Restaurant gig

littlemark · May 4

For the first time in my career I played in a restaurant while people are eating. It was fucking weird.

People are half ignoring you. Backs turned away, chatting with people. Servers walking around taking orders.

In between songs, do I announce the next song. No one is listening. Do you care what the song is?

No one is clapping between solos. Or even at the end of songs.

Why am I doing this? Put on a CD.

And then at the end they are asking for an encore. Nothing but compliments from patrons and the staff.

Bizarre.

On the one hand the pressure to perform is much lower, but then why perform to your fullest?

The pay wasn't great, but the free food was very good.

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MichaelHorowitz · May 4

I’ve been playing gigs like that around Seattle for 25 years. As you suggested, they can be detrimental to your playing as you grow accustomed to “tuning out” and not paying attention to details or listening to others in the group. If you do gigs like that all the time and then get up on a real concert stage where everyone is listening, it can be quite a shock!

I now only take restaurant gigs where the music is featured more (I.e. stage, PA system, etc.)

bbwood_98 · May 4

What both of you said is totally true. Here in Brooklyn, and the NYC scene generally it can be tough to even a few people together to rehearse, Therefore I use these gigs as a reason to keep the band working while seeking out better/concert gigs.

If all the musicians can hear each other, and all that it's a great chance to practice things that are not perfect, run some repertoire, and have a good meal together. Having said this - it's not preparation for actual concert stages - where different things have to happen.

I spend a lot of time at these gigs reading the room (and frankly they remind me of most jazz club gigs as well - as most are serving dinner during your sets - see blue note, city winery, and so on) and as soon as you have some attention (people applaud, toes tapping and so on) I announce the band, the players, thank the staff/location, demand appreciation for the servers/kitchen/bar, and mention tips if that is a thing at that gig. Basically any chance you have to draw the audience into what you are doing without making it an interruption to their date or whatever will serve you pretty well.

As mentioned - man it can be super bizarre. It can however be fun.

B.

djazzy · May 4

Also in NYC... Just my two cents. I think it sucks that lots of the time performing for audiences simply isn't worth it. For all sorts of reasons. Especially at the amateur/semi-professional level. But I accept it as the reality. Unless the venue is there to showcase artists where audiences are expected to sit quietly & actually listen -- but thats a bit different. I find it more enjoyable to attend a small friendly jam & just perform in the proverbial corner for ourselves. Way less pressure. No fussing with gear & plugging in. Different expectations.

MikeK · May 4

Littlemark, your post fairly accurately described the weekend nights of the last 7 years of my life. Coming from my "previous life" as the lead guitarist in jam bands playing to crowds of swirling, dancing music fans, these gypsy jazz restaurant gigs definitely took some getting used to. But I've come to love them. The way I see it, you're playing to some of the most important music fans in the world--your bandmates. And the more you do it, the more you find that you have someone come up to you who was in the restaurant who tells you how much they enjoyed your music and/or how much you inspired them. You never know who's listening & who's really enjoying what you're doing. And that's what it's all about, right? It probably wasn't that different for Django & Steph 90 years ago. Although I would imagine that they played their share of dancehalls & concerts too. But as pros, it's our job to give our best to the audience each night, no matter the circumstances. It's my belief that the joy in our playing will always reach the right hearts at the right time.

pdg · May 4

One gig I did over 15 years ago was at a "wine bar." One older customer sat close up and watched silently for over an hour. When he left he added to the tip jar. Turns out it was a $100 bill. Aside from the cash, I remember him and that gig, because the music must have meant a lot to him.

littlemark · May 4

I forgot to send the tip jar around. I'm an idiot.

B25Gib · May 4

We played a grand opening of a renovated hi end bakery shop 6 years ago in Poulsbo WA. After early patron conversations, I verbally introduced a song title, writer and year. I got Admonished by a band member. He correctly stated - We Are "BACKGROUND MUSIC ONLY"

We played good, got paid good and ate good!

Lesson learned!

!

Gouch · May 4

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/121318#Comment_121318

A state of the art tip jar needs to be prominently placed, have whirling lights, and display at minimum the “Core-3” QR codes, for people who only tip digitally (so, PayPal, Venmo, any random Crypto).

scot · May 4

This is exactly the reason I never paid a whole lot of attention to my stage rig - because unless the crowd is there to see you, 95%+ of that audience on those type of gigs could care less what you are doing and that's why these gigs pay poorly and you get treated basically like waitstaff. You could play the Captain and Tennille's version of "Muskrat Love" (the most insipid song I can think of right now) and no one would care - you're providing ambient music. Almost no one will notice your exotic guitar, almost no one knows who Django is. All very sad but true, and not just in our little corner of the world. And so what?

I was never was driven to perform - I just like to play music. But I have played some wacky gigs - the women's federal prison in Broward county Fl, the Hells Angels clubhouse in Winston-Salem NC (blues band) where we did not get paid, a country club where our old-timey band had to play for a Virginia Reel that went on for almost 40 minutes, museum openings etc. This weird place in Gainesville Fl that was like a Denny's except they had topless waitresses and 24 hour live music on the weekends. Be a pro, play the gig, have some fun, take the money and smile.

Buco · May 4

I'm not gonna pretend I know much about jazz history but jazz supper clubs were always around, no? It's nothing new, people that are legends today and that have dozens of books written about them, dozens if not hundreds albums with their name on it, played for the dinning room crowd back in a day as well.

It's up to everyone whether to play these kinds of gigs or not. Personally I'm not bothered if I'm just a background music, water off my back. That's what I expect to be at a restaurant or a bar. Everything more is nice to receive. It happens often that you'd think no one paid any attention to the band but then people come up us and thank us and say they enjoyed it a lot.

When it comes to play to the dinning room, it's not a same manual for every gig. You go with the vibe of the room, sometimes it's one song after another, sometimes you talk to the people between the songs.

And it's absolutely true, you never know who's listening. I always treat every gig the same and try to do my best.

You guys are a good looking band. What are those mics?