irony

JamesMCross · From: Houston, Texas, USA

I just got home from a benefit given for a guitar playing buddy, a man who is well known and respected for his playing. He has an incurable case of emphysema, and carries a oxygen tank with him everywhere now. He's not much older than me, I'm 48.

I've had the good fortune to work a few gigs with this man over the last few years, including his last full night on the bandstand in Dec. 2003, and I have always learned from the experience.

The benefit was to raise money to help cover his medical expenses, to help with a new baby, and to help with getting him a lung transplant.

The ironic twist - the benefit was held in one of the smokiest bars I've ever worked, out in Pasadena, Tx. The air out there is already thick enough without the smoke, and everybody in this place chain smokes I think. I need to leave my clothes on the back porch before I come in the house after a gig out there, and my guitar case smells so bad now I leave in the garage.

So, you work your whole life playing these gigs and this is the reward ..? Don't seem right, hardly.

Anyways - it was a good thing to see the turn-out of pickers, and we were able to raise a little bit of cash for him and his family.

Best item auctioned was an acoustic guitar autographed by everyone who played or would be playing on the gig. The guy who bought it gave it back to our buddy as a memoir of the day.

Towards the end of the 5th hour of the benefit, our friend got up to play. To see this man hobble up to the stage, plug in his Tele and tear it up for a couple of tunes was more than most eyes could take today.

But at least we had an excuse for the watering eyes - it was real smoky in there.

Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

Yeah, ironic. The outside air in Pasadena is worse than in the bars, I think.

Dag Wolf · From: Bergen, Norway

Smoking will be banned from 1st of June in all bars and public places over here in Norway.
I guess the bars will loose customers at first but I think that it will get better after a couple of months.

When the goverment decided to make smoking illegal two years ago, only 32% of norwegians were for it. Now two years later about 53% are for it.

I hope your benefit did help your friend!

Dag

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

Norway really is a forward thinking country!

Sorry about your friend James...

Dave Ristrim · From: Whites Creek, TN

Oh the irony... When I started playing in clubs, I was 19 years old. It was 1979, and I had just purchased my first pedal steel. Six months after teaching myself all I could, I landed a bar gig at a local dive. Of course back then I was lucky enough to find a band to put up with my playing. Heck, I didn't really like country music at the time. Long story short, that first smokey bar started my professional music career. Trust me I do not like to be smoke saturated, but without those type of bars, there would not have been as many gigs. When CA passed the anti-smoking laws, bars began to cut back on live music because they were not making as much money. The tighter DUI laws didn't help either, but I go along with that decision.
Smoking has always been a personal choice (except when kids suffer from 2nd hand smoke), much like alcohol, fattening foods, driving too fast (although it's against the law), mountain climbing etc. as long as public places have areas that are relatively smoke free, I say "smoke 'em if you got 'em". Hell, two of grandparents died of smoke related cancer. Smoking was part of their fabric of life. Don't get me wrong, I am glad there has been a decrease in smoking. I don't want to see anyone else die from cigarettes, but dang it, it's personal freedom. Seat belts save lives (I always wear mine) but I think having a law to enforce wearing them is stupid. Drive at your own risk and don't expect any handouts when you get hurt. Same as motorcycle helmets.
Back to my original point (if I had one), I would venture to guess that most of the steel guitar greats graduated from those smoky bar rooms. What if those bars didn't exist and those players had to give it up and get "real" jobs? Please, I hope I haven't stepped on too many toes and hurt any feelings, but I was in a mood today. Forgive me if you can.
Peace, Dave Ristrim

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

Very ironic James. And Dave, I tend to agree that some personal freedoms are being invaded, especially here in CA.

Here's another irony for you. I played my first bar gig on my 21st birthday, in 1999, which was after California banned smoking in bars and restrauants. So, I've NEVER played in a bar that allowed smoking indoors. The irony, of the three house gigs I had during the last 5 years, one club is now a mexican restrauant, one is a hip hop club, and the last one is scheduled for the bulldozer at the end of the year.

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Ben
Zum D10, NV400, POD, G&L Guitars, etc, etc.

[This message was edited by Ben Slaughter on 17 May 2004 at 01:25 PM.]

Iain · From: Edinburgh, Scotland

I was just recently in Dublin and it was great to be able to sit in bars without smoke, and to come out of bars not reeking of (other people's) smoke, unlike after EVERY gig I play here!
Nobody seemed to mind, either - the smokers'd just go outside to smoke.
Rumour is that Scotland will follow suit and ban smoking soon...I hope so.

Susan Alcorn · From: Baltimore, MD, USA

I was at the same benefit, and the air was so bad that my eyes hurt., and most of the people smoking were his friends.

The benefit was for Neal Carpenter, one of the finest and most soulful guitarists in the Houston area.

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

Dave-When I look back on my history, it is true about what say.

I played in so many smoky bars in the earlier years that I couldn't even count them.
If they weren't available, where would I play my little supro 6 string.? I needed those jobs.
But ,it helped when on the breaks, I always went outside for some fresh air.
Later , I played in Classier places with a lot less smoke.....al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

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