I'm giving a LOT of thought to leaving my home state of California and moving to Austin TX very soon. Probably before the end of Spring. Possibly in the next month!
I know the music scene in general is good. So how's the Trad scene there?
aka Chris Smith ~ from what I gather he is at Texas Tech.
But yeah, definitely send an email.
Cheers wherever you land. Now I definitely have to get a cold one at Ruth McGowan's. If you find yourself down on the drag & see a tall Lone Star sign let me know.
;)
I haven't been down to Austin much, but I know there's some great music there. Mark Stone, an expert bodhran player lives down there, and a wonderful guitarist I've met a few times, Jeff Moore also lives there... If you move to Texas, you should come up to Dallas every now and then, too, we'd love to have you!
I've only ever sat in a 'plane for an hour in Austin waiting for thunderstorms to clear over Dallas/ Ft Worth BUT...
I thought that down there in Austin they are all falling over themselves boring each other Scheit-less with endless Stephen Raymond Vaughan bedroom Strat strumming (in cowboy hats and moustaches), 12 bars into the sunset, "OK chaps, another shuffle, over-amplified and only the same old sad cliches please, it's the only American culture we've got" to bother learning tunes from the Irish tradition et cetera (or anything else)...
Austin has musicians from all over moving there all the time. Its been that way for decades.
We used to say there's a flatpicker behind every dumpster in Austin, and he's better than you
musicians dont make much money there because there are so many guys who are willing to play for nothing just so they can say they played gigs in Austin. And they're good players, too.
so if you are a studio player in LA, you got a chance to get with the top players in Austin. Otherwise, try and find a job at Threadgills washing up, and go from there
Austin is a great town. Lots of pretty girls, lots of cool people, and really pretty country.
but musicians flock there, so don't expect to make a dent in the scene for a while unless you already have friends there playing gigs on 6th street
(disclaimer: I lived in Texas for 25 years , played gigs in Austin, had many freinds move down there, and visited many times. this is what I always heard and experienced about the scene for working musicians down there. The talent level to break in is really high and the money you make is really low)
Lived there 1999-2000 and try to keep up with trad players there. There are some great players. More than that, the music has great support there. Pubs vie to be the "regular" session spot (it changes location every few years). Several good bands have gigs. There's a nice Irish festival each November.
Dallas is a 3-hour drive north, and here we have NTIF (huge Irish festival) every March, and a lot of Austinites come up to perform and play sessions at night at the guest hotel. We also have the O'Flaherty Irish Retreat each October, which is a 3 or 4 day weekend of workshops and performances - Austin players come up and teach and/or take classes.
All of these organized activities draw big names from all over the world.
Austin is one of the better places (if not the best place) to live for the music in this part of the country.
How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
I'm giving a LOT of thought to leaving my home state of California and moving to Austin TX very soon. Probably before the end of Spring. Possibly in the next month!
I know the music scene in general is good. So how's the Trad scene there?
# Posted on February 17th 2009 by Fishmonger
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
I'd put out an email to a guy named Coyote Banjo on this web-site. If memory serves - he know quite a bit about sessions in Austin.
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
But out there, they don't call it ITM.
It's IBM.
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by gravelwalks
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
aka Chris Smith ~ from what I gather he is at Texas Tech.
But yeah, definitely send an email.
Cheers wherever you land. Now I definitely have to get a cold one at Ruth McGowan's. If you find yourself down on the drag & see a tall Lone Star sign let me know.
;)
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by Ben Steen
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
Better make it quick Random, I don't think it'll be long.
Gawd I'm soooo ready to leave this town.
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by Fishmonger
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
I haven't been down to Austin much, but I know there's some great music there. Mark Stone, an expert bodhran player lives down there, and a wonderful guitarist I've met a few times, Jeff Moore also lives there... If you move to Texas, you should come up to Dallas every now and then, too, we'd love to have you!
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by JosephC
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
I've only ever sat in a 'plane for an hour in Austin waiting for thunderstorms to clear over Dallas/ Ft Worth BUT...
I thought that down there in Austin they are all falling over themselves boring each other Scheit-less with endless Stephen Raymond Vaughan bedroom Strat strumming (in cowboy hats and moustaches), 12 bars into the sunset, "OK chaps, another shuffle, over-amplified and only the same old sad cliches please, it's the only American culture we've got" to bother learning tunes from the Irish tradition et cetera (or anything else)...
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by Krick Stahlschwanz
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
Austin has musicians from all over moving there all the time. Its been that way for decades.
We used to say there's a flatpicker behind every dumpster in Austin, and he's better than you
musicians dont make much money there because there are so many guys who are willing to play for nothing just so they can say they played gigs in Austin. And they're good players, too.
so if you are a studio player in LA, you got a chance to get with the top players in Austin. Otherwise, try and find a job at Threadgills washing up, and go from there
Austin is a great town. Lots of pretty girls, lots of cool people, and really pretty country.
but musicians flock there, so don't expect to make a dent in the scene for a while unless you already have friends there playing gigs on 6th street
(disclaimer: I lived in Texas for 25 years , played gigs in Austin, had many freinds move down there, and visited many times. this is what I always heard and experienced about the scene for working musicians down there. The talent level to break in is really high and the money you make is really low)
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by Nate Ryan
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
Lived there 1999-2000 and try to keep up with trad players there. There are some great players. More than that, the music has great support there. Pubs vie to be the "regular" session spot (it changes location every few years). Several good bands have gigs. There's a nice Irish festival each November.
Dallas is a 3-hour drive north, and here we have NTIF (huge Irish festival) every March, and a lot of Austinites come up to perform and play sessions at night at the guest hotel. We also have the O'Flaherty Irish Retreat each October, which is a 3 or 4 day weekend of workshops and performances - Austin players come up and teach and/or take classes.
All of these organized activities draw big names from all over the world.
Austin is one of the better places (if not the best place) to live for the music in this part of the country.
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by glenn
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
Austin is the best town for music in the entire US. You can walk through neighborhoods and hear it coming from people's backyards. It's everywhere.
# Posted on February 18th 2009 by kennedy
Re: How's the Trad scene in Austin, TX?
there less than a year ago with pipes... very little irish trad. finally found one small session in (as i recall) a tex-mex or chinese restaurant...
but 30 minutes north of downtown.
# Posted on February 19th 2009 by maze