Interesting...

I was on Long Island from 99 to I don't know when but not gigging down there... did some shows in New Hampshire and Mass I guess to around that time.

I haven't played in a gigging band for nearly 10 years - got weekend warrior burnout. Since then, I've only been involved with projects for recording. Back then though, while blues was still hot, we seemed to have no problems playing anywhere. Had a good crop of clubs we would rotate through and the places were goodly attended.

Fast forward to today, most of those places are gone, or have changed formats. Used to be 8 live music venues up here, by me, now there's only 4. Used to have 7 nights of live music at those 8 places, now it's mostly weekends, with one OM on Wednesday. I'm kind of glad I don't have to search for gigs, today, but I miss all those opportunities to go see live music. I hope it's a cycle thing and live musuc and venues will be popular, again. Today's crappy radio music doesn't help, I think.

Anyway, good luck, Slingerland, and to all you guys looking for gigs. I hope the tide turns in a positive way, soon.

B

PS - Born and raised on on LI and lived there till '93. The gigging for me, then, was limited to only a few local bars. But they were packed with heavy drinkers and the owner loved us.