Tired of playing covers?

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, zephonic said:

I mean, I feel like being a musician is somewhat akin to being an athlete. You need to not only practice regularly but also do matches/races/gigs to keep that rhythm going. Once you're out of that routine, it takes a while to get back into it. I was out for most of the first half of this year, and still feel a lack of "game readiness" when I'm gigging.

Absolutely. A musician has to practice in order to stay in shape regardless of the gig.

 

I was referrring to your cover band gigs. I don't think you're ready to detox yet. 😁😎

[Adan]

2 hours ago, ProfD said:

Reads like a great idea.  It worked for Jazz.😁😎

Of course, and yet the translation to modern covers is not as obvious as it should be IMO. If you’re playing jazz then other than melody no one even questions whether you’re being true to the original.  The idea that you have to play a certain synth patch a certain way or closely cop the clav on superstition has too much emphasis for more modern covers. 

[Outkaster]

I don't know it doesn't bother me really.  I just turned down a Hall and Oates tribute show as the guitarist didn't have the right instrumentation and it would have sounded like shit.  I love Hall and Oates also.  A good portion of people I have played for like things they it was presented to them.  I didn't want to put all that work in and the band sound like shit because someone doesn't care enough to put their best foot forward.  My last band had a good amount of originals that I didn't write so I never felt a connection to them.  To me it's all cover music in one way or another.  I use music to educate myself.  Playing a lot of styles and "signature licks" makes you valuable as a player.

[ajstan]

While I've been playing since I was 5, my gigging history is miniscule compared to most of you.  I would guess that you've all had at least one place in time that was a highlight of your musical career, and I would hope that you had the ability to recognize it and appreciate it while it was happening, and you'll be able to find that feeling again.

 

I've heard the adage about prioritizing the money, the music, or the hang, but I think the audience is just as important. For those doing this primarily for fun and fulfillment, I think finding the music and hang you like should come first, then try to evolve the product to get to the audience and money you want.

 

My parents had the Trini Lopez - Live at PJ's album that I used to play over and over.  I always thought it would have been the greatest thing to either be on the stage or in the audience the night that album was recorded.  It was the way the performer and the audience were joyfully interacting with each other that was the secret sauce.  There was a similar dynamic at the pre-1985 Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts.

 

I'm fortunate enough to currently be part of something that is able to do something in a similar vein.  Don't get me wrong, it's just a weekend warrior cover band where we're good friends with a good following, but I love the joyful interaction, and as a bonus, we have the ability to turn down the "wallpaper" gigs.  I'm not sure how I'll feel about gigging when this band has run its course since I'm not into writing originals, jazz, blues, or the Uptown Funk, Brick House, Brown Eyed Girl, Sweet Caroline milieu.

[David R]

I left the wedding/function band that I was in at the beginning of 2019. My original projects were starting to take off, and I had to make the choice between a summer of weddings or a summer of festivals & touring. It wasn’t just that I was tired of playing covers — I was tired of playing the same covers, for clients and guests that were less enthused as the years wore on.

 

I’m still the first call sub in that band. The saving grace is that the band is stellar, and in the instrumental warm-up parts of a night we actually get to play. When I sub back in, it’s like putting on a well-worn piece of clothing — it feels comfortable and comforting and it’s nice to know it still fits, but my style has changed.
 

I totally co-sign the interpretive covers concept, as well as playing repertoire that I actually want to play, whether it’s the hits or the b-sides. 

[Baldwin Funster]

I'm not totally tired of covers but I am pretty sick of TIRED COVERS. I have no way of knowing how many times I have played some songs but it feels like it's the thousandth time when I do play them. 

Songs that I like and have not had a chance until now to cover are fun.

[nursers]

I find my love of playing covers is cyclical and a bit 'grass is greener on the other side'. I'm currently very ready for a break from one band, but also know that in 12-24 months I'll miss playing in a regular cover band like hell. The point on TIRED COVERS is a great one - yes we have to play stuff that gets people dancing but there are lots of options out there that aren't Mustang Sally and Don't Stop Believin'

[Dave Bryce]

I went through a similar thing as well a few years back.  That’s actually a lot of what drove me towards the guitars.  Had me listening to/learning a whole different bunch of material, and finding new musical spaces to occupy on stage.

 

Unfortunately, some aspects of the gigs themselves are getting to me.  I kinda don’t want to be in bars any more, which isn’t so easy to avoid on the cover band front.

 

dB 

[Mills Dude]

I never enjoyed playing straight covers and trying to sound like the record.  A lot of people strive for that and that's their jam.  I always got a little resentful about being keyboard guy and expected to learn all those esoteric parts from different instruments while guitar guy always got to stay in his lane.  

 

Some people really feed off the crowd energy and seek that out with the bar/party gigs.  For me it's always been about playing with other musicians and feeding off the shared energy we create together.  No better feeling for me than being in the pocket and looking over at the drummer or bass player and getting that nod or comping behind a soloist whos ripping it and giving them that extra nudge by throwing in a color note here and there and watch them go with it or send it off in a new direction.  That silent communication, the shared nod, where something is being created that is greater than the sum of the parts.

 

Its hard to get a group together willing to do that.  A lot of players either want to play bar gigs and get that crowd energy or are pros who need a gig just to pay the bills.  I love watching stuff like Scary Pockets where its all about the group vibe.  So whether they're playing covers or originals doesn't matter, they're making music or using the music to communicate with the audience and themselves on a higher level and there is an audience that would respond to that.

 

One of the reasons I'm a big fusion freak because when it was good, its all about creating that atmosphere of collaboration.  Of course, with straight ahead acoustic jazz its all about that but man, I love me some funky drums and groovy electric bass and a good electric guitar player soloing over the top. 

 

 I do get a kick out of these bands that do youtube videos where the recreate classic tunes as accurately as possible, its fun to watch but wouldn't be my cup of tea to play.

[TommyRude]

9 hours ago, nadroj said:

the fact of the matter is that covers are going to be your bread and butter - unless you’re one of the 1% .00001%. 

fixed

[o0Ampy0o]

5 hours ago, CyberGene said:

As a listener I never go to places where there are cover bands playing. 

Generally same here. Yet more than a few times passing by I have heard a live band in a club or bar doing a cover that drew me in. I was at a hotel to see someone speak. I could hear a band downstairs in the club doing Ambrosia’s How Much I Feel. The way the singer approached the song sounded so good I thought David Pack should have sang it that way. The speaker was there for the week and I ended up attending every night partially so I could hear this band covering that song again. They changed the sequence of their setlist every night. Only one time was I free to see them perform it while inside the bar. Although I could have I never returned just to see the band once the speaker had finished out the week. However, this was in the 80’s and I think of the cover and imagine Pack doing it their way when I hear the song to this day.

[Al Quinn]

Yeah, the cover band thing gets old after awhile. Especially if it's about sounding like the original recording. I stopped doing those types of gigs in the mid-90's. Today, I'm happy to play covers if I can play them my own way and get to stretch out with some improvised solos for an appreciative crowd. Not all covers lend themselves to this but there are plenty of blues, R&B, jazz, and rock tunes that do.

 

I've come to categorize the music I play in two primary ways: entertainment value or creative value. I'm burnt out on the entertainment value gigs. The last entertainment gigs I played were celebrity jazz gigs where the venues were awesome (with beautiful acoustic pianos) and the audiences were very appreciative but the gigs had little to offer my creative side so I quit. Then there's the gigs where I was able to be creative (e.g., jazz organ trio in restaurants) but people were rarely listening. That wasn't for me either -- it was kind of demoralizing -- so I stopped playing those gigs. Then there were the corporate and wedding gigs: I have nothing to say that hasn't already been said except that I played about 1,500 of those back in the day, made a lot of money, and played with many fantastic musicians. Haven't played one of those gigs since the mid-90's but am appreciative for their place in my journey.  

 

Today, I'm very happy to play creative music for an appreciative audience. The music is usually covers but with the freedom to be creative and do it my own way. I enjoy playing Blues, R&B, rock, and/or jazz as long as I can be creative and am brightening up someone else's day. I no longer want to play gigs where I have little creative freedom or am not providing enjoyment to others. If that's the case I'd much rather play alone at home or get together with friends to have fun and nurture my creative side. In a way it brings me back full circle to when I was a teenager in 70's and enjoyed doing exactly the same thing.

[vonnor]

@timwatasks: "Tired of playing covers?"

 

Nope. 😎

 

~ vonnor

 

 

[wineandkeyz]

14 hours ago, Moonglow said:

Seems I’m in the minority here, but I’m not tired of playing covers. I mostly like classic rock and 80's music and enjoy learning tunes in these genres I find challenging to play (of which there is an endless supply). I also enjoy programming the sounds and mapping them out in my rig. I’m in three very different cover bands, so that keeps things interesting, and I enjoy playing out with all of these guys. I don't sing, but have the freedom to do a piano or heavy synth intro to a song or two during our shows. The bands are locally popular, so the cash is pretty good, although that’s not really a strong motivator. I totally love the transference of energy between the band and the crowd and enjoy watching them dance and have a good time. I feel happy when I play music I like and make others happy while doing it. 🙂

 

 

I'm in the minority with you. I've been doing the cover band thing for (yikes!) roughly 50 years now, and still (mostly) enjoy it. My main gig is a Journey tribute band that, while we do perform the songs true to the originals, we add extended instrumental sections in a number of songs where we each get to improv and stretch out a bit, trading off solos and such.

 

There have been a few periods over the years where I wasn't playing out and those times made me realize how much I miss performing. I do get tired of the other things that come with gigging - the driving (my main band plays up and down the east coast, but we're scattered from hell to breakfast geographically so we all drive ourselves to gigs), toting gear, sitting around in venues waiting to play, etc. But so far, the time onstage makes it worthwhile. I also realize that I've got far more gigs behind me than ahead, so I try to appreciate the fact that I'm still able to do this. (I do tell my wife to let me know when/if I just look old and creepy up there.)

[CowboyNQ]

20 hours ago, timwat said:

I've grown weary of playing covers.

 

Since the pandemic, I've been re-examining where I spend my time and what I really value, what brings me joy and satisfaction. A lot of us have.

 

I play a lot of dance band gigs, a lot as freelance, some as a regular in several bands - weddings, corporates, that kind of thing. Like many of us, I'm good at it, I know the drill, I know how to pick the right parts, how to develop the sounds, etc. I can also manage the band, sequence the sets correctly, etc.

 

And I'd be happy never to learn or play another Bruno Mars tune or EWF song (nothing against either one of those acts!).

 

I'm not really sure why my desires have changed - part of it I think is wanting to go back to writing original music and investing my time in jazz and improvisational music, even if there's no audience. I'm sure there are other reasons (including general fatigue due to my other life responsibilities). Part of it is being just another faceless cog in a larger band machine, that, at the end of the day, is just a cog in the "entertainment event" machine - forgettable, interchangeable, easily replaced, pedestrian. Indistiguishable from any number of similar bands that all play Uptown Funk, Boogie Oogie Oogie and think it's some great shakes to play that new tune Skate.

 

This all sounds rather cynical and jaded, even as I read it back to myself. 

 

Am I just in a funk or does anyone else feel this way?

 

Tim

Tim,

 

My understanding is that you don’t do this because you need to earn an income from it.

 

If I’m right, my best advice is to do what makes you happy musically.  If that’s no longer playing covers, so be it. 
 

Best of luck with your musical endeavours my friend, whatever they may be.
 

Paul

[D. Gauss]

Can't speak to the cover band doldrums as i've pretty much been in original bands my entire life...and i'm old as dirt. A different mindset for sure, but IMO, people requesting and digging your own song is generally a much more rewarding feeling than people cheering to a cover. Could i make more money in a cover band?  I guess so, but I write songs, produce and engineer records for other folks so i do alright. As long as you enjoy what you play, whatever it is, it's all good. 

[Doerfler]

2 hours ago, Al Quinn said:

I'd much rather play alone at home or get together with friends to have fun and nurture my creative side. In a way it brings me back full circle to when I was a teenager in 70's and enjoyed doing exactly the same thing.

 

my thoughts also, Al. 

 

Happy for my brothers who still enjoy playing in cover bands, keep it up. 

[Delaware Dave]

16 hours ago, Moonglow said:

Seems I’m in the minority here, but I’m not tired of playing covers.

I'm the same way; I never left the 70's so that is the music I want to play.  My issue with the 'tired' part is that most of the bands want to play the same songs (Sweet Home Alabama, Moondance, Cheap Sunglasses, LaGrange, The Weight, long train running, Born on the Bayou, Mustang Sally, American Girl) - you get the picture.  There are so many great songs from that era to play.  I just don't like knowing when someone says "do you know any Tom Petty" that my first thought is "i wonder how long it is going to take someone to say American Girl?"

[The Real MC]

I go through cycles where I have to step away from gigging for a while.  When covid killed my job two years ago I found a great job that required a major relocation.  I had just finished five years of elder care with my aging parents - now gone - and I REALLY needed a break from gigging, plus I really wanted to spend time in my studio that I had to give up while busy with elder care.

 

Turns out that a guitar player school buddy lives not far from where I moved to.  We started our first band together, he moved away 40 years ago and we kept in touch.  Two days after I arrived in town, I found out where his band was playing and made a surprise visit.  He put me to work right away, inviting me to sit in on a few songs - on drums.  That progressed to sitting in on bass, sitting in on keyboards, subbing on bass for gigs.  I was subbing with borrowed gear as all my gear was in storage at the time.  By the time I bought my house and had all my belongings and music gear moved in from storage, I became their full time keyboard player.

Yes I'm tired of recycled classic rock cover songs.  Yes I preferred not to gig.  Why am I gigging in a classic rock band?  Because I'm enjoying playing with my high school buddy again - he welcomes the keyboards, he doesn't play loud, we know each other, he knows the audiences, the band isn't loud, the venues are great, and the money is great.  It's *FUN* working with my buddy again, even with monotonous classic rock covers.  I wouldn't do it with anyone else.  And he and his wife have been a great help getting the new kid in town to know the place.  I'm not far from retirement and this may be the last classic rock cover band I play in.

 

Sure I rather be playing more challenging genres like fusion, jazz, prog, etc but there is little audience for that stuff.  There's not much money in it.  I like to develop my chops and be challenged.  With time I may meet other like minded musicians, and maybe there might be an outlet for that stuff.

[16251]

My covers itinerary: 80s - 6/nights on the road for weeks. Late 80s - early 90s clubs/weddings. Late 90s - 2008 weddings, clubs and office day job. During that time I also took jazz piano lessons.

 

I always felt like a mad scientist. Sitting behind a stack of boards. Loved big brass, orchestra hits, strings, synth. (negative - having to transcribe, write charts, buy new boards and making a lot less money than the vocalists.) Still, had great experiences.  If it wasn't for the jazz monkey on my back I think it's a way to play live and make a good living.

 

Around 2011, I played wallpaper jazz in hotel lobbies with day job. For me, it was more enjoyable since I was able to work on my jazz. Unfortunately, the day job made me a zombie during my free time and I wasn't able to muster more than a hour practicing jazz.

 

I took early retirement from office job and for a year I practiced and listened  to jazz 4-6 hours a day. Now at 65, I live on the cheap thanks to some good luck and am happy with my self improvements. Each band I was in were lengthy stays. Good for stability but bad in that I never developed a local name and thus don't gig much anymore (not to mention that I'm old and only want to play jazz.)  I have no urge to ever plays covers again but it was great to play live music for so many years and be the mad scientist.

[ProfD]

8 minutes ago, The Real MC said:

It's *FUN* working...

When it's all said and done, that is the #1 reason to keep doing it.

 

When the gig(s) is no longer fun and/or feels like a chore, it's time to do something else. 😎

[KuruPrionz]

13 hours ago, Jr. Deluxe said:

I'm not totally tired of covers but I am pretty sick of TIRED COVERS. I have no way of knowing how many times I have played some songs but it feels like it's the thousandth time when I do play them. 

Songs that I like and have not had a chance until now to cover are fun.

That is a mixed bag for me. I would be most joyful to have never played Sweet Home Alabama but the fact is I've played it countless times. I hated it when it was on the radio and I still hate it, probably more than ever. This one time though, right after SHA I fired up Play It All Night Long by Warren Zevon just for a hoot. Half the audience loved it and the other half were probably thinking that maybe it was time to kill me. When I heard David Lindley cover Play It All Night Long I almost died laughing and decided to learn an even more hillbilly version. 

 

On the other hand, I always love playing Folsom Prison Blues. I'll happily do the "one-five chunka chunka part and the signature intro to the solo and then I I get to play all crazy, it's fun. 

 

I'm just really tired of loud, I want a hand drummer with no cymbals (maybe a tambourine) and everybody taking their volume down to about half what they are doing now. 

Last night I sat in for a quick practice - pickup gig. The sax player started hooting away right in my ear. I told him not to do that so he stood behind me and blasted away. 

At the gig I'll take the backline and stand behind him, totally obnoxious and I don't think a sax can be played quietly. Will be my last pickup gig for them, ever. 

[stoken6]

Very interesting thread.

 

I'm avoiding the funk and monotony (to a degree) by:

1. Not having gigged as often as some of you guys, so not bored with the scene in the same way

2. Being the "first call sub", particularly for bands without regular keyboard players. If the gig is too far away, or an unpleasant venue, or whatever - I can simply turn it down without any guilt.

 

At the moment the bass player I worked with in a couple of projects has recommended me to a bandleader - I'm busy charting some great tunes (e.g. September, as in the other thread), and some tedious ones - 90s four-bar loops,release the MPC pad four beats before the drop, rinse and repeat (This is how we do it, Finally, Return of the Mack ...)

 

I do know that performing the song is very different from listening to them at home, and I like stretching myself, so I'm going for it. 

 

Cheers, Mike.

[drohm]

14 hours ago, Mills Dude said:

I never enjoyed playing straight covers and trying to sound like the record.  A lot of people strive for that and that's their jam.  I always got a little resentful about being keyboard guy and expected to learn all those esoteric parts from different instruments while guitar guy always got to stay in his lane.  

 

Some people really feed off the crowd energy and seek that out with the bar/party gigs.  For me it's always been about playing with other musicians and feeding off the shared energy we create together.  No better feeling for me than being in the pocket and looking over at the drummer or bass player and getting that nod or comping behind a soloist whos ripping it and giving them that extra nudge by throwing in a color note here and there and watch them go with it or send it off in a new direction.  That silent communication, the shared nod, where something is being created that is greater than the sum of the parts.

 

Its hard to get a group together willing to do that.  A lot of players either want to play bar gigs and get that crowd energy or are pros who need a gig just to pay the bills.  I love watching stuff like Scary Pockets where its all about the group vibe.  So whether they're playing covers or originals doesn't matter, they're making music or using the music to communicate with the audience and themselves on a higher level and there is an audience that would respond to that.

 

One of the reasons I'm a big fusion freak because when it was good, its all about creating that atmosphere of collaboration.  Of course, with straight ahead acoustic jazz its all about that but man, I love me some funky drums and groovy electric bass and a good electric guitar player soloing over the top. 

 

 I do get a kick out of these bands that do youtube videos where the recreate classic tunes as accurately as possible, its fun to watch but wouldn't be my cup of tea to play.

Wanted to give this response two thumbs up. Spot on!

[Bobbo Fett]

14 hours ago, Mills Dude said:

I never enjoyed playing straight covers and trying to sound like the record.  A lot of people strive for that and that's their jam.  I always got a little resentful about being keyboard guy and expected to learn all those esoteric parts from different instruments while guitar guy always got to stay in his lane. 

This is me too. There are 2 types of cover bands....in one (The one I prefer) We cover the song, not worrying about every wrinkle. The chicks dance, the guys buy the chicks drinks, the chicks dance some more, everyone gets sweaty and has a great time, the bar makes $$$$. In the other, sounding "Just like the record" is the order of the day. This kind of band is usually populated by guys who consider themselves A listers of the highest order, and therefore anything other than a note for note live transcription of the original is WAY beneath their delicate muso sensibilities. Trouble is, for us keyboard guys there is usually some stupidly heavy lifting involved that NO ONE else in the band has to worry about. Also, bands like this are usually preoccupied with playing deep cut tunes that never saw a second on the radio, or as my wife calls them, "Bathroom break tunes". If you have a song that the band KILLS but also empties the dance floor every time, what on EARTH would you play it for?....I've played for a hot minute in this kind of band, and it never ceases to crack me up when some random drunk chick stumbles up to the stage to ask for Brown Eyed Girl (Only sing it "Green Eyed Girl" because I have green eyes.....Oh, and can I please have a tambourine to play? PuhlEEEEZE?) and these musical "Gods" I'm sharing the stage with for our $100 gig at some random ale house go into a fit of apoplexy.....

[zephonic]

15 hours ago, Mills Dude said:

 I always got a little resentful about being keyboard guy and expected to learn all those esoteric parts from different instruments while guitar guy always got to stay in his lane.  

 

 

28 minutes ago, Bobbo Fett said:

 In the other, sounding "Just like the record" is the order of the day. This kind of band is usually populated by guys who consider themselves A listers of the highest order, and therefore anything other than a note for note live transcription of the original is WAY beneath their delicate muso sensibilities. Trouble is, for us keyboard guys there is usually some stupidly heavy lifting involved that NO ONE else in the band has to worry about. 

 

Parts. Always the parts. Learn the horn parts. Learn the string parts. Learn all the keyboard parts and play them simultaneously. 

 

I'm ok with that, but then the guitarist gets a pass to play whatever he feels like and totally clashes with all the parts I've painstakingly learned. I feel like that defeats the purpose, but hey, if the bandleader is cool with that, shrug and move on.

 

I guess I'm effective at the parts thing, but it's not something I can see myself doing for another five years. For me it requires a mindset that I can't break out of when I get called on to tear it up, and it messes with me.

 

[ProfD]

33 minutes ago, Bobbo Fett said:

Also, bands like this are usually preoccupied with playing deep cut tunes that never saw a second on the radio, or as my wife calls them, "Bathroom break tunes". If you have a song that the band KILLS but also empties the dance floor every time, what on EARTH would you play it for?...

Yep. I call that musiciansh8t.  Either playing to stroke their own egos and/or to satisfy their peers...other musicians.

 

If clearing the floor is the goal, they might as well play original tunes to achieve the same end. 🤣😎

[stoken6]

42 minutes ago, zephonic said:

 

 

Parts. Always the parts. Learn the horn parts. Learn the string parts. Learn all the keyboard parts and play them simultaneously. 

 

I'm ok with that, but then the guitarist gets a pass to play whatever he feels like and totally clashes with all the parts I've painstakingly learned. I feel like that defeats the purpose, but hey, if the bandleader is cool with that, shrug and move on.

 

I guess I'm effective at the parts thing, but it's not something I can see myself doing for another five years. For me it requires a mindset that I can't break out of when I get called on to tear it up, and it messes with me.

 

On the flipside - my attention to detail with "parts" has got me plenty of repeat bookings with bands. I've even had fans compliment me on my multidextrous playing. They come up to me and [alternate waving hands left-up right-down and left-down right-up]. There should be a word for that...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[timwat]

40 minutes ago, zephonic said:

 

 

Parts. Always the parts. Learn the horn parts. Learn the string parts. Learn all the keyboard parts and play them simultaneously. 

 

 

That's part of my weariness. Being good at this kind of role can essentially mean becoming a really good Xerox machine. Equal parts acrobat, choreographer, programmer (or edit preset jockey)...all devoid of personal creativity. It's just aping some producer / arranger's prior decisions made in some recording studio.

 

And I get it of course - it's a demonstration of a certain type of competency that is required to be in-demand for a certain kind of employment with particular kinds of requirements. And there is gratification - a packed dance floor that seems to love what you do, peers who sometimes appreciate all your hard work's prior preparation, some regular flow of ducats that we sometimes equate with personal musical value.

 

But some of you who know me better are correct, I've never needed gig income to pay rent, so that takes that level of pressure off. And while gigging DOES keep chops up, it doesn't really help the other chops I want to maintain and cultivate - composition, improvisation, group dynamics - all the stuff that doesn't pay regular gig money, I suppose.

 

No illusion that anything I write is going to make dollar one. But that's not why I write, and it is no longer why I want to play music i think.

[El Lobo]

I'm grateful that I get to play a lot of live music at what I call my advanced age. If you're weary of playing covers, it sounds like you desire some kind of reboot. Nothing wrong with that. I've had a band for 20 years that mainly plays 60's R&B, blues, rock. That's my fave genre so I still enjoy playing it and seeing people dance and have a good time. And I get to solo any way I want. I also play in an originals band where all the tunes are charted out and I can go for really outside solos or stay in the groove. Once in a while I play keys or sax in jazz jams in private homes just for the fun of playing Real Book charts. I was playing in a couple of countrified originals bands but that seems to have dropped off. I got a call to sub with a woman's band -- she's a good blues singer, attractive, fun to play with as she is high energy on stage, smiling, and interacts with the other players, especially if you feed her attitude. I was flattered to get the call and I've really wanted to play with her. The gig was an outdoor summer concert series, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. BUT ... the gig was 2 hours away. I told her I couldn't do it. As much as I would have loved to play with her, and maybe get future gigs with her, I just couldn't feature the 2 hour drive each way. That's the part I'm weary of. I'm making my choices for maximum enjoyment and minimum hassle. We do what we have to do to keep ourselves engaged in the game.