Playing At Potbelly's, One of the best gigs I've ever had

Any musician will tell you that there are some gigs that are beneath them for one reason or another: Not enough money, the drive is to far, not enough prestige, the list goes on.   For most, Potbelly's sandwich works was one of those places and for me it was no different. But only until the first time I played there.

Like most any profession, anywhere in the world, I was going through one of those "slow times."  Gigs were not coming through as often mainly due to the fact that the weather was changing.   Colder weather means no backyard BBQs, weddings, parties or even patios at a regular bar.  In the western suburbs of Chicago, it means about 50% of your business disappears as soon as it gets below 65 give or take, which in Chicago, can mean any time between August 15th to January 1st.  It can change on a dime too, during the day it can be 70 and be snowing by the time the sun goes down. (Hence why I'm looking for warmer climates.)

So I did what I always do....I did what I had to.  I took a job that was well beneath my average pay rate, during lunch hours, to an audience that literally did not care weather I was there or not. Driving to my first day I really thought how bad it was going to be.  How people were going to complain or worse make requests that there's no possible way a solo guitarist can cover. Sad but true.

"You're too loud.", "Could you play some Taylor Swift", and as always, "FREEBIRD!"

That last one is expected at a bar when everyone is drinking but during the day, at lunch, at a sandwich shop, come on people!

But I tell ya, when I got there, it was a completely different story.  The staff was more than friendly.   They came and said hi to me and asked how long I'd been playing.  Some favoring country while others favored Top 40 tunes.  Everyone was sick of hearing the Beatles only because "everyone" covers the beatles all the time.  That's according to the staff anyway.

After chatting with them for awhile I finally set up and starting playing what I always play.  Tunes form the Eagles, and America,m so older tunes by Sinatra and some newer tunes from Lady GaGa and Michael Jackson.  And everything was not only accepted but enjoyed.  How do I know you ask?  Applause or not, if your tip jar is full at the end of the day, you did a good job.

And so it went, I was playing there 4 days a week.  I'd wake up and really, for the first time in my life, get excited about going to work.  There was either a new song I wanted to try out, some joke to tell, new people I'd meet and talk about music with or what my next step is or if I could play their party that was coming up.  But the real treat was watching all the kids come in and ask their parents,

"What's that man playing Daddy?" or "Does he know the Barney Song Mommy?"

They always cracked me up in the middle of a song, they'd be trying to sing along, making up their own words and melody half the time or dancing or whatever.

If you are a musician, you will be able to relate, if not, let me break it down for you.  There's any number of reasons why a gig goes well or it becomes one of those horror stories you just can't shake.  No one shows up to your gig, the manager doesn't want to pay you, the sound guy doesn't know what he's doing , someone charges $200 of drinks to the bands tab (yes that has happened to me.) Whatever the bad reasons I've had to deal with by playing at bars and clubs, they all disappeared when I started playing at Potbelly's.

I had a set schedule, set pay and no pressure to "bring a crowd."  I played what I wanted, talked with the guests about whatever, joked with the staff, let people sit in with me or play a song or two.  Nothing cooler than a 50 something guy in a suit playing some Bob Dylan at Potbelly's.  It's a rare sight is all I'm saying.  Not only all of those things but I was working and working everyday.  I had a steady job in this economy and not only was I working but I was doing what I love.  I was playing music for a living.  Everyday I got to do what I loved and got payed for it.  What more could I possibly ask for?

I'm glad you asked, as it turns out I'm leaving this Saturday for Rome to do the exact same thing on this wonderful ship....

It's a step up from playing at Potbelly's in downtown Naperville, no doubt about that.  But, there are some things that won't change for me.  I'm still going to be doing what I love.  I'm still going to be playing the same music and I'm still going to playing because I love playing.  I'm humbled and grateful that people like what I do.  It hits me everyday that there people who would love to be doing what I am doing and for whatever reason fortunate enough to be doing it.

Even though I will be sailing on the high seas for the next few months, I will still say that Potbelly's is still and will always be one of my favorite gigs.  Steady gigs for a musician is rare enough but once you throw in friendly people, a great staff, steady pay the opportunity to do what you love day in and day out and have people enjoy it, it quickly rises to the top of the list.

For those of you looking down your noses at playing a gig like potbelly's, all I can say is look where it can lead to.

I'll be in Rome Saturday with a whole new blog and pictures from the inside of the ship.  See ya soon

Getting ready for a new ship...

Hey there,

That's right kiddos, I'm leaving Nov 28th for my new ship.  They are flying me out to Rome and then of the Florence, France, Spain and Portugal.  After that, 6 days at sea back to the states and then the Caribbean for Christmas.

Lots to do before I get on the ship.  More forums and medical testes then I ever had in the Marines. (I know, hard to believe but true.)  Not only is there the forums to fill out but I have to make sure all my bills are lined up to be paid, store my car, new clothes, which I'll need help with female readers.  The biggest killer to my bank account is strings for my guitar.  Not something that people normally think about but they average about 14 dollars a pack, they last about 5 days (cause I'll be playing close to 6 hours a day between practice and work) and I have to stock up for 6 months.  I'd do the math but the outcome scares me a bit.  Lots of rules and guidelines and orders to fallow as well.  Kind of like marines but without the yelling.

I'll tell ya, it's freeing to be out there out on the ocean.  Not just the ocean but traveling and be surrounded by no one that knows you.  The experience is just unmatchable in my opinion.  I mean the money helps but it's not the real reason why I do what I do.  I may say it from time to time but the real reason, I like being out there.  Nothing familiar, everything is new and exciting, some good, some bad.  Everyday is a new story and you never know what's going to happen.  I love playing music for a living and making people happy and meeting new people.  I love how I can get lost in my music on good days or bad and bring people along for the ride.  I'm lucky that I have a job doing what I love.  I may not become a rock star, but some odd way, I already have.  I'm not making millions or have a platinum record but I'm seeing the world, I'm playing music and make enough to get me where I wanna go, have some good times with my friends and family and feed my unquenchable thirst for more and more records.

Is there more to life then this?

An Idea

My career is a great idea.  People tell me all the time how they wish they would have taken the chance when they were my age.  To go back in time and wake up a little bit.  Spend a little bit more time at home instead of hanging out with people who's names they can't remember today.  Focusing on things that matter in life: passions, hopes and dreams.

I've been a full time solo guitarist just over a year now and for as much as it seems like a glamorous life, the truth of the matter is that it is a lot of hard work that people just do not see.

My daily schedule consists of getting up in the morning and doing some sort of work out.  (let's be honest, no one would believe a starving artist who's overweight, am I right?)  after that I hit the woodshead (for those of you who don't know, that's what is know as the "practice room" in musician speak. )  for anywhere from 4-6 hours a day.  Sure I take breaks but they don't last more then 5 or 10 minutes.  Practicing music is something that is hard to describe.  It takes full concentration and a lot of time.  It's not only muscle memorization but also understanding the concepts of why things work the way they do and being able to recall them an a moments notice.   I'll have to get into that some other time.

After that I spend about 3-4 hours a day at Starbucks, online researching gigs, bars, clubs, new music to learn and other fellow solo artists.  I see where I can fit, how I can become more likable to the places I don't.   I write email after email trying to promote myself to bars and clubs that get hundreds of these a day and make the extra effort to stand out.  (Which I still struggle with.)  Calling owners and manages daily till the point they tell me to stop.  Researching other people who play, who in my opinion, have have as much talent (not all but there are some) and somehow are getting the same gigs I have applied for and trying to figure out why.

I do my best to try to learn from everything I experience.  Why things work and don't work and how to better apply myself to my career.

But I digress.

My job is a lot more then learning a few songs and playing for a half empty bar.  It's knowing what to play and how to play it.  It's knowing what's going to work on stage that's going to keep people around and bring them back over and over again.  It's the hours of time spent getting better in my room, sending emails and making phone calls.  In reality, there's a lot of days that it doesn't seem worth it.  Being told you're not good enough, you don't have the right look, sound or presence.  Being told no more times then you can count and undoubtedly having judging you constantly.

But what makes it all worth it, is that I play music for a living.  I don't make a lot of money and have a hard time paying the bills most of the time but through all the B.S. and negativity and politics, I play music for a living. I'm able to do what I  love and thankfully get paid for it.  don't fool yourself, if you wanna play for a living, be prepared to work. To grind it out.

I can honestly say, there's not one thing I rather be doing to make money.  I love my job and Im love how hard I have to work for it!