Chicago Guitarist Available

[Discö Rice]

Maybe move somewhere that has a more exciting scene? Portland and San Francisco are great places to be in a band, for example.

[Chovie D]

My good friend and I have been looking for a drummer and bass player for nearly 4 years.  We are in the Western suburbs, which makes it harder to find people into our kind of music than it would be if we were in Chicago itself.  I still go through Craigslist ads every once and awhile, but most people are looking for cover bands or something more serious than just weekend jamming like me. 

All I can say is keep trying and keep having fun.

It's difficult to keep it going, you can only fight for so long against getting nowhere. Behest of perceived local "scene" clicks,playing in a dead end band presently, another band that your proud of that you just joined but your like 10yrs too late to see it continue so they seemed to gave up on it or feeling like a chump after being asked to do a fill in for guitar for a band that you had previously done before and they leave you hanging.

Then you start to doubt your abilities if you were any good in the 1st place as a musician.
There are times you go to shows to see bands play, then you look around yourself and wonder "WHY!" and what am I doing here. The answer you had 20yrs ago for it just doesn't make sense anymore and you don't have a new one to take its place.


Sorry for that rant,cheers y'all!

when I was young Id go to 2-3 shows a week minimum. why? it was insanely fun and there was a good chance of getting laid. I was also really ino the music at that time...
I havent been to a show in years. why? Im married and they are not fun anymore...and I culd care less about most of the bands or the music anymore, it doesnt move me.

But we still wanna play music and make art right? PLaying in live bands is a young mans game..that or you're a grissled old warrior slugging it out nightly in blues bars and shit....i dont know how those dudes do it for life. SO... to figure out a way to make music and have it be FUN again, while not in the context of a youthful/sex n drugs oriented lifestyle is the challenge at my age.

THeres a couple different routes, infinite routes...find a way...or like so many others, sell the guitars. best of luck

[clockwork green]

I'm 39, married, work Monday-Friday and have to get up at 5:30 but I still try to see shows when I can...though I'm missing Boris tonight but I just can't see not making music. It's the only thing that keeps me sane. It's the only emotional expression I'm capable of so I don't see too many alternatives for me. When my band of more than 10 years fell apart I started making stuff on my own and now I'm in two bands and it's hard but I'm enjoying the new creative challenges. It's definitely a challenge doing this when you get older but it's still worth it and it beats the alternative.

[RacerX]

I don't catch many shows these days, but if I couldn't make music, I'd check myself outta this astral plane

[Chovie D]

well, ive taken about two years off now...so i can tell you, it DOES hurt to stop making music....and I always get dragged back in, no mater how many times I say its over.
recently strated paying again a little and am happier than when I wasnt.

I dont know if I can ever go back to gigging tho or being in a proper band with more than two other people. I was just so miserable towards the end of my last stint.

[RacerX]

well, ive taken about two years off now...so i can tell you, it DOES hurt to stop making music....and I always get dragged back in, no mater how many times I say its over.
recently strated paying again a little and am happier than when I wasnt.

I dont know if I can ever go back to gigging tho or being in a proper band with more than two other people. I was just so miserable towards the end of my last stint.

Yeah, there's a lot of attendant bullshit that's built right into being in an active, gigging band. I left the last situation I was in mostly because of the drama in said band. Did you take 2 years off from playing/writing or just from playing out/being in bands, Chovie?

[RAGER]

It's been about a year and a half since I was in an active band.  Kinda get the itch once in a while.  Doesn't I don't play.  I've got everything here at my disposal anytime I want.  Sometimes I play more guitar than drums or vice versa.  Or I'll  work on bass riffs but I usually am playing/writing ideas at least.  I just wish I had more patience with the recording thing.  I've got lots of half done stuff.  I need to obtain and master a recording program and get a cheap interface.  Been tussling with this for years.  I use to get more done on a four track.