connecting with other musicians

[thestubbyone]

I play acoustic guitar and sing. I want to form a tribute band, Elvis and Johnny Cash. Does anyone have ideas how I can connect with musicians that might want to do this? I have tried Craigslist but get a lot of flaky people who I waste time with talking to and arrive at nothing. To do this I need keyboards and bass to start and the rest to follow. I heard of band mix but they have a paywall and it seems like one of those dating sites that continuously take your money and give not too much back. I dont know though. Has anybody used that or is there another website for musician connections?

[lowrider]

No matter how you go about it, you’re going to meet a lot of flakey who don’t add up to much. Try playing open mics and jams doing Elvis and Cash, you might meet others interest in their music.

Are you the singer? If not, that’s your biggest hurdle.

[Br1ck]

My view is that you have to access your abilities. I play a few instruments. I played in a band for thirty years. To get me to play bass in a band, the musicians would have to be stellar. Mandolin, not so much because I'd learn a lot. I had a short duo thing, but soon realized I'd never sing a lead because he could not sing harmony. I'd play whatever instrument that could make his songs better, and sing harmony. That to me sounds like a job that should pay.


Finding a mx of like minded folks is hard. I'd just focus on a solo approach, and get god enough someone wants you in the band. Age has a lot to do with like mindedness too. There are a lot of blues and bluegrass folks who are pretty good, know the basic repertoire, and have no desire to rehearse or work out new songs. If you do, it won't work. Then there are personalities. You have to like doing it more than you are bugged by people's ego or unreliability.

I was a pretty good bass player. I enjoyed a band because the guitarist was insanely good, the drummer was too, and the singer/keyboardist could sell a song, plus we could do three part harmonies, and were dedicated to rehearsing once a week. What I put up with was a control freak guitar player who picked all the songs, and I knew we would never play an original song because the guitarist would not want to take direction. But we were very good and the music was challenging, and we worked at it.


Nothing is perfect. Being the worst musician in a band is great, but being the guitar player and vocalist is a high bar. You have to be quite good. There are a lot of talented people out there. A friend has managed to get a group together willing to play his original songs. That is rare. I would not play bass in that band. But they have a good time and more power to them.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by lowrider

No matter how you go about it, you’re going to meet a lot of flakey who don’t add up to much. Try playing open mics and jams doing Elvis and Cash, you might meet others interest in their music. . . .

Lowrider nailed it. There's no way around getting out and meeting and playing with people.

[gfirob]

I am now in a band with guys I have played with for about 9 years. It took about 9 years for it all to come together. Bands are fragile, egos are fragile, schedules are fragile, booking is fragile, rehearsals are fragile, and I think in the end it is just hard. I like playing in a band but it takes sacrifice and work and some basic alignment of goals. I think it just takes time.

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by gfirob

I am now in a band with guys I have played with for about 9 years. It took about 9 years for it all to come together. Bands are fragile, egos are fragile, schedules are fragile, booking is fragile, rehearsals are fragile, and I think in the end it is just hard. I like playing in a band but it takes sacrifice and work and some basic alignment of goals. I think it just takes time.

I agree with all that. But time isn't what I have so much of being retired and older. I have jammed and performed with acoustic groups and want to break out and go find electric and keyboard players. Its a new genre for me and I want to connect with the other side. I have good singing skills which I have concentrated on over the past few years and been complimented many times. But to do Elvis and Cash, I need other types of musicians than I am acquainted with so I was asking if there were any connections to musicians in that genre. Open mics and jams rarely have keyboardists or base players looking to accompany a singer. Most of them are stand alone musicians and they like it that way. And then there is all the issues that you talked about to deal with...

[Brent Hahn]

If there's a decent open mic in your town, go. Start meeting people and sitting in with them when they play. Get known. If you can play and you're an asset, people will gravitate to you.

If you think that people at open mics only play solo and acoustic, you might be surprised.

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by thestubbyone

I have tried Craigslist but get a lot of flaky people who I waste time with talking to and arrive at nothing.

And you will meet more. When I first moved south in '87 I was hot to play with anyone, so I answered an ad for a lead guitarist for a Country band. I went to practice and noticed everything sounded off. I noticed we were in A and the bass player was in C. I asked him about it, he said. "I only play in C."

They're out there.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by thestubbyone

I have tried Craigslist but get a lot of flaky people who I waste time with talking to and arrive at nothing.

This reminds me of a tongue-in-cheek quote I often repeat - "I love music; it would be great except for all the musicians I have to deal with."

The bottom line(s) to me are managing the variable expectations, commitment, talent, goals, physical locations, limitations and personalities of all involved.

IMO the first step is being established in your local music scene. Others need to know you, your abilities, strengths and goals. Likewise you get to know theirs. If you're not already involved in jams, open mics, playing gigs, supporting the scene you should start there.

I started playing out publicly in my area around 15 years ago. I was doing what not many others were - playing mandolin and fiddle in various genres beyond bluegrass and country. I was invited to play with several bands and contributed on a few albums, because I was a known entity. Had I just put out ads and feelers I don't think as much would have happened in just a few months.

But I didn't have your specific goal of a tribute band (to two artists that, honestly, the tribute band industry was created for!) I was open to trying nearly anything. Of course my involvement with most the various projects I was in tapered off due to illness, death, relocation of many of the musicians.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by thestubbyone

I agree with all that. But time isn't what I have so much of being retired and older. I have jammed and performed with acoustic groups and want to break out and go find electric and keyboard players. I need other types of musicians than I am acquainted with so I was asking if there were any connections to musicians in that genre. Open mics and jams rarely have keyboardists or base players looking to accompany a singer. Most of them are stand alone musicians and they like it that way. And then there is all the issues that you talked about to deal with...

There is a coffee shop where a lot of the local musicians hang out. It isn't advertised on Facebook or Craigslist, you just hear about it. Same when we were wintering in San Juan, PR. There was a bar right down the street from me where the buskers used to go after they busked and a lot of musicians meet before they went to their gigs down the street. I guess that I don't know about your area. But if you are jamming and doing open mic I would think you would have heard about it if there was one. That is, if you are hanging around, talking to people and getting to know that community of local musicians. If you aren't, I might suggest you do. I've seen bands grow right there at a table over a cup of coffee or a couple beers

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

If there's a decent open mic in your town, go. Start meeting people and sitting in with them when they play. Get known. If you can play and you're an asset, people will gravitate to you.

If you think that people at open mics only play solo and acoustic, you might be surprised.

I have played at open mics and actually met a few musicians that I played with later. But no electric or keyboards ever. Maybe the open mics are different out here. In CA. One open mic I was very fond of had 2 nights a week open mic. Wed was acoustic and fri electric. The friday electric would turn out to be most all acoustic with occasionally an electric guitar. Nobody electric showed up! A lot nice musicians though and I nice friends. Place closed down when covid hit.....

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

And you will meet more. When I first moved south in '87 I was hot to play with anyone, so I answered an ad for a lead guitarist for a Country band. I went to practice and noticed everything sounded off. I noticed we were in A and the bass player was in C. I asked him about it, he said. "I only play in C."

They're out there.

Ha, Ha. Maybe they moved to California. I think I once auditioned for that group in Orangevale, CA!!

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by rllink

There is a coffee shop where a lot of the local musicians hang out. It isn't advertised on Facebook or Craigslist, you just hear about it. Same when we were wintering in San Juan, PR. There was a bar right down the street from me where the buskers used to go after they busked and a lot of musicians meet before they went to their gigs down the street. I guess that I don't know about your area. But if you are jamming and doing open mic I would think you would have heard about it if there was one. That is, if you are hanging around, talking to people and getting to know that community of local musicians. If you aren't, I might suggest you do. I've seen bands grow right there at a table over a cup of coffee or a couple beers

I get all that. I play in 3 different outside jam groups with lots of acoustic musicians. I am going to one today before the game. Its a fiddlers group with bluegrass. I do a lot of Hank Williams which they all like. I also have my own jam group I record with at my home. I know tons of singers, some of them I consider professional quality but they do it for fun only. But I am trying to connect with a different genre and do tribute band to Elvis (the old blues he did) and Johnny Cash. I have had lots of opportunity to work with song writers who want to get their songs out, but dont want to do that. I guess its an ego problem in a way. But my experience with audiences is that they like to hear stuff they know or have heard of. You can sing and perform a new song and get just a lukewarm reception. Take the same audience and play something they know and like, everybody jumps up and starts dancing. I know elvis songs like heartbreak hotel and king creole and that moves a crowd. Blowing in the wind doesn't do the same thing.

[gfirob]

Sounds like you have a lot of opportunity there, but maybe your target is too narrow. My band plays a mixed playlist of originals, rockabilly, old country and classic rock, each about 1/4 of the set, mixed up. What seems to work is the revolving variety. Kind of works out to something for everybody. I am always amazed at how much an old Merle Haggard song gets attention, even a slow one.

[Mr.Thumbpick]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

This reminds me of a tongue-in-cheek quote I often repeat - "I love music; it would be great except for all the musicians I have to deal with."

Ha - there’s a reason I play solo guitar after all.