invited To The Dance, You May Have To Learn To Tango. So Don't Be A Pain - Entertain - SJ :)