I used to love watching “In Concert” and “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” on weekends. I was too young to drive to concerts (and too poor to afford the tix – some of those shows costs north of $10 a ticket!), so I soaked up the sights and sounds of dozens of rock bands in concert. I loved it when the camera’s view was the artists’ view – looking across the stage and out into the audience, obscure by the blinding spotlight and drifting smoke. Man, that was the life for me!
The stages were always roomy, sturdy and carpeted. If something went awry with any piece of equipment, a black clad roadie scurried in, like a Ninja Gollum to fixed the problem and scurried off again (Kind of like the ball boys in tennis?).
So, I got me a guitar and I formed a rock’n’roll band. And lo! We got a gig. It was a juniorhigh school dance. We were perfectly qualified. Our parents drove us to the gig and we set up. It wasn’t a large, raised, carpeted stage. It was a nice spot, though, sort of a spacious corner of the school’s multi-use room. But it was like Carnegie Hall to us. It went well, and we were hooked.
Fast forward a few years, we’re still at it, but we’ve graduated to the club and bar scene. Moving up, right? Then why are the stages getting smaller? Most club stages and nearly all bar “stages” are puny, some comically so. We got a two night stand at the Buckhorn Tavern in Pioneer, California. We actually had to stomp through some snow to load in.
We’re here!”, we announced to the proprietor. “Is that the drum riser?”, I ask, pointing to a tiny raised platform.
“That’s the whole stage!” he growls, as he wipes out a whiskey glass with an, uh, experienced rag.
I see the problem! As rockers, we have simply became too laden with gear. A full drum kit, and big amps for three other instruments, plus PA. We’re simply taking up too much valuable real estate that could be taken up by paying, drinking patrons. Or the claw-that-picks-stuffed toys machine. Or the “Virility-meter” machine.
So, we scaled down. We became bluegrass musicians. Much more compact, much less footprint, although the PA got bigger (as did the bass).
But the stages didn’t get any bigger – not for a while. I was learning a truism in music – if you can’t draw a crowd, you’re barely worth the space you take up – in the eyes of the proprietor. Some are real soft-hearted music fans, most eventually tire of the notion of moving tables to feature music that appeals to only the bands friends (Unless they have a LOT Of friends!)
I have seem some growth in the past 5 or 6 years in restaurants and bars who invest in good stage setups, including light and sound. These owners are showing some commitment to the local music scene, and we need to reward them for these efforts. Don’t just go see your friends at these venues – take some chances. Check out acts you’ve never heard of, or musical genres that aren’t your favorite. If the owner (or the club’s booker) has done a good job, they will be presenting some surprising talent.
I have made it to some large carpeted stages, over the years, and it was just as thrilling as I had hoped, even if the crowds didn’t number in the tens of thousands. But there’s fun (and laughs) to be had at every “stage” in your musical journey!
