MAB Q&A

DAMN! Kevin is using Melodyne! I AM impressed. Good job Kev.

"Why is everybody pickin' on me?"  Sounds like a great hook for a song!

Marc, I appreciate your dissections of my point of view, even when I disagree with them.  Justin, thanks for that incisive post and encouragement, much appreciated. Kevin, schadenfreude can be quite entertaining!

I'm going to mine a couple of topics just a little more. First, songwriting contests. If you check out the home page of the USA Songwriting Competition, you will see that the recent top winner was "Believer", written by the rock band "American Authors". Their comment: "We are excited to win this competition. We entered this competition as unsigned acts came out as top winner, signed to Island Records, and we are now top 40 on the Billboard 100 charts."  

I was a Top Ten Finalist in the Dance/Electronic genre in this same 2013 contest, for "I'll Be Goldilcks".

Just last week, I got an e-mail from International Acoustic Music Awards: Breaking News: IAMA Winner Meghan Trainor hits #1 on Billboard  #1 on Billboard is a huge accomplishment, especially for a young 20 year old girl. IAMA winner hits the charts yet again. The song is also #8 on the Billboard 100 charts . . . Meghan Trainor was discoverd by IAMA and she won Best Female Artist in the 6th annual IAMA in 2010 when she was just 16 years old with her songs performed in the acoustic format. After sneaking up to #2 last week, Meghan Trainor's love-your body- anthem , "All About That Bass" will take the top spot on the Billboard Digital charts this week thanks to sales of 197,000. Her video has over 14 million views on YOuTube. The song is also #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts this week.

News like that almost makes you think that a contest might be worth a shot, no?

Also, just a couple of days ago, I got my weekly TAXI newsletter. There's a pic of Steve Adamczyk, and this: "Steve's song, "Warm Beer" got our attention a couple of months ago and we featured it on our July's TAXI favorites page. Steve told us that the song had recently been signed to a music library, and the song's very first pitch resulted in a placement! The song is going to be in the upcoming Feature Film "Dying of the Light", starring Nicholas Cage! Wthin a week later he got the exciting news, he was notified about another placement! His Doo-Wop tune is going to be in the opening credits of an upcoming Indie film, a direct result of a TAXI forward. Over the past couple of years, Steve has had another 6 songs signed to the same library, both directly through TAXI forwards and the continuing relationship he has wiith them. Steve said, "TAXI does what I can't -- gets my music to the right ears." Congratulations on these two awesome placements Steve!

I mention Steve, and TAXI, for a couple of reasons. First of all, Steve has been a member of SongRamp for years. Those of you here who ever perused Open Mike would have seen his songs posted up quite often. He has wonderful stuff. For him, at least, TAXI has been quite worthwhile.  Secondly, I want to make the point that TAXI has been my primary point of submissions the last couple of years. I submit my pop/electro/dance efforts to specific TAXI listings asking for songs in that genre. Even got a few forwards! Who is to say I might not have the same stroke of luck as Steve?

I'd also like to add an anecdote about Larry Beaird of Beaird Music Group, since Justin mentioned him and we are talking about demo firms. Back around 2008, Larry had done 5 or 6 demos for me, all of which I was quite pleased with. I sent him a new one, "I Want My Virginity Back!".  Larry called me up, and said he just couldn't do the song, because of the subject matter. I said, "hey! it's supposed to be humorous and tongue-in-cheek, not serious". He still declined to do it. A year later, I sent him another tune, "Bat You 'Round".  Larry called me again, and said he coudn't do the tune because of the content. He said it seemed to advocate spousal abuse. I said, "Larry, the song is written from the point of view of a female, it's supposed to be humorous."  Larry didn't get the joke, and declined to do the demo! 

You really have to admire the ethics of someone like that. Larry and I departed on good terms. I had the songs demoed by DBW Productions in LA, and the songs won honorable mentions in the 2009 and 2010 Great American Song Contest.. Also, through the demo singer I used out there, I met a producer who still considers my music. Happy ending all around.

That's my rant for this evening. My best to everyone.

Ott

All of these posts could be distilled  down to

 D'ffrnt Strokes  for diffrnt  folks .

All roads  lead  to  Rome , some  take longer  than others  and sometimes you never get there and, even if  you do, its a whole new  ball of  wax!

Do what  makes you feel good  and   enjoy the  journey .

my 14c worth

Ha, ha -- good one!

Oops, she's might get sued:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/did-meghan-trainor-plagiarize-a-k-pop-artist#13pj2sp ;

Of course she probably never heard the other song in question, but the descending melody sounds the same.  

Ha, ha -- but it does make me lazier on the harmony parts!  I know that the calvary is standing by.

Hey Kevin, thanks for that comparison link. Now guess what!? BOTH of those songs SOUND LIKE a 1970'/80's tune, the name of which I cannot think of right now. But you should recognize it?

phil g.

"News like that almost makes you think that a contest might be worth a shot, no?"

Ott, actually, "No." Not for me. I also won one in 1984 and was signed to MCA records. And within a few weeks was the answer to a trivia question. And Billboard has several charts encompassing hundreds of formats and often it is not what it seems. Getting "millions of hits' does not nessasarily transfer into financial or other type of success.

But I will concede as I always have, that they work for some people. Particularly artists, as it gives them a higher profile utilizing an existing structured format like a contest. But even with those, and things like American Idol and the Voice, the contest only was one part of a larger career. Might have given them a career boost, but the contest itself had a very short lived effect.

So if they work for you, that is fine. I will still maintain that there has never or will ever be a song out of a contest that goes very far. The reason is very simple, that the song and all contests, exclude proffessionals. It is written into the rules. You cannot have had a major cut, publishing deal, or anything in the way of actually being a professional in this business. So the songs (and artists are up against the contest, not the industry). And an amateur is never going to be able to compete against someone that does this for a living every day all day. Just not going to happen. Which is why almost all of the winners dissapear very quickly upon being released into the legitimate music industry.

My comments all come from personal experience and those that I know who are involved with them, and I have quite a few people I have worked with and continue to work with that have had great success with a lot of contests. They are fleeting. But what in the music business isn't?

Everything I talk about is about NOT putting all your eggs in one basket. One song. One artist. One opportunity. It is about doing it consistantly, being smart in what you do and more than anything ineract with other people. That is my total point in any of this.

So congratulations on your successes and if you enter them, enjoy them and get some recognition from them, that is very good. Any kind of recognition in this day and age is well earned.

MAB 

Sounds like everyone is copping the same mediocre melody to me. LOL! I think I even  wrote one that sounded like that too. Didn't know we all go for the weakest melodies we can. 

MAB 

MAB,

I'm on the fence about the FB event this year.  I got on the Website for the Regatta you provided and they had no 2 bedroom facilities available.  I even left a voice mail for Pam at the number you gave us; but she has failed to call back.    Since then, my buddy Mackboy has cancelled because some unexpected repairs need to be made to a rental property he has, so I would be coming alone.

Is there a hotel close by (preferably within crawling distance from the Florabama) that I may call; at least along that strip.

I'd rather not have to travel 20 minutes to get there if I didn't have to.

Also;  I read that RiDawn Raelette may be coming down (I assume with her hubby),  and I know Philboy mentioned being open to a group Condo.  Perhaps some others may be interested in a group Condo rate as well.

Update:   I just got off the phone with Pam at the Regatta MAB and Tina stay at.  She was shocked the internet site reported no 2 bedrooms available because they have a few 2, 3, and 4 bedroom Condo's still not booked.  I got some rates for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, beach front (with a balcony approximately 10' x 12' ), and here are the rates.   These rates are concidered at a one week stay meaning we would pay for 6 nights and the 7th night is free.  In addition to the 3 bedrooms, it would have a furnished living room, dining room, kitchen, and laundry faciltities.  The bedrooms would come with bed linens and the bathrooms with towels and wash clothes.

Because last year (or one of the previous years) the MAB was unable to stay the entire 10 days of the Festival (to include both weekends),  
I broke it down with two scenarios (just a guess on my part)......... nothing is confirmed until I hear some feedback.

Scenario #1.   A weeks stay checking in on Friday November the 7th and checking out on Thursday morning November 13th (my preferance).  The charge would be $990 total (and perhaps a cleaning fee; but I'm not sure about that)
That would be $330 per bedroom for the week and less than $50 dollars per night.  (not including a cleaning fee which I think the last time we stayed was a one time $75 or $100 dollar fee for the Condo, spit amongst the occupants of the bedrooms)

Senario #2 .   The same 3 bdrm Condo for the entire duration (with two nights free) being check in on Friday, Nov. 7th and check out on Monday the 17th.   This would come to $1220 for the 10 days.  That would break down per bedroom to $460 for the 10 day period and again less than $50 per night (not including any cleaning fee).

For me, the duration of my stay would mostly depend on how long the MAB would be there and performing.  Maybe he can let us know his intensions for how long he will be there.

Also; anyone mentioned or anyone else that would be interested in sharing a Condo, post your thoughts on here and we'll see what happens.  I won't book anything until we have the people ready to commit and the duration of our stay.

I will add the fourth bedroom is pretty small.

OD

OD,

Thanks for doing all that. I figured there were units avaible, there always are. Not everyone updates their web sites all the time, and they are still in the middle of the summer season down there right now. Still a little far off for them.

I will be there probably starting on thus, the 7 and be there until Sunday the 19th. I plan on being for the whole thing this time. I didn't last year because of the Pink Bus tour.  It is always up in the air of where I will be performing as that comes together at the last minute also. Sorry, 21 years of dealing with this festival lets me know how it works. You just kind of go and see what happens.

I am usually booked pretty heavy on the weekends Thus-Sunday. The middle of the week, Tuesday and Wed. are usually down days with nothing offical. About four days are what most people are used to. Their might be a way to "tag team" something with someone renting the first weekend, then hanging on to the unit for someone else to come in the next weekend. Like pretty much everything, Pam is pretty cool and usually is open to deals.

Ridawn is talking about going and possibly bringing Alice Bargeron with her and her husband. Dani Jamerson will be there and so anyone coming down might get a good opportunity to write with an incredible artist .

The Frank Brown festival is one of those events you just kind of have to target out some time and then go for it. It is always interesting, fun, and educational. Well worth the time, expense and effort.

MAB 

Your welcome OTT, just trying to help, I lol'd at your song title...

OD,

It is possible there are some rather seedy hotels in the area of Frank Brown, I'm not sure but I would venture to guess there are, with some rather questionable characters. You wouldn't have to worry about the "No shoes, no shirt, no service" policy of most hotels, just get off the couch as I know you scantly clad, and show up in your undies, beer in hand. Odds are they will call you on a involuntary admission to mental health facility of some sort... you'll get a free room no problem. You'll just have woo the nurses with your best love song and you can get out to attend the festival during the day. Problem solved.

There are around 20,000+ hotel rooms in the general area. And it is off season so there should be plenty, I have driven up and down that beach every year and can't ever remember seeing a "No Vacancy" sign. Next door to the Regatta is a Best Western, on the other side are three or four hotels, all stretched out all over the place. Inland, towards Foley, are dozens of more of all sizes, shapes and price ranges. I don't think finding a room is that big a problem.

MAB 

Kid,

   I tried to email you directly but got a message saying your emai box was full or something like that. Here's what I sent:  Last time I went to the Festival my brother and I stayed at the Microtel Motel. Same one Phil mentioned. As you go into Gulf shores it is on the left. To get to the FloraBama from there you continue down the main highway till it dead ends into another highway, take a left and go till you see a second Waffle House on the left, FloraBama will be on the right. If you really want to hang out with a bunch of late-night musicians go to the River Cabin directly across the street from floraBama. They may even provide you with a cot. Bring your own blanket. You can probably stay there for free. I have done that several times.
Eddie Rhoades

Eddie,

With a new job, family and kids, I don't think Justin is talking about coming to the festival. He is just talking in generalities. I think he is probably going to have to stay close to home for a while. he just got this job and won't be eligible for any vacation time for a while yet.

MAB 

Thank you MAB. Somehow I thought Justin was planning to go to FBISF this time. I am sure staying at one of the condos near other songrampers would be great fun and more luxurious rooming. After a couple of Bushwhackers you might find me out on the beach imagining I am in a filming of Naked and Afraid. Lay your coconuttas on the Tiki.......

Eddie R

Eddie,

If you back up a few pages, you can see his description of his new job, pictures of him getting down in the mud and talking about how physical it is as well as a lot of good back and forth between him and OD. We advance a couple pages a day so it is easy to miss something.

M 

OD:   I might be making my first trip to Frank Brown this year!   Is the regatta in the middle of everything?  My wife is going to San Fran with her sister the last week in October, so this will probably be a solo trip for me.  Let me know what you are planning to do!

LOL, Eddie!

Yeah MAB is right... however good to know for next year! I was just teasing the brother old dawg, sorry for the confusion good brother.  Good info. though regardless! Thanks. But yeah, with my new job I'm placed on a six month "probation" within that time period it's pretty much unspoken you don't even conceive of taking time off if you want to hang around. Once the probation "period" is over at six months I BELIEVE don't quote me, but I BELIEVE I will eligible to take some time off. For example I'm actually about to leave in a little while to go work some more overtime, I need to arive at the shop at 9:30pm tonight, and we'll probably once again be working till early a.m. and then I've got a normal work day tomm. (Thursday) to be in at 7am... I've been storing all the overtime I've been working into two pots basically, one pot is my time and a half pay, the other is my "comp time" since I've worked OT i'm credited for 1.5 hours just for working one hour, that get's banked in my account. So just by working 4 ACTUAL overtime hours, I would get a credit to my "comp time" of 6 paid hours... and never have to even tap into my vacation yet...so safely I could bank 5 1/2 overtime hours (which I've already done this week alone) and get a day paid, and we're encouraged to use them. We can bank up to 160 a year...and they roll over for life.

The cool thing is we have RDO's Required Day Off... mine fall every other Friday. Which means I could use my comp hours (which I've already came to agreement with the wife lol) everything I bank can be used to trips to Nashville to see MAB for a tour, or FB, or anything musical, the vacation days will be for family.

The only kicker is after six months probation, I've been told with a wink and nod it's not a wise thing to take a lengthy vacation of any kind until you've had ONE year in. HOWEVER, while I'm not boasting I'd like to think I'm catching on pretty fast, and really working hard, I'm cordial with everyone and friends with all my supervisors (heck many of them sit and talk Texas music with me!!!) One I'm meeting Sunday to see an Artist I've written with and he likes and we'll have a couple beers, big show, not "hang out" but we'll see each other, plus Sat. I'll be taking my family to our cities first music festival which oddly enough some city employees my coworkers I see everyday will be there for OT and too see a free show! They're from the Parks side, I'm on the Utilities water/sewer/gas line infrastructure.

So I'm hoooooping I don't have to wait the full year, since I could easily leave on a Thursday before my RDO be at MABS late that night have fri. sat. and sun. which wouldn't even be noticed, then maybe another day or two... If I don't take anytime off, I'm betting I can get by with six months wait, Tomm makes One month, and one week I've worked they're so it'll fly by I'm hoping. I NEED to make a trip asap, and am saving and now just waiting.

Off to work...

OD, great of you to do all that leg work. I think I'm going over on Mon. the 3rd. Last year, the volunteers had their last meeting the Tue. before, a party Wed., and the locals kicked the festival off on Thu. Fri. I was at Florbama at 10am working I think untill 11pm that night. Well, with a few hours off after lunch and before the7pm  evening show. I want to stay for the 10 day festival, but I'm still working on that.

As I recall, the Regatta is about 10-15 min. from Florbama, but it is all 4 lane road to get there. AND, don't forget, Florbama is not the only place for MAB's music. There are I think 2 or 3 places between Regatta and Florbama, more the other side of there, and even some up on the north side of the river/bay.

Kevin, I think MAB needs to address your question better than me. The Florbama is "the center" of the festival. BUT, it is 5-35 min. CAR drive from the other venues. Actually, most if not all of the writers will be at Florbama at least one night. There are 3 stages there, and every night 2 of them host the writers. Upstairs is a listening room envronment, and downstairs is more open. AND, a LOT of the writers come to the Florbama between around 11am-2pm for lunch. IF YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER, you can chat with some great writers at lunch. There is an afternoon open mic there that is open to everyone if you want to take that in. You may even be able to meet some of the writers there.

phil g.

During the week I'll have to be working a bit (I'll need wifi access), so I probably won't be able to do the volunteering thing.   Is there some place where I can view the venues and schedule.  There is nothing on the main frank brown site at the moment: http://frankbrownsongwriters.com/wp/ ;

Hey guys,

Yes Phil, the FLORABAMA is the center of the festival, but it is far from the only venue. It is the ground zero because Joe Gilchrist, the owner was the founder and guiding force behind this, often paying for it all out of his own pocket. But it has grown far beyond the Bama and Joe. Now pretty much every place down there gets into the spirit and wants to climb on board. (It brings several hundred thousand dollars to the area tourism in an otherwise REALLY DEAD time.)

Kevin, you probably won't find a lot of specifics up until about a month before the festival. A lot of reasons for this. First of all, getting confirmations from hit writers is a pain in itself. These people don't know what they are doing from one day to the next. They do well to get from one appointment to another, much less something two months away. Some will be nominated for CMA awards so they can't go. Some are involved in other awards or end of year business. Some are in the studio. Their publishers need them for last minute press or writer's retreats. If it is a choice of spending three hundred dollars in gas and food, driving 8 hours, taking three or four days out of a schedule making $100 for a show, and writing with an artist who might be song of the year next year, writing with the artist is probably going to win out. 

Venues, drop out at last minutes. During the season where money is coming in hand over fist, it is easy to say "Sure I want to be involved." Then as it dries up in Sept. and you are trying to keep a skeleton crew on, ponying up a $500 venue fee and advertising, gets harder to deal with. And unfortunately, places close.

A lot of new people are  always trying to get in. This is cool, but many are frankly not very good, are all ballad writers and think they are going into a Bluebird, instread of a beach bar. So they come totally unprepared. They run customers out, losing the audience is death for resturants and bars who depend on that business. The new people have no name recognition, and a lot of them think the world revolves around THEM. You would not believe some of the complaints I have heard from newbies who make demands and have NO REASON to have demands.

Hotels/condos. Over the years, there have been problems. Believe it or not, some of my writer compadres, (even a couple of co-writers) have acted like they were Keith Moon on summer vacation. Trashing private condos or hotel rooms has been common. Some times the all night revelry will disturb regular guests. And of course, one example of someone who believed his tortured poet press kit garbage, emptied the contents of his colostomy bag on the walls of one place, and was thrown out of the hotel (and the festival) for urinating on the heads of some girls in a room underneath. And I was shocked to my soul about three years later he was invited BACK to the Festival. Part of the reason I have no respect or sympathy for a lot of these classless people. Not empathetic of the tortured soul nonsene. If you are that tortured, go do us all a favor and shoot yourself somewhere else and let people write platitudes to you. I have no time for that nonsense.
So a lot of hotels have been less than enthusiastic about inviting the Festival back in. Therefore, they have to see how many rooms they can get (all donated for free) before they  know how many people they can invite. And when you need the hit writers to attract the public, it limits the time for new people. That is the reason for the open mics. They try to include more people, but have to be careful about what types of people these are, and how easy they are to work with. Far too many have an "air of entitlement" because they are invited down to be with some hit writer who also doesn't respect the people or the festival. 
One of my real pet peeves of this are people that complain about everything and don't have a care for any one but themselves. I have been knocked out of performing slots at the last minute with too many of my fans staying up late to see me by these people.  Or watched an entire audience leave due to someone onstage being drunk, abusive and insulting before I even got a change to go onstage. Then to see them invited back year after year, pretty much ignites my bullshit detector. Respect is earned and some people don't earn any. And they ruin or make things harder on those that do.

So all these things and more are reasons the schedule is always late. It is a real balancing act between the public, the volunteers, the performers, the venues, the advertisers. And it all costs money. Over the past three years, BP paid for a lot of it, due the oil spill that drove tourism away for a while. But I am pretty sure that is over. 

So having people that come down, pay for rooms, contribute to the economy, is very important. Why I try to bring some people to the Regatta is because they have been so good to me over the years. I hope some of you can help out there. I always make sure I pay for food and drinks, in the places I perform, even though I am often comped things when I play. I try to make another show in the venues I play in when I am not playing. I try to buy drinks and bring other people in. Things like golf, or some of the local attractions, I try to suggest. 

That is what makes it all work. I'll come back in a second to give a run down on the venues.

MAB

 

                                                         FRANK BROWN VENUES

There are usually about 15-20 venues at Frank Brown. They kind of range from the "Center out" with the FLORABAMA being the main spot. The Bama, has two stages, the indoor LISTENING ROOM, which is perfectly sized for songwriting. It is identical to the old room that was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. A 70 foot wall of water took out most of the entire Florabama and took years to get permits, planning, and everything back in line to rebuild it. They knew everything was coming so they took out all the pictures, memorablia, momentos, guitars, etc. down from the walls and saved it. Even saved a lot of the wood and bricks from the wreckage and rebuilt it perfectly as a replica of the old room. Except it is about twice the size.
So it is still very intimate (BLUEBIRD "SHHH" RULES are in effect) yet big enough to not be packed in like Sardines.
Capacity is about 150. 

The "outside deck" of the Bama is the same as before Ivan, because it was built up to giant codes about three years before the storm. So it survived intact. And additions over the past years due to some new part owners, and a lot of money put in have made it a current showcase in addition to keeping the quirky atmosphere. It is a large tent like area, with booths, tables and chairs and a dance floor, and a balcony. Big stage, and usually has larger groups playing. The capacity is about 300-500.

LULUS. This is a pretty big venue right in Gulf Shores on the bridge over the Intercoastal waterway before getting into Gulf Shores. It is owned by LUCY BUFFETT, who is the sister, of yes, himself, JIMMY BUFFETT. And they probably make enough money there to impress their distant relative WARREN BUFFETT! It is a great seafood resturant with a large stage and open courtyard type place. A little hard for the quieter acts, but workable. Two bars, about 85 booths, tables and benches. Around 300-500 capacity. One of the harder venues because they have a lot of sports going on at the same time. Football is king down there,especially Southeastern Conference games. Better have a wide variety of material and be flexible. Last year I was doing THE HARD WAY, my introspective song about my son, RIGHT AS ALABAMA RECOVERED A HUGE FUMBLE FROM LSU! Wanna lose all the attention on one play? There you go!

Sunset Corkroom. Very polished and glass. Got to have reservations here. Usually put the highest level writers there. Hard to get in, but great shows. Very Bluebirdian. High class food and hich prices to go with it. Bring a credit card for this one. About 85 capacity.

Coco's pizza. Very small but very lively. Still in Gulf Shores. A really good pizza place. About 50 capacity.
THE HANG OUT. An ENORMOUS place. Probably the biggest aside from the Bama. The hardest place to play because it is like being in an airline hanger. the problems with this is the bigger the place, the more noise and less respect for the artists. This is one of the only places I usually turn down to place unless I get cornered by the Manager who always guilts me into doing a set there. It is a decent place, I just have a little problems with the owner who once vowed he opened the place to "put the Florabama out of business.' I never liked that. They are about 10 miles from each other and have no real effect on each other. They could be looked at as the "bookends" of this festival.  The Hang out has a huge rock festival each year and they have done well. Just a little bigger than I like to be involved with. I hate having to bring binoculars to be able to see the first row. I'll play if they con me, they pay really well, but I would rather do smaller places. But you never have a problem getting a seat. Around 600-800 capacity. Talk about PLAYING TO TABLES AND CHAIRS!

The WARF area. The Warf is a huge multi resturant, shopping, bar complex. Toby Keith has a huge place there, not affiliated with the festival. There are about three or four smaller places that will be involved there. Ginny Lane, Hub Stacy's, the Daquiri bar, all sizes and calibers. Even have one really great resturant venue, but I only played there once. Good parking and a lot of variety. Each one is about 75 capacity. It is back on the Intercostal. Have to kind of know where you are going to get there. The whole area is not huge and very drivable. But you can can get turned around easy. Don't worry, you'll always end up fine.

Cosmo's fishing camp. Another high end resturant. Need reservations and a lot of people go to this one. Cars are everywhere. About 50-75 capacity, and most of those are eating. Bring a check book.

FRANCOS ITALIAN RESTURANTE' My FAVORITE FOOD ON THE ISLAND! Very cool vibe, usually hosted by Rick Whaley, a great player and writer. One of my favorite guys in the whole area. Very laid back vibe in there. Expect to hear jazzy, blues and more of the James Taylor type songwriter stuff. But the food is amazing. The Veal Marsala is to die for. About 75 capacity.

Florida side: 
The REEF. 100% BIKER BAR! Very cool little venue, but odd groups of people. Right over the Florida line, it has it's own vibe like no where else. Just when you think you are going to be yelled off the stage, they can be some of the nicest most attentive people around. But it can be loud. One of the best things I ever did was one year when I was involved with some of the pairing artists up with the venues. I put a half dozen shows there with REALLY HOT GIRLS that were playing. That was a perfect match up. The girls got a lot of attention, sold a ton of CD's, and the bikers got their eyes and ears full. Wish they still did that. Capacity about 125.

Jelly Fish. An upstairs bar on the Fla. side of the Bama. When you get down there, the places get farther away and driving area is farther. And watch out for cops. DUI'S are given out really easily there. In the same courtyard as Jelly Fish is usually a couple more smaller places that are venues. A lot of those people go out of business easily so I don't know who will be there.

 PENSECOLA.
I am just honest. I don't care for the Pensecola venues. I always get lost driving there, and they really are not clued into the spirit of the festival and this is on the Naval Air Station, so you get a lot of Navy guys in there chasing women. I've never had a really good show there although I always run into someone who saw me there and tell me what I did. I guess it or I really didn't suck as bad as I thought. The main place there is ROSIE OGRADY'S which is a huge entertainment complex with about ten bars and resturants in it. There are usually three places for the festival including a big common courtyard where everyone waits on tables in the resturants. Which means your audience turns over about every 15 minutes. Really hard to do a show there aside from snippets. You could get by with playing about 5 songs over and over all night. And this is where they try to book you for two-three hours to fill the slots. 
But you do get seen by a lot of people for a few minutes. Most of the venues have capacity for around 100 but there are never more than about 20 in any one place. And those are heavy drinkers, so you need to bring your "bro bar country songs." anything with beer in it works fine. 

PIRATES COVE. This is the hardest to get to but the most fun. It is way back in the woods, gotta know how to get there to get there or take a guide. It is litereally where a lot of drug smugglers and vagabonds used to live. Now just kind of a marina, with a lot of boats, and people who pull up off the intercostal. The resturant is basic beach bar, with sand everywhere, and there are dogs everywhere. One, a HUGE BULL MASTIFF named Tiki, will be all over the place, she is the mascot of the bar. Where does a 200 pound bull mastiff sit? ANYWHERE SHE WANTS!!! Usually on my foot.
The burgers are THE BEST ON THE ISLAND (except for the KEG) and the onion rings are amazing. Bushwakers are deadly, especially on those country back roads. TAKE A DESIGNATED DRIVER!!!!
The shows are run by Andy, my former 400 pound buddy (now about 275) who is a great soundman, so the sound is about as good as it gets. The stage is set up on a back porch area, and is very intimate. The people really love the vibe so it is very well attended. Usually the last place I play. I generally close down the Cove on Sunday.  They just like me to end things, or run people out I guess. I love that place.

Those are the main venues. There are a few more like VFW or the American Legion, The Beach Club, Perdido Civic Center, etc. will have special shows. Some only have one or two at the time. One of my favorite, the PERDIDO BEACH RESORT is very fancy but very low key. They range from very posh, to very obscure and low key, but there is no real dress code, and you just kind of make it up as you go along.

I would check the web site about three weeks out and make notes. Find the addresses and kind of map out your route. There are usually two shows a night and you can make them fairly easily. Check the web sites on each of the venue's sites and see if they take reservations. Almost all of them are first come first served, just got to be there early. I would try to get there at least thirty minutes early and try to eat there and support the venue.

There are special Sunday shows for Christian minded. The Florabama has the biggest sunrise on the beach church service. Pretty interesting to finish your prayer, then order Bloody Mary's, Mimosa's or Bushwackers. There is usually one HUGE show which would feature someone like Bill Anderson or some celebrity. There are some you will not be able to get into because the same people go to the same venue at the same time every year. My friend Chuck Lewis will take 30 people to the Sunset Corkroom on Friday nights. It is easier for me just to show up at their condo (they all stay together) and play there, than expect them to make it out to see me.

There is always a lot of great food, great beaches, great environment. If you are a history buff, GO TO THE NAVAL AIR MUSEUM. A lot of planes, and the history of the Naval air force and the development of the AIRCRAFT carrier, from World War II on. most of the pilots who flew in that war were trained there, including President George Bush. A great thing is to get in on one of the tour lectures, usually done by the veterans who flew out of there. I love those World War II guys. And they are not going to be around much longer. So spending a little time with one of those is well worth it. Got to sit with one last weekend in Gatlinburg. Is a wonderful experience and they need to be told how great they are.

I will be down there the whole time and if anyone wants guidance, company or a full appointment, let me know. I can work out special rates for anyone that wants to do something "OFFICIAL." We could even do a guitar pull song critique if you wanted for free. I'm open.

That is it for now. Any questions, ask away.

MAB 

Thanks for the info.  I really haven't found a map yet that gives me a decent feel for the grand scale of things.  It sounds like you have to drive to every venue -- is this true?   I was hoping to get there, park the car and stroll around and see great music everywhere.  

No, you have to drive. In some of the entertainment complexes there are two or three venues you can walk to. But most are about 15 minute drives from each other. It covers about a thirty square mile area. If you look at the map of the US and see where Florida and Alabama meet, that is it. The layout I gave you would start with Lu Lu's in Gulf shores,and straight down 59, where the Ocean starts and the road ends. You would turn left and head down the Gulf highway toward Pensecola. The rest are along the way just like I laid them out.

M 

Got it!  Of course, I found decent maps the second I posted the first message!