Letter from the Editor - Weekend Musician

About 14 years ago, I kicked off a classic rock project called ABOUT FACE. Of course, ABOUT FACE wasn’t my first choice for a name. As I recall, the first name arrived at was K4 which I later found was actually a ‘labeled’ act. Whoops. Better change the name. Then, we toyed with Keep Your Day Job using KYDJ as our handle. When I decided to check to see if there was an available domain for KYDJ.com, I found that it was the website for a gay theater troop (this was 1997 mind you). Oops, better change that name again. Following a few other failed attempts, my then lead guitar player, Joel, suggested ABOUT FACE. I personally hated it but we needed something and I was tired of coming up with my own bad ideas so decided to try one of his. The very first time we performed, the announcer introduced us as, “In Your Face”. I took one look at Joel before hitting the first chord and said, “Any other bad ideas?” Here we are, 11 years and 4 lead guitarist later, still using ABOUT FACE. Although I still don’t like it, we have a bit of a following, promotional material, a web site, banners, cards and at this point ___

changing is not only a hassle it’s downright expensive.

Since then, I have joined an additional Tribute band (The Grand Delusion – Styx/Journey) and substituted for dozens of acts at as many locations all the while battling ego’s, equipment, finances, promotion, bad venues, musician turnover, train wrecks (ok, not literally), flat tires, empty gas tanks, agents, and the struggle to keep things going while maintaining a day job (or in my case, about 3 day jobs), and a family.

I have often wondered, like many of you, why I subject myself to such abuse day in and day out only to make a few bucks on the weekends. I wonder this right up until the next booking which I seem to accept like a child getting some new toy. It’s an illness, I know. I’m not sure of the clinical term (musicus-stupidious?) but I personally know hundreds who suffer from it.

I have thus set out on a quest to provide support to those people with __

the “illness”. A place where they can go to learn about sound, recording, instrumentation, lighting, video, wardrobe, stage blocking, choreography, promotional materials and methods, demo CD’s, agents, and to deliver the information in lay terms and maybe even with a little humor. Other music publications feature articles on big names with big bucks and even bigger machines behind them. I never really felt like I could relate to those articles. Sure, it’s fun to read about Eric Johnson’s affinity for batteries or Bono’s stagehand eye- contact rules but what does that have to do with my issues locating the source of that blasted hum every time I play at Venue-X?

The intent of this publication is to feature weekend musicians and acts working part time on limited budget and to provide a forum where successes and failures are shared and learned from. Also, to provide a forum to promote smaller names and acts who provide a valuable service of entertainment each weekend at open entertainment venues! Let’s face it, as

we do so and everyone gets better, there’ll be more opportunities to get that fix we need…..Cure? Cure? We don’t need no stinking cure! (say this with a Mexican accent, and it’s funnier).

So, here it is. The inaugural issue of Weekend Musician. Enjoy.

Arny W. Bailey
Editor

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