Time To Hang Up the Cleats?

[Teh]

For the past 12 years or so, I've been doing the solo acoustic performance thing at local coffee houses, restaurants, etc.  As those types of gigs have started to dry up, I've been keeping busy every Summer at a local Farmers Market.  No pay (other than tips in the open case), but it's always a fun few hours on a Saturday morning and a good way to keep my performance chops up.  I've been a regular at this market for 10 years or so, and always get a lot of compliments on the repertoire and the performance from both the vendors and the customers.

Well, it looks like they've decided to go a different direction -- Or I inadvertently pissed somebody off.  I've been trying to confirm my dates with my primary contact for the past 6 weeks but my emails have gone unanswered.  Called and left a voicemail last week, and no reply.  The season starts in three weeks and I've got nothing booked.

So, what would you do in this situation?  Is it finally time to hang up the cleats, sell off the sound gear & excess guitars and resign myself to self-serving basement wankery?  I'm (obviously) not in it for the money or prestige, but seeing people walking around and singing along as I play will certainly be missed.

Comments and suggestions appreciated.

[LucSulla]

If you enjoy playing life and still are able to do it, I don't think you really have much choice aside from continuing.  Is a little harder to resign yourself to the basement/bedroom than you'd think. 

[murkat]

Your primary contact has moved on.

Time to find another primary contact.

consider doing a duet (with a pleasing to the eyes opposite sex type of you)

[Teh]

7 hours ago, murkat said:

Your primary contact has moved on.

Time to find another primary contact.

consider doing a duet (with a pleasing to the eyes opposite sex type of you)

The contact is still there - verified that.  I like the duet idea, though.  Would open up a lot of options musically. 

[HSB0531]

On May 9, 2016 at 4:02 PM, murkat said:

Your primary contact has moved on.

Time to find another primary contact.

consider doing a duet (with a pleasing to the eyes opposite sex type of you)

This^^^^

It happens all the time.

[velorush]

On 5/9/2016 at 7:46 PM, LucSulla said:

If you enjoy playing life and still are able to do it, I don't think you really have much choice aside from continuing.  Is a little harder insanely difficult to resign yourself to the basement/bedroom than you'd think. 

Friendly amendment.

[killerteddybear]

You never hang up the cleats, you wear the fuckers down.
Move on to another venue? Whatever it takes. Keep playing.

[Teh]

Update:  Contact finally got back to me today and apologized profusely for not getting back to me.  Said they've been slammed with other work  and hadn't had a chance to respond.  Five dates now booked and confirmed. 

Thanks to all for the words of encouragement.  I need to learn how keep my paranoia in check (and dig up some other places to play...).

[HAMERMAN]

Glad it worked out - if I hadn't seen the last email I would have suggested the same thing as gtrdaddy because until you speak with somebody in person you don't know what the situation is.

At my last job I hit a point where I was completely overwhelmed. Without even realizing it many things got pushed to the side. Emails were one of those things.

[hamerhead]

Very cool!. "Never give up, never surrender!"

[JohnnyB]

It may also be time to bring in a partner--singer, harmonizer, fiddle, banjo, bass, even an accordion--to broaden or more specifically target your appeal. Something to change up the sound, generate either a newer sound or an older folk/country/rural sound to add to the farmers market atmostphere (yeah, I know you got the gig back). 

[Ted]

Yeeeeees!!!!  Great to hear. Keep the Music Alive!!!!

[Teh]

7 hours ago, JohnnyB said:

It may also be time to bring in a partner--singer, harmonizer, fiddle, banjo, bass, even an accordion--to broaden or more specifically target your appeal. Something to change up the sound, generate either a newer sound or an older folk/country/rural sound to add to the farmers market atmostphere (yeah, I know you got the gig back). 

Thanks for the suggestions, JB!  Have been using a harmonizer for years, although sparingly.  Started with the 1st gen TC VoiceLive, moved to the Harmony G for years, and recently picked up the TC Play Acoustic to consolidate guitar efx and add the BodyRez feature (highly recommend!).

I've got a friend that I sit in with a handful of times a year whose focus is traditional Celtic Folk and Celtic flavored rock along with his original material.  We're scheduled for a show on the Naperville Riverwalk on June 10th -- One set of acoustic and one set with a full band.  Although our native styles are different (I'm more comfortable in the classic and current pop acoustic singer/songwriter vein), we work well together and he's always said I've got an open invitation to join him whenever.  I think I might take him up on it a bit more frequently.

[JohnnyB]

3 hours ago, Teh said:

Thanks for the suggestions, JB!  Have been using a harmonizer for years, although sparingly.  Started with the 1st gen TC VoiceLive, moved to the Harmony G for years, and recently picked up the TC Play Acoustic to consolidate guitar efx and add the BodyRez feature (highly recommend!).

I've got a friend that I sit in with a handful of times a year whose focus is traditional Celtic Folk and Celtic flavored rock along with his original material.  We're scheduled for a show on the Naperville Riverwalk on June 10th -- One set of acoustic and one set with a full band.  Although our native styles are different (I'm more comfortable in the classic and current pop acoustic singer/songwriter vein), we work well together and he's always said I've got an open invitation to join him whenever.  I think I might take him up on it a bit more frequently.

I should have thought more about the word to use. When I said harmonizer, I meant add a vocalist who might not sing lead but harmony. But then, you'd expand your sounds even more by having both vocal soloists and lead/harmony singers who switch roles from time to time.

At our local farmers market the sanctioned buskers seem to have a strong folk/old country vibe to go with the atmosphere of shopping for freshly picked produce and flowers, and fresh sausage and barbecued meat.

[Teh]

The market I play at is a mix of young families, empty nesters and residents of the local Del Webb Sun City.  With that in mind, I try to cover a variety from the last 60 years --  From Frank Sinatra, Burt Bacharach, Everly Brothers, Elvis, George Jones, etc, through the 60's/70's acoustic and pop era (James Taylor, Harry Chapin, CSN, Beatles, Beach Boys, one hit wonders), throw some Joe Jackson, Peter Frampton, Peter Gabriel, Kenny Loggins, Jimmy Buffett styles in, then make sure to work in the more current stuff -- John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Brad Paisley, Jack Johnson, Alan Jackson, Matchbox 20, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, and so on.  I quiz my teenage daughters on what's the latest stuff I should work on, so they keep me current.  Actually am working up a couple Taylor Swift tunes now just to keep 'em guessing.  Lead sheets are all loaded into the iPad, so it's easy to handle requests or change up the set depending on how the audience is reacting.

Over 3+ hours, it's a complete mishmash of styles.  The key I've found with this gig is to keep it light and play stuff they know.  I'll throw in a couple of my own songs here and there, but the popular stuff (old and new) is what gets the tips thrown into the case...

Re: another singer -- I really would love to do that.  Need to find someone...

 

[zenmindbeginner]

I don't play out... my last gig was in 1998. I don't have an "act" or even ONE musician I play with on a regular basis.

The only gigs I "play" are weddings that I DJ. I sat inside behind my DJ table and played guitar to backing tracks only once... everybody thought it was part of the music and thought I was just noodling behind my desk to pass the time... not sure how effective that was. lolz!

Good thing I don't depend upon playing out to be viable as a musician.

My thoughts are to just bite the bullet and realize that you are a private party sort of guy and get an agent who will start booking private parties. You'll have more fun, be treated better and actually get PAID more than any bar could ever pay you. You have the sort of repertoire that is insanely wide appealing... should have no problems as long as you find the right booking agent.

[Caddie]

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

[JohnnyB]

7 hours ago, Caddie said:

"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

Sssh. He's on a roll.