Nashville Steel Convention?

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Cropped from the ISGC board posted 2/27/16:

Joe Alterio · From: Irvington, Indiana

My only concern would be the hotel prices. For whatever reason, Nashville has become one of the most expensive cities to book a room in the U.S. over the past few years!

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Texas would be the Best place. Nashville could have and should have done it years ago. But the time is getting shorter as the people who could make this happen are getting older. Crying or Very sad

Bill Dobkins · From: Rolla Missouri, USA

Why not keep it in Missouri. We at the ASGA are trying to keep the Steel Guitar progressing as Scotty did. Although we are not affiliated with the ISGC or the Scott family, we are trying to achieve the same thing.
We are however trying to get away from the expense of costly motels ect, by having our show away from the big city. We welcome any one who wants to help us with our show.
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Nashville did do it years ago with the DJ conventions.

Why do it in Nashville? cause that's where most of the pro players live and work out of. Seems it would make it a lot more convenient for more of them to participate in the shows.

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

Nashville is huge on conventions, actually, Nashville makes more money with convention business then with music, it would be a great place for a steel guitar convention, you can pick the location, from Opryland Hotel, or new convention center down town, to Ryman Auditorium and many other available places...
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The ISGC was an outcrop of the promotion for Scotty's music store. It became more than that but because of Scotty's location it stayed in St Louis. I remember Scotty coming to Nashville in 1972 to promote the show. I started going in 1978 when it was at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

I agree Nashville would be a better location, and a better location for the Hall of Fame plaques - maybe the Musicians Hall of Fame.

The Dallas show has become THE steel show and overshadowed the ISGC, but there is still room for Nashville to hold an annual show. However, finding a person or group to manage it and finding backing ($$) may be an issue.

rpetersen · From: Iowa

I think putting the show on in Nashville isn't that great of idea - Parking, cost of rooms, Etc. - I think if it is kept around the St Louis area like where it was held last year, it is more centrally located in the states
Park your car for nothing and never have to use it again until you leave to go home
If going to the show would cost more, you are going to lose a lot of your crowd - There are many of the people that come to the show that ae on retirement "fixed income" or musicians that never seem to have enough $$$ to go around
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dlayne · From: OH

I think Jeff Newman had the right idea with his June Jam.I went to the last one I believe in 1995 & wow what a show!!!All the heavey hitters were there & it such a relaxed & easy going show.I still have a T=Shirt that has all the pickers signature that played & it's been in a plastic bag since & never even tried on,it's going in a frame very soon.But that was a FANTASTIC SHOW!!! Not sure why it ended.
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Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Nashville is a tourist trap that will charge you for everything you do, even breathing and such a shame. I went on vacation to Nashville years back and I swore I'd never go back. They even charged us for parking at our hotel, and Opry land is a rip off. Like I said, years ago, maybe it has changed.
If it weren't for that, Nashville would be an excellent place for the convention with some of the top players close by that could maybe then come to show.
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Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

I'm not totally convinced that the ISGC has to be "replaced" by another major show, as opposed to us all coalescing to support and keep alive the great ones already existing in Dallas, Phoenix, Norwalk, and elsewhere. But, if it does make sense to have one close to the Nashville players, one might consider re-starting in either Knoxville or Chattanooga, both of which have had excellent shows in the past. Still only a few short hours' driving time from NVL and probably less costly all around...
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Bobby Boggs · From: Upstate SC.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Henry, Opryland has been gone for a long time. There is a shopping center where Opryland was.

Many hotels charge for parking. The fee at the Millennium in St Louis was $18 per night, the last time I was there. I went to a seminar in Dallas that was held at the Hyatt at Reunion. We were charged for parking there.

Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

The Days for the super Steel Guitar shows could be numbered. The big names or well known greats are getting smaller as they leave us or have declining health. Same thing for the people who through the years have supported these shows. "Cost" is the big Elephant in the room. Regionalized shows still click but these also need a tireless effort from the few people to continue year after year. Where shows like Scotties had the crème de la crème, the numbers because of the support were there and the pro players were plentiful that could draw the interest. Nashville has a Steel Guitar club "The NTSG". They have or had the numbers of members living in and around Nashville and good leadership. Even they wear down with the work needed to keep this club going. Jan Jones untimely death took away a tireless effort. I'm not so sure that Nashville can find a tireless year round Scotty like person,one who can negotiate with the event location, Hotels, secure the popular players. In general organize the yearly event. Not too Many Dewitt Scotts out there.

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Joe Alterio · From: Irvington, Indiana

Doug Rolfe · From: Indianapolis, IN

I rarely post on the forum but do a lot of lurking. When I saw this subject come up, I felt the need to post my experience.
For 15 years we promoted a gospel steel show here in Indianapolis and was always able to meet our expenses which were many. By the time you pay the pro players you invite plus the semi-pros plus furnishing all of them rooms, you just began to meet your budget. Thankfully, we had several good steel players who came voluntarily and paid their own way. We paid the band members, paid the hotel and had advertising expenses as well as a lot of miscellaneous expenditures. Since we seemed to just make expenses, I decided to see if a different venue would be better for us. I immediately thought of Nashville since so many of the pros and semi-pros live in and around there.
So in 2008 we put a show together in Nashville. I was told by some that it would not work, as the shows such as this would not get the support it should. Believing we could at least break even, we went ahead with the plans. We contracted with the owner of the Texas Troubadour theater and made agreements with the motel across the parking lot from the theater for a special room rate. The parking was free so that was not an issue.
We brought in many of the famous players in Nashville to get a very quality show. Just to name a few, there was Mike Johnson, Mike "Cookie" Jones, Russ Hicks, Doug Jernigan, David Spires, Robbie Turner, Mike Sweeney, Bobbe Seymour as well as many others. Since it was 8 years ago, I'm sure I've left some of the pro players out.
Our band was first class all the way with Jenee Keener on fiddle and many local Nashville band members helping us out with their talent.
Now here's the bottom line. I told my wife if we ever lost money doing the show, it would be God's message telling us it was time to stop.
You would think with a recognized venue like the theater we were in, free parking, low room rates, and top notch list of players we would have a full house and have at least broken even and hopefully have been able to accumulate some seed money to do it again.
To say that the lack of attendance was disappointing would be putting it mildly. The players did their part, the band did it's part and the singers were awesome.
How can I explain it? I can't! I was warned that we would not get the support that we should and that's exactly what happened. That was our last show as we did lose a considerable amount of money and I kept my promise.
Why am I writing all of this? Whoever may be thinking of doing a Nashville show, please be prepared to lose money. Now that I have this out in the open, I feel I have met my obligation to share with you my experience in doing a Nashville show.
God Bless You All

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

I wish those planning the ASGC show the best. Likewise a show planned for Nashville. But I am skeptical, and from personal experience. Their seems to be a growing sense of boredom in towns that are music centers.

I have played the NTSGA Super Jam show for the last 6 years. There's no money for hotels and no money to pay players. I come up on my own dime because I get to hang with my peeps up there and I represent TX. It's the only show I play that I don't get some form of compensation. Sadly, the attendance has dropped each year. The untimely death of Jan Jones dealt a tremendous blow to the organization, and I think my friend Mike Jones, the new NTSGA prez, would agree that the 2015 show was the most disappointing both in player participation and audience participation.

We have a monthly steel guitar club meeting here in Austin, with an excellent live band, on a Sunday afternoon. We feature a pro player doing a set of his own material, and before and after we have a jam session. With all the professional steel players in Austin TX, you'd think we'd have a great turnout. Not so much. Sometimes it's a hassle finding a pro player who wants to play a featured 45 minute set. Some months we have a lot of jammers, but some months only 2. Sometimes 30 or 35 audience members show up, which would be considered a good crowd. Usually it's way less than that, playing to the wives and walls, basically. We pay the 3 guys in the band with the tip jar... the steel players don't get anything... and often a couple or three of us drop a few 20's in the jar just so the band will stay interested.

Maybe the steel show market is saturated. There are local shows all over the country now and that dilutes all the larger shows. The risks are great when producing a show because the hotel, the advertising media, etc. all get their money regardless of the success of the attendance. There is a steel show being held in Branson MO the weekend after the TSGA Jamboree. I'd be curious to see what their turnout will be, since the TSGA is arguably the biggest show now happening in the steel guitar world, followed by the SWSGA show in Phoenix. I wish the Branson show well, though I question the wisdom of their booking the show right after many of their potential attendees probably spent the previous weekend in a costly hotel in Dallas.

The success of the TSGA, IMHO is because Dallas is centrally located, it's a non-profit organization (which affects decision-making), the show started small and has been going for 30 years, with dedicated patrons early on. Early losses were covered by generous folks who wanted to see the show become successful. I shudder to think of the obstacles that await shows just starting out, though again, I wish them all the best in their endeavors.
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Joe Casey · From: Weeki Wachee .Springs FL (population.9)

Great post Herb. I doubt if anyone could have said it any better.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i attended the '95 june jam also.
as much as it is mindblowing to see all the incredible pickers, for me it became 'overkill'!
you hear a dozen monsters overplay the same tune in pretty much the same manner for hours.
i still have my cassette of it all.

rugg, green, franklin, hughey, newman, beavers, etc.
not to slight them in the least, but my poor brain got overloaded.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

About 5 years ago, I hosted a lap steel guitar festival in NYC at the Rodeo Bar. It was hugely successful, and I think one of the reasons for it was because I booked bands that featured steel guitar, rather than just players sitting in with a house band. It showed diversity with respect to the instrument fitting in to numerous styles, which were Sacred Steel, Rock, Alt Country, Hawaiian, Brazilian and Hip Hop. And it also allowed the players to perform the music that reflected more than just steel guitar repertoire. I don't think a single steel classic was heard either night.

The club was packed every night with patrons. There was also the prospect of having some afternoon activities, but it was more than I could handle at the time. Anyway, I think this is something that others might want to investigate.
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Robert Harper · From: Alabama, USA

I did attend the Nashville Gospel Show. The Talent was great. The Show was great. Other than that it was a disappointment, because of the lack of attendance. I have attended the NTSG Show in Nashville several time. The crowd was larger the first time. The last time not so much. However, if you want to hear of a bad show. A few years ago, one was put on in Birmingham. I think I was the only attendee, I did get to buy a Hilton Pedal from Herby. He may be the only one who sold anything. I also attended the show in Mississippi, up HWY 78, not Biloxi. the crow was sparse. I have to make one personal observation. If you see a stranger in the crow, say hello.
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John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Damir,
Isn't it the tax structure that makes Nashville expensive? I read that there's no personal income tax, but they make it up with a pretty hefty sales tax, like 9 or 10 %?
John
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Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

I have looked at all the comments which have many excellent ideas, but my feeling after reading all the comments is the karma just isn't there for something to replace Scotty's convention...The Texas Show will fulfill the need for a big show, but there just isn't enough energy or enthusiasm for another big show. It will just never happen. Please prove me wrong!

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

perhaps it's just run it's course.
a sign of the times. when the time is right, something else will develop.

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