A Case For the Bar Band
Originally posted on the S&R Blog.
Some of the best shows I have ever been to have been at bars. Now, I am not talking like a megabar like the Stockyards out in Ft. Forth, I am talking about your everyday, neighborhood bar.
Seeing bands in a bar is a lot of fun, decently priced drinks, usually much cheaper than a normal concert and it’s much more convenient than going to an amphitheater or club. Because most bands are not making a living by playing music in smoky bars, I I want to give a shout out to those that cut their teeth in these bars doing what they love, playing music!
Most of the shows I have attended were in Tuscaloosa, AL. Most of the bands I saw, I either knew them personally or shortly after their show I spent some time getting to know them. If you have never done this as a spectator of the band, you should plan on doing it the very next time you see a live band.
Bands love discussing their show with their audience afterward. It gives them feedback on what went right and what went wrong throughout the show. You are there to see them, and they are playing with hopes people attend their show. Feedback is usually welcome. Obviously, bad talking the band to their faces is not encouraged as you will only piss everyone off and likely cause a scene, but constructive criticism, as well as encouragement, is usually accepted. Interaction is what develops the fan base, so the more positive conversations and vibes that are between band and audience the more likely the audience will spread the word of this awesome band they saw and met last weekend. This is obviously the ideal situation for musicians, people spreading the word.
If you were to look at the history of all the bands ever formed, the majority of them all started out playing in small venues (usually bars). They all paid their dues by playing for tips in sometimes empty rooms, but instead of getting down and out, they stuck with their passion for playing music. Some even took those moments and made hit muses based on those times.
I was sitting in a dive bar which had an all-day music festival one weekend. They had 10-12 bands playing from 11 am to midnight with only enough time in between to set up the next band’s rig. Now, one of the coolest things I saw was the sharing of gear. Everything from amps, drum sets, microphones even to the bands sharing drummers because one was sick. There was a sense of community. The stage there was the spotlight to everyone from a 70’s rock cover band to an alternative country band whose spotlight instrument was a washboard decked out with cymbals, tambourines and tone blocks playing original swamp music and everything in between. It was simply a wonderful music filled the afternoon with such a diversity of music and sense of community. These bands were coming together, all for the sake of making good music.
Bar bands (and the places that allow bands to play) are the cornerstone of the music industry. Some of the most passionate musicians I have met, I met while they played in smoke-filled bars. This stage of the band is what makes or breaks a band. Some go on to make hit records and sell out amphitheaters while others are weekend warriors who play their favorite songs to their family and friends. A bar is a place where all bands past and future, prominent and unknown, weekend warriors and the next Rolling Stones, all can say they played their hearts out and gave the world music. And that’s what it’s all about.
So this week here is a shout out to the bands that play in the bars. To those who are just now starting out, those who are playing their original work to those who play their favorite bands’ songs on the weekends, thank you for making the world a better place by giving us music!
Until next time, let the music play!
-S&R