I think it's sad that live music seems to be fading away. At least on that local level. I grew up in Canada east of Montreal. I'm 50 so I was going to the bars in the mid 80's. Man I didn't appreciate it then but I was blessed to see some pretty remarkable talent. Couple of the guys had played or went on to play with the likes of John Mayall and Long John Baldry. Brian Monty and Harmonika Zeke come to mind. But even the guys that didn't were unreal. Bands called Highstreet and KGB and others.
I live outside of Toronto now and the local hotel has closed (I miss the Gibby) . We never head to the bar anymore to see live music. I have talked to musicians and they say less and less places to play for less and less money.

I know what you mean, fortunately were I now live, live music is abundant.

When I was at Ohio State back in the late 80s I happened along a special show involving Bo Diddley & Ronnie Wood...it was just off campus and I was shocked that I didn't learn of the show beforehand...the place was at best 25% full too.

A Blues Legend and a Rolling Stone.

Got to meet both of them after the show too.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

At the age of 62, most of my club playing days are in the past. However, I still play a couple of times a month in the metro Atlanta area with a few different bands.

Talk with most any local musician now, and they will tell you that the live music scene is nowhere near what it used to be.

Here in Atlanta, you can get fairly decent playing gigs if you get 20 miles or more out of the city. Unfortunately, for guys my age, playing clubs starting at 10:30 pm and playing until 3:00 am are not as practical anymore, even if you do get $50 a man.

Clubs in town are almost always "put out your tip jar, we'll give you a pizza," and that's about it.

I see the club owners side of things, too. Band comes in with just a couple of "band buddies" and girlfriends, play way too loud for the room, clearing out most of the regulars. Very few people there now to buy food and beer (which is why the club is there in the first place).

But, my band in Boston in 1979 got $50 a man for an entire night of work. What was the cost of a pair of drumsticks, or gallon of gas, or loaf of bread, in 1979? You are lucky to get even that nowadays.

Part of this is that those of us over 60 grew up in a time when there were only three channels you could get on your black and white rabbit ears TV, no smartphones, video games, etc. It was the days when you would actually sit down and listen to an album with the lyrics and cover art in front of you. A live band playing somewhere, even in a friend's garage, was a celebration, all of the kids flocked to it like it was an "event."

I feel your pain about live music. I get so tired of "yeah, we used to have bands, but now it's just a DJ, or karaoke," etc. But, to the overall public these days, it's just not that important anymore.

It's both funny and sad to me these days to see people in a club with a band playing live. They are 100% tuned in to their individual smartphones, occasionally glancing up at one of the seven TVs in the place, each with a different game or show. Not only not paying attention to the band, but also ignoring everyone else sitting with them at their table, unless, of course, they run across something funny on their phone to share with someone for about 15 seconds, and then it's back to the phone.

We now want baseball games to go "faster," because we are so bombarded with stimuli all day long, we get bored with what is happening on the field unless a rabid wolverine runs out and bites the shortstop. Which, by the way, 98% of the stadium crowd would miss, because they would be watching the latest viral video on their phones.

Bottom line, I play live music now mostly just for fun, and, sometimes, it is.

But, it's just a different technological time now.

Thanks Mongoose. Great perspective. I caught Buddy Guy at his club a few years ago when he showed up out of the blue. Got a picture with him and a few words. "just here to get drunk like you". Loved that. He was 77 at the time. I asked him if he would play that night and he said no. I then told him my favorite seen in Shine A Light was his guest spot. Then halfway through the headliners set he got up with the band and played Chanpagne and Reefer. I was completely enthralled.

Wow! You will remember that for the rest of your life! I saw him with Jeff Beck the last time they toured together, as well as at the Chicago Blues Festival. But, a small club show like that would be ultimate Buddy concert!

Funny thing about concerts in general these days. I caught the Stones on the last tour, which was officially my 10th Stones concert, going back to 1975. Honestly, even though I'm a die hard fan, I really don't need to hear "Miss You" or "Jumpin' Jack Flash" again badly enough to pay over a hundred bucks for the experience.

I'm happy to say I've seen Paul McCartney three times. He was just here last week, and for giggles I checked ticket prices on Stubhub. Corner, upper level, BEHIND the stage? $190. Same thing as the Stones, been there, done that.

I'm a proud Dead Head (saw them with Jerry in '79), but Dead & Company's recent show had Lawn Seats for sixty five bucks. (see previous two paragraphs).

I really enjoyed the Zombies doing all of "Odessey (sic) and Oracle" back in the spring.

As to who I have not seen, it's now in the category of a Led Zep Reunion, or even a Jimmy Page solo tour, either of which I would buy seats in a heartbeat.

I'd love to see Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood do a final tour together, play a bunch of Blind Faith, Cream, Traffic, etc.

Otherwise....I see shows coming up each month and just don't have the interest in it that I used to have.

When fans of Andy Williams, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Steve and Edie, etc., were 62 years old like me, I'm sure they all basically said the same thing! "Bunch of young whippersnappers, don't know GOOD music any more, I'm stayin' home and watching TV!"

Unfortunately it wasn't a concert but the one song. But that was enough. I saw him here in Toront last year still puts on a great show. The headliner was a fellow by the name of Jimmy Johnson (no not that JJ lol). He was 84 years old. What a show he put on, superb player. Only ever met one other famous musician - Stompin Tom Connors. You folks down in the states likely have never heard of him but he is a Canadian icon. Have to go to work soon will save that one for later.
I echo your sentiments with regards to concerts today. I see Dylan whenever he comes around but otherwise at 50 my going to several shows a year days are over. Last Stones concert 2006.

Quote
Mongoose
At the age of 62, most of my club playing days are in the past. However, I still play a couple of times a month in the metro Atlanta area with a few different bands.

Talk with most any local musician now, and they will tell you that the live music scene is nowhere near what it used to be.

Here in Atlanta, you can get fairly decent playing gigs if you get 20 miles or more out of the city. Unfortunately, for guys my age, playing clubs starting at 10:30 pm and playing until 3:00 am are not as practical anymore, even if you do get $50 a man.

Clubs in town are almost always "put out your tip jar, we'll give you a pizza," and that's about it.

I see the club owners side of things, too. Band comes in with just a couple of "band buddies" and girlfriends, play way too loud for the room, clearing out most of the regulars. Very few people there now to buy food and beer (which is why the club is there in the first place).

But, my band in Boston in 1979 got $50 a man for an entire night of work. What was the cost of a pair of drumsticks, or gallon of gas, or loaf of bread, in 1979? You are lucky to get even that nowadays.

Part of this is that those of us over 60 grew up in a time when there were only three channels you could get on your black and white rabbit ears TV, no smartphones, video games, etc. It was the days when you would actually sit down and listen to an album with the lyrics and cover art in front of you. A live band playing somewhere, even in a friend's garage, was a celebration, all of the kids flocked to it like it was an "event."

I feel your pain about live music. I get so tired of "yeah, we used to have bands, but now it's just a DJ, or karaoke," etc. But, to the overall public these days, it's just not that important anymore.

It's both funny and sad to me these days to see people in a club with a band playing live. They are 100% tuned in to their individual smartphones, occasionally glancing up at one of the seven TVs in the place, each with a different game or show. Not only not paying attention to the band, but also ignoring everyone else sitting with them at their table, unless, of course, they run across something funny on their phone to share with someone for about 15 seconds, and then it's back to the phone.

We now want baseball games to go "faster," because we are so bombarded with stimuli all day long, we get bored with what is happening on the field unless a rabid wolverine runs out and bites the shortstop. Which, by the way, 98% of the stadium crowd would miss, because they would be watching the latest viral video on their phones.

Bottom line, I play live music now mostly just for fun, and, sometimes, it is.

But, it's just a different technological time now.

The goose is right on about so much here. I love baseball too and don't need it sped up -- though in the playoffs it can get excruciating. My wife just said I'm like an old man walking around with my transistor radio (I'm using my phone to hear my home town Orioles, since I live in Sacramento, CA now.

I absolutely LIVED for live music back in the day -- saw bands like the Drive-By-Truckers in Athens, GA before anyone had a clue who they were. Saw one of the best country bands ever, the Star Room Boys. They broke up 'cuz the lead singer got married and couldn't write sad songs anymore!

Nowadays, my live shows tend more towards jazz. I love the quality of the musicianship and the fact that the sound is nearly always perfect.

T@3

Quote
TeaAtThree
Nowadays, my live shows tend more towards jazz. I love the quality of the musicianship and the fact that the sound is nearly always perfect.
T@3

Yeah, me too. The Blue Whale in Little Tokyo downtown is my go-to spot. Intimate room, incredible music.

There's still a great club/small room scene in LA but that peaked for me about 7-8 yrs ago. Just too much effort to drag my sorry ass from the Westside into Hollywood.

I'll still go out to a rock show--saw drone kings Sunn O))) at the Regent not long ago and that was AMAZING--but those nights are getting fewer and farther between.

But I don't know if live-music attendance, overall, is down in LA. There's still a shit-ton of events, and there's innovative stuff happening (the 'Crenshaw' sound--Pollyseeds, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Flyng Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, et al--is incredible) ... I think you just need to be young enough to get up, fire up a bowl, and jump on the train downtown!

There are nights when you have a great crowd, everyone into it, dancing, "you guys are AWESOME!," etc. .... and Thank GOD for those evenings!

Other times, you rehearse the living fire out of a particular tune, launch into it during the gig, and it comes off PERFECT. One of you happens to mention, "you know what, if I'm not mistaken, THAT time we NAILED that song. Harmonies, tempo, solos, ALL of it, good job guys!"

At that exact moment...

One person comes up and says, "hey, guys, we're trying to talk over at that table, could you try playing WITHOUT the amplifiers for the rest of the set?

Or, "what do you MEAN you don't play any Skynyrd? How about some Motorhead?

Or, during an all Beatles tribute show, advertised as such for weeks, the one drunken woman in the back continuously yelling out "SABBATH!!!! SABBATH!!! SABBATH!!!!!" the entire evening.

(sigh)