BEST place for live MUSIC/musician ROCK BAND in NC??? (Charlotte: best city, chapel)

[167878]

so, i currently live in S.FL , I'd like to knowwhere the best city/area is to make living playing in a rock band...That is very diverse, heavy/electric blues, rock, psychedelic, think of, Beatles,Floyd,Hendrix,Doors,Cream,Zeppelin,Sabbath ,Mozart,Beethoven, 20's-60'sblues n' Jazz ,(we branch out in more, but these are the main influences to give you an idea)..influence....a band that can actually PLAY anything, but this is what we like (all original, but know plenty of covers )..NO disco,rap,pop,dance,screamo,death metal,techno,*ahum* 'modern day' country (well johnny cash and old old country-yea some-) or any other various forms of non-melodic noise today considered as music(sorry if that offends you)..

so lets say we have our sh*t down, have an album, a website,a studio, some capital,(and maybe-(big maybe) and RV) -everything to get up and running, just open minded places to play that PAY, and that you can work your way up from bottom (average bar venues ~few hundred audience on weekends..$400-500low end a night{100$ea is the min. around here}-$1000higher end bars)-and private parties of course)) to Top (biggest venue/fest you can get into without needing a Major Label) say crowds of thousands of audience per weekend/event..pay,, free basically for exposure.

also, a place that isnt loaded with wanna -be players, and also venues that are booked for a year straight that pay in free drinks and tips. Some where that it doesnt take a great deal of struggle to get in and get KNOWN, but somewhere big enough where being known actually matters.

ive considered LA, but sems like a rat race, same as NY, but not much of a Rock scene..(i m not intereested in heavy metal scenes)? (which im sure lots and lots of places are...metal and rap...), Austin, seemingly too small from what i hear? over hyped-i heard alot of people say its great? Orlando/ maybe Tampa too (or lakeland inbetween both), not enough venues??Anywhere in FL ideas?(just not not miami)-seemingly not big enough cities? Eugene/Portland Oregon i hear is a nice friendly town/area tht may be good for my type of music/ROCK? New Orleans?katrina made that place a mess from what i hear, and its more geared toward jazz/swing blues...i just dont really know, i v never bee any of these places,...i'd realllllly prefer to stay in the SOUTH, i like the people and weather. so any ideas would be much appreciated....we're in our 20's and ready to get going-and not spend a couple years trying to fight off competition to get our foot in the door (tho of courseyou have to be better than the comp to make it).location location.

as a side note..any info on how to get on a good going circuit (say around state, or even nation wide?) w/o booking aggents and managers?=i assume just draw alot of attention and est. a following, and im looking for aplace where we can do that from nothing...(i like the idea of tamp/orlando since its pretty close, just dont know if thats optimal).


thanks a whole lot...any out of state areas are appreciated, im doing this for most of the states...thanks.

[urbancharlotte]

Check out the venues for Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro. Those are your largest areas in NC. Most venues in Charlotte want "big names". Even the smaller venues seem to lean towards National Recording artists. Chris Daughtry (before he made it big) said that he hated Charlotte because of the city's lack of interest towards local talent.

Many local artists are now setting up on the streets of uptown. They play on Friday and Saturday nights on the corner of Trade Street and Tryon Street. They are basically playing for tips. My guess is that IS NOT the kinda of money you are looking for.

In all honesty, if I knew how to help you make it big in NC, I would do it for myself LOL. I don't mean to sound rude, but I am just being honest. If you are good enough, the competition (no matter where you go) will not be a problem.IMO

[167878]

ok, thank you... just wondering about what kinda people are hovering around the area,...like someone that could set you up w/ national tour if they wanted...

[MrsRhythm]

Sounds like no place in NC that I know of. Raleigh has a good scene for local music but most of the established musicians I know are only able to play side gigs while working a day job. Even the best bands usually only get paid with a free bar tab (if that). From what I hear, to take off you need to be in Nashville or Austin (I'm pretty sure Austin has a bigger scene than anyplace in NC?). I've known a few people from here who went to Nashville and got on a circuit. They haven't gotten famous (yet) but make enough money to do what they love. That being said, I also know a couple of people here who have created a local niche and are doing pretty darn good for themselves, even if they aren't national acts or signed to a label. I also agree with urbancharlotte, "if you're good enough you won't have a problem no matter where you go". Clutch (the band) is a great inspiration: Out of Germantown, MD of all places, they got where they are today through sheer continual performances and built up a huge fan base (self included!) Good luck with your endeavors. \m/

Edited to add: I thought of something else - maybe your band could go on a tour playing in some towns you're interested in. Talking to the locals and seeing some venues would give you a better idea. We have bands come through all the time doing just that, trying to get a feel for different areas for various reasons. Save up some money and book yourselves around and have a nice working vacation. Hit me up if you come through Raleigh and I can suggest some venues.

[rnc2mbfl]

I'd say the Triangle and would focus mainly on Chapel Hill.

[bob cob]

What's the name of your band?

[Since72]

Ziggy's has become one of the premier club venues in the South. A wide variety of bands are hosted, with styles including reggae, rock, blues, hip-hop, and country. Artists who have performed at Ziggy's include 30 Seconds to Mars, Dave Matthews Band, Keller Williams, Slipknot, The Wailers, Andrew W.K., Perpetual Groove, Steel Pulse, Rusted Root, Jump Little Children, Ben Folds Five, Vertical Horizon, Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Anberlin, Mutemath, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Lamb of God, Axe Murder Boyz, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Mat Kearney, Turbonegro and Saliva. In February, 2003, Great White played with their full pyrotechnic stage show mere days before the same effects would ignite the deadly fire that killed over 100 people at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. In December 2004, Athenaeum played their final show on Ziggy's stage.

[dazeja]

The Chapel Hill area.

You might have MORE options in Charlotte (venues), but you will get more support in Chapel Hill. From my experience bands that play in Charlotte always complain about the lack of fan support due to the party scene being saturated with top 40 dance places and coveer. Plus Chapel Hill brings in more eclectic bands than any other place.

To me a close second would be Asheville, and / or Winston Salem surprisingly. Greenville S.C. is really good for bands as well.

[stevaura]

NC? Hmm, Asheville might be too small. One of their big venues is The Orange Peel. You could google it to see the type of music that makes it. When we lived there, it seemed we heard a lot eclectic music, bluegrass, or jazz. Maybe try Greenville, SC. I think it's bigger than Asheville and does have a lot of music too. If you really want big time, try Atlanta clubs within the perimeter (I-285). My son-in-law has a studio and is in a band there (Decatur)... lots of places to play with loyal followers in the Atlanta area.

[SNEwx_46]

Triangle (Chapel Hill).