We play A LOT. I mean.... A LOT. I dont mean a bunch, or quite often. We play a LOOOOTTTTTT!
This year alone, we have already played 24 shows not including Radio performances, Open Mics, and the Music SLAMs. There have been 15 weekends this year so far. That means we have played almost 2 times a week every week all year on average as of now. From today, we have 25 shows through September booked with 99% of those confirmed. That means, if we don't book another show through our farthest booked show, we would play 1 show a weekend every weekend until our last booked show in September. Many pay. Many don't. Many feed us. Many give us a tip jar which we then bang our monkey symbols for customers until they drop a dollar or 2 in. Some don't even give us that.
Because of this constant performance schedule, we are busy bees. Sometimes we get a lot of shit for playing free shows, coffee shops, and pizza gigs. I'll tell you shit talkers what..... YOU try playing for 4 hours for free or tips and see how easy it is and then tell me if you learn something every time you do it. Even better, shit talkers.....in Lamans terms.....try going to school with out rich parents where you have to work part time at a coffee shop for minimum wage until you get your masters degree in what ever the hell you're going for. Tell me if its worth the abuse you take at your local Starbucks to earn a living while you work your way to your dream job and dream income. Now. Lets compare class. We are working our 8-5 jobs now to pay the bills and yes, playing at coffee shops and pizza joints so we can get the knowledge and experience we need to earn our version of a masters degree in performing and singing and playing instruments.
You can't just show up at Trump Towers and walk into the Donald's office and get a job with no experience and no knowledge of your trade can you? No. Well, we sure as shit can't show up at the 'E Center' AKA The Maverik Center with guitars in hand and expect to open for fucking U2 without some background and experience can we? Nope. SO to the girl who made the Chuck-E-Cheese comment the other day....What do you do when you get home at night? Do you study? Do you learn about what you're dreaming of being? What do you do on the weekend? Do you go out and work when everyone else is partying around you because you know that you have to and luckily enjoy it at the same time? Do you get to create things that people enjoy and build a business from it? I surely hope so honey. Cause we live a charmed lucky happy life with little drama, and little to worry about except what's next. We are so fortunate to have friends and family who support us, buy our CDs and t shirts. We have such a great support group that, even though this blog may sound mad, its not. I feel bad for anyone who sees us as losers, dreamers, time wasters, idots, or anything else that you can think of. We do what most people dare never dream. We get to listen to some of the most influencial people in music at conferences and strive to be like them.
Being a musician isn't enough. We are entertainers and it is a lot of fucking HARD, exausting, work that involves savy, skills, talent, business knowledge, and guts. This isnt a matter of sucks or doesn't suck. Its not a matter of talent or no talent even. Some of the most talented people I have ever met were quitters and some of the worst musicians and actors I have ever seen were gutsy rockstars. Its all a matter of never giving up.
Somestimes the haters can get us all down what ever our dreams. We all need to remember that they're haters because they dont have the balls to do what you are doing and they stopped believing in dreams long long ago. I refuse to work for someone else for the rest of my life wishing I was doing something I loved. Of course there will be days when we are touring that I wish I was sitting back at my desk answering phones because that was easier. But I would never forgive myself if I look back one day and wish I would have done more.
When all is said and done, there are moments in this life that make it all worth it and you realize that you are on the right track. We will sometimes play several shows that are good but they're average shows where people enjoyed it, tiped, bought merch, and it was an overall good experience. (We have been lucky enough to have less than a handful of 'bad' shows) Then, we perform somewhere where the planets aligh, the stars shine brighter, and all is right with the world. This past weekend was that times 1000000. We performed in Idaho Falls last Saturday to a crowd of people that were more than any performer could dream. They were attentive, excited, interested, and just made the night something extra special. We all laughed together, sang together, clapped together, and had a relationship during our short 2.5 hour set that we had never had before. It was so fulfilling to have this experience. This group of people became our biggest fans and best friends. They were talking to us and interacting in a way I haven't even seen. They filled our email list, bought CDs, TShirts, and asked for autographs as well as took business cards to have us come play at their private functions. There were a few self asteem building moments where we could hear them talking to eachother about how much they were enjoying us, and a few beautiful times where we started a cover song knowing they would love it and we got applause as soon as they recognized what we were about to perform. I have never seen a crown interact and add to a performance like this except in big named bands DVDs of big shows they played. I couldnt believe how it felt to be held up by them like that.
We left that night with heads held high, but not too high, and feeling a sense of accomplishment knowing that we are on the right track and that we CAN do what we dream. Shows like that happen so seldom, and we were so fortunate to experience it. We will never forget that group of people and how they made us feel. You all took us from musicians to performers in one fail swoop and that debt can never be properly repaid except if we keep going and working and never give up.
So. To all you haters out there (who probably dont read this cause you hate), You go on home and drink your beer alone and be all sad cause some girl bought those shoes before you. We will be here. Being something more. Working toward something bigger than us because we just love it so much and never giving up. But mostly, we will be dreaming and believing in those dreams enough to chase them. Hate it all you want. We love it.
