Getting to open for somebody….

[Murph]

2 hours ago, dhanners623 said:

Played the support set for Tyler Booth last night and all went great. 

The headliner, Tyler Booth, was an outright force of nature.   .....alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, there is nowhere to hide and Booth brought it.

To start with, he’s a darn-good writer who genuinely cares about the craft of songwriting, and when he does a cover, he makes great choices. And he has a voice that really resonates. It didn’t really grab me in the videos I’d watched but live, in person, it did. Lastly, he’s a VERY good guitarist. 

Most people who knock modern country music don't listen to it. I'm not a big fan of it myself, but I live 2 hours from Nashville and have spent much time there, played Tootsies, the Bluebird, busked Broadway and beat the streets enough to know that some of the best pickers on the planet can STILL be found busking in Nashville for quarters.

If they ever get the idea to go to Nashville and "kick their arse" they'd better eat their Wheaties.

Glad it went good, David. Those opportunities to really showcase your songs come few and far between. You're a great writer and I wish you the best, my friend.

[dhanners623]

2 hours ago, Murph said:

Most people who knock modern country music don't listen to it. I'm not a big fan of it myself, but I live 2 hours from Nashville and have spent much time there, played Tootsies, the Bluebird, busked Broadway and beat the streets enough to know that some of the best pickers on the planet can STILL be found busking in Nashville for quarters.

If they ever get the idea to go to Nashville and "kick their arse" they'd better eat their Wheaties.

Glad it went good, David. Those opportunities to really showcase your songs come few and far between. You're a great writer and I wish you the best, my friend.

Thanks. That’s kind of you to say and right back at ya, as they say. When you’ve posted songs here, they’ve always been killer.

Over the years, I’ve had a few friends move to Nashville to try and make it. A couple of them came back pretty quickly when they saw what the Real World was like and that being a big fish in a small pond had not really prepared them for it. A couple of them are still plugging away (and both still have day jobs…) and the thing is, they’re really good but so is everyone else there. I’m no expert but I think there’s just a combination of factors required, including that mysterious “X” factor that few can define but you know it when you see it and hear it. I sure as heck can’t define it, but Tyler Booth has it.

Edited August 29, 2023 by dhanners623

[DanvillRob]

1 hour ago, Murph said:

Most people who knock modern country music don't listen to it. I'm not a big fan of it myself, but I live 2 hours from Nashville and have spent much time there, played Tootsies, the Bluebird, busked Broadway and beat the streets enough to know that some of the best pickers on the planet can STILL be found busking in Nashville for quarters.

If they ever get the idea to go to Nashville and "kick their arse" they'd better eat their Wheaties.

Glad it went good, David. Those opportunities to really showcase your songs come few and far between. You're a great writer and I wish you the best, my friend.

Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee ant hill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play
Twice as better than I will

[ksdaddy]

One of my mentors once told me, “there’s guys out there that can play circles around anything you or I could ever do, and they’re on the streets of Nashville, starving to death.”

[DanvillRob]

1 hour ago, ksdaddy said:

One of my mentors once told me, “there’s guys out there that can play circles around anything you or I could ever do, and they’re on the streets of Nashville, starving to death.”

Ever heard of Stuie French?    He might do some session work in Nashville, but I'd never heard of him.   One of the top guitarists in Australia, (after Tommy).

Now makes videos in his living room with his family.

[dhanners623]

I think part of the issue is we fell in love with music, not the music business, and it can be easy to forget they are two very different things. The latter doesn’t necessarily reward the former.

[Lars68]

Glad to hear it went well! Would have loved to see it.

A few years back I went to watch U.S. country singer Sam Outlaw (!) and was more impressed by the opening act, Nashville singer-songwriter Molly Parden.   
I would not have been surprised if I had preferred the opener at your gig too.

Lars

[gibsonchiq]

Did you move to the UK to get your music career started?

[dhanners623]

14 hours ago, gibsonchiq said:

Did you move to the UK to get your music career started?

I wouldn’t quite put it like that. Moved here because I have dual US/UK citizenship and living in the UK is just easier, cheaper and less stressful right now. Have lived abroad (Kuwait, Cyprus and the UK) for all but six months of the last decade. I played plenty when I lived in the US. Lived in the  Twin Cities, which has a fairly vibrant music scene.

That scene pales in comparison to Manchester, though, and that is where we wound up. The city bills itself as the music capital of the UK and opportunities to perform are everywhere. There is a healthy Americana and folk scene. I’m trying to figure out where I fit in, though, and how much effort I want to expend. The US (and Texas) aspect of my music makes me quasi-unique here so I can usually get a foot in the door. In fact, I have a Zoom chat this morning with an outfit that represents, among others, Martin Simpson and Paul Brady. No idea if anything will come of it, but it was nice of them to ask.

[Murph]

We knew you before....

[dhanners623]

30 minutes ago, Murph said:

We knew you before....

I won’t let success go to my head.

Hahahahahahahaha. I’m a folk singer. Success is measured in whether anybody offers to buy you a drink, and since I don’t drink, that’s kind of moot. Ursula, the barkeep at the Whiskey Jar,, did stick a lime in my Diet Coke last night, though.

The meeting went well, and we’ll see. I kind of feel at a crossroads. I enjoy playing to a live audience — there’s nothing quite like it — but I’m getting to the age where I wonder if the hassle is worth it. If I had a string of decent gigs in listening rooms, I’d be ok. I’m not in it for the money; I’d just prefer not to go broke. When it comes to music, I gave up the profit motive a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t still devoted a long time studying the craft of songwriting, stagecraft, etc.

If the link works, here’s a clip from last night’s set. I was joined by three members of the Underground Folk Collective, a relatively new combo in Manchester. We never got together to rehearse. Next time, we will. The tune is a murder ballad I wrote called, “Where the Wabash Meets the Ohio.”

https://www.facebook.com/100001307451553/posts/pfbid04zS6GEKXXpoPxehHutWUzEJkKDsRk3xCdg5PXdEo3m9c6DBCf5CAstoALTbeZNYDl/

Edited October 11, 2023 by dhanners623

[PrairieDog]

23 hours ago, dhanners623 said:

I won’t let success go to my head.

Hahahahahahahaha. I’m a folk singer. Success is measured in whether anybody offers to buy you a drink, and since I don’t drink, that’s kind of moot. Ursula, the barkeep at the Whiskey Jar,, did stick a lime in my Diet Coke last night, though.

The meeting went well, and we’ll see. I kind of feel at a crossroads. I enjoy playing to a live audience — there’s nothing quite like it — but I’m getting to the age where I wonder if the hassle is worth it. If I had a string of decent gigs in listening rooms, I’d be ok. I’m not in it for the money; I’d just prefer not to go broke. When it comes to music, I gave up the profit motive a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t still devoted a long time studying the craft of songwriting, stagecraft, etc.

If the link works, here’s a clip from last night’s set. I was joined by three members of the Underground Folk Collective, a relatively new combo in Manchester. We never got together to rehearse. Next time, we will. The tune is a murder ballad I wrote called, “Where the Wabash Meets the Ohio.”

https://www.facebook.com/100001307451553/posts/pfbid04zS6GEKXXpoPxehHutWUzEJkKDsRk3xCdg5PXdEo3m9c6DBCf5CAstoALTbeZNYDl/

oops, You’ll have to make the link public or upload it here from your device.  Great thread you’ve got here, and I’m really enjoying  following this bit. Thanks for sharing. Hoping the interview brings opportunities you enjoy.  Keep us in the loop, no matter where the adventure takes you, we all got your back and are rooting for you to find a satisfying space there.  (Btw, just went through my mental list of folks to see if I knew anyone who moved to Manchester from the TC. Okay, we’re not that small a town, lol. But too bad about them Twins, right?)  

[fortyearspickn]

Yep -  fwiw, I  couldn't open link either.     Keep plugging away.  Woody Guthrie wasn't in it for the money either.  Matter of fact, I'd guess most who are turn to 'The Dark Side" and  slide into "Popular Mainstream Music".   

[dhanners623]

Ooops is right. Here’s a video from that night, but of a song called “Oxyana Blues.” I’ll see if I can get the other song uploaded.

 

[dhanners623]

Ok. Here is, “Where the Wabash Meets the Ohio.”