Tip of the day!

[DukeCity]

Tonite I had a nice little jazz gig at a local Italian restaurant and bar. Before the gig, while we were setting up, this guy is all in our faces telling us what a HUGE jazz fan he is and how he's really looking forward to hearing us. He stays for most of the first set, and on his way out he makes a big show of coming up to the bandstand to once again share with us how much he was digging the group. Then he tips the band... a dollar. Hands it to me with a straight face and a knowing nod, confident that he has just done his part to keep the live music scene flourishing in our community.

I happened to have some change in my pocket, so at the break I gave the other three guys in the band each a quarter.

Needless to say, we were all on cloud nine for the rest of the night, knowing that we had really connected with at least one devoted listenter.

[JSngry]

Bet he was on vacation.

From Dallas.

[Rooster_Ties]

Whenever I tip the band, I never give anything less than $5, sometimes even $10 (though in recent years, I've had less funds to do that as often as I'd like to).

And every once in a blue moon, I've tipped $20 - if the band is really on fire and playing something really unique (I think I've tipped $20 probably twice in the last 10 years).

$1 - that's crazy!!

[robviti]

this is news to me. unless a musician is playing in the street or has a glass sitting atop his instrument, i have never tipped in the 30 years i've attended live performances.

[Ron S]

So what did you buy with your quarter?

[DukeCity]

So what did you buy with your quarter?

I'm saving it! You know...for my future, which at this point looks pretty damn good!

And yes, Jim, I believe the guy did introduce hemself as "Tex".

[JSngry]

this is news to me. unless a musician is playing in the street or has a glass sitting atop his instrument, i have never tipped in the 30 years i've attended live performances.

And that's fine. Tips in club settings are entirely optional (and entirely for "local" bands - if you saw, say, McCoy Tyner in a club, you'd not tip the band) , and usally come when a customer is "reached" by the music to a more-than-normal degree, and/or if "special" requests are made. But if you just have a good time from afar, no expectations are in place, none whatsoever (although most club dates pay such that a little sumpin-sumpin certainly don't hurt anybody, if you know what I mean...)

But if you do tip, make it something useful, or at least something not insulting.

[rostasi]

I always do $20,

but I only go to see

one band here anyway...

[Rooster_Ties]

this is news to me. unless a musician is playing in the street or has a glass sitting atop his instrument, i have never tipped in the 30 years i've attended live performances.

And that's fine. Tips in club settings are entirely optional (and entirely for "local" bands - if you saw, say, McCoy Tyner in a club, you'd not tip the band) , and usally come when a customer is "reached" by the music to a more-than-normal degree, and/or if "special" requests are made. But if you just have a good time from afar, no expectations are in place, none whatsoever (although most club dates pay such that a little sumpin-sumpin certainly don't hurt anybody, if you know what I mean...)

But if you do tip, make it something useful, or at least something not insulting.

Most of the local dates I go hear don't have a tip jar, so most of my tips have been – in a sense – unsolicited.

And both of the $20 tips I've given have been entirely unsolicited -- but in both cases, I was pretty damn sure each musician on the date was making less than $50 for the night -- maybe even closer to $25 (sorry to say). Usually talented guys playing in a context that normally doesn't make a dime (like electric-era Miles type material (complete with the trumpet on a wah-wah pedal) for only $25 per musician in an alternative bar --- when they maybe could be playing conventional stuff in a conventional venue, for maybe $75 or $100 a guy for the night).

In those cases, it's nice to be able to say you really appreciate what they're doing, and then back it up with enough $ for dinner for every guy in the band (well, at Taco Bell at least!!).

Edited November 26, 2005 by Rooster_Ties

[DukeCity]

this is news to me. unless a musician is playing in the street or has a glass sitting atop his instrument, i have never tipped in the 30 years i've attended live performances.

This was certainly a gig where no tipping was expected. Usually, in my experience, when it's a jazz gig, we don't expect that.

On gigs with a "bar band" i.e. playing more pop/ R&B stuff there is sometimes a tip jar for folks who are making requests, or for guys who are about to "get over" with thier girl 'cause we got 'em dancin' real close.

I used to play 6 nites a week in a dark, cheesy, lounge-y club (in Dallas) and the leader was a guy who had done tons of solo cocktail piano stuff, so there was a big snifter on his keyboard that was the tip jar. At the end of the night he would split the tip money with the drummer and me. Usually a few bucks to get some gas for the car and a Taco Bueno burrito for me (and gas later ).

Then one night a guy comes in with a girl and another couple. He comes up and puts a $50 in the jar for us to play "The Lady in Red" (I mentioned it was a cheesy gig, right?). During the next set he comes up with another $50 for us to play the same song again. My mind is reeling, thinking of how many burritos I can get on the way home. As we're packing up the leader announces to us that he's been "working" that guy for years, and so he's going to keep those tips for himself and split the other tips with us. Nice.

Luckily I don't have to play "The Lady in Red" anymore, but when I accidentally hear it in some sort of Muzak setting, I still quietly rage inside.

And I'm reminded of the joke whith the punchline "...What, and give up show business?"

Edited November 26, 2005 by DukeCity

[JSngry]

I always do $20,

but I only go to see

one band here anyway...

And don't think we don't love you for it!

[rostasi]

[JSngry]

Best tipping situation I found myself in was on a New Years Eve gig where a bunch of jazzers were booked to play "oldies". The rest of the guys had the most basic stuff covered lyrically, but some guy came up with a hadful of $100s and started requesting stuff like "Flip, Flop, & Fly", and other R&B hits which the other cats had never heard but with which I had a reasonably passing lyrical familiarity. I'm no singer, but for a c-note a pop, I sure as hell played one on TV that night.

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm no singer, but for a c-note a pop, I sure as hell played one on TV that night.

You sing too, Sangry?? Who knew!!

[JSngry]

No, I don't sing, except in situations that call for farce and/or immediate clearing of the room.

But it was New Years Eve, this cat was drunk, and he was making requests @ $100 a pop. So like all good whores, I faked it.

[Ron S]

I'm no singer, but for a c-note a pop, I sure as hell played one on TV that night.

You sing too, Sangry?? Who knew!!

Certainly no one who's actually heard him.

[JSngry]

Exactly!

[patricia]

But it was New Years Eve, this cat was drunk, and he was making requests @ $100 a pop. So like all good whores, I faked it.

Absolutely. But, lucky for you, "Flip, Flop and Fly" is not a showcase for a great singing voice. Even Johnny Ray, who had a pretty decent voice, didn't have much of a challenge. I figure though that whatever the cat requested, anyone would have said "you betcha" for $100 a pop.

Edited November 28, 2005 by patricia

[rostasi]

Just be glad that it wasn't

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

[Jim Alfredson]

I think we need a sign in front of my r&b band:

Yes, we take requests, as follows:

Mustang Sally - $25

Brown Eyed Girl - $50

Fly Me To The Moon - $50

Anything by Skynyrd - $100

Anything by Bob Segar - $100

You "play" harmonica and want to sit in - $100

You "play" guitar and want to sit in - $150

You "sing" and want to sit in - $200

You "sing" and want to sit in while we play "Me And Bobby McGhee" - $300

etc. etc.

[EKE BBB]

I think we need a sign in front of my r&b band:

Yes, we take requests, as follows:

Mustang Sally - $25

Brown Eyed Girl - $50

Fly Me To The Moon - $50

Anything by Skynyrd - $100

Anything by Bob Segar - $100

You "play" harmonica and want to sit in - $100

You "play" guitar and want to sit in - $150

You "sing" and want to sit in - $200

You "sing" and want to sit in while we play "Me And Bobby McGhee" - $300

etc. etc.

[mikeweil]

Same reaction as previous poster

[Guest]

The best tip I got was, if I remember correctly, was in the upper $400 range. This is back when I was playing Greek/Mediterranean music at a Greek place (where men are men and sheep are nervous, 3-5 nights a week for hours and hours...). Folks would tip, throw money at the band or dancer when they did their immigrant's sugar foot strut. Weddings were good for tips. So were drunk or cocaine-infected Turks, Albanians, Arabs, whatever. One night some well-known swarthy musician fella from "over there" was in town and stopped in after his lil' concert...and the place was as packed as a Jew-punching contest in a Palestinian refugee camp; dancing, floppy-boot stomping galore, yellin' & screaming sing-alongs and the money was flowing like lobbyist's money at a golf course. The bus boys were using brooms to sweep the bills and bits of broken plates into a big pile by the side of the stage! We banked hard that night. I also remember that when things were "hoppin'" that we wouldn't take breaks. This resulted in sets that could last 2+ hours or sets that continued "after hours", doors locked, the works. Nothing quite like doing a gig where the wearing of "Depends" diapers was a necessity!!!

Served 5 years at that gig but it was a hip way to get yer odd meters together and to cash in on Middle Eastern groupie action. Four hundred bucks!!! Ah those were the days of wine and rosemary...

What did the leper say to the prostitute?.......................................Keep the tip.

[BERIGAN]

I think we need a sign in front of my r&b band:

Yes, we take requests, as follows:

Mustang Sally - $25

Brown Eyed Girl - $50

Fly Me To The Moon - $50

Anything by Skynyrd - $100

Anything by Bob Segar - $100

You "play" harmonica and want to sit in - $100

You "play" guitar and want to sit in - $150

You "sing" and want to sit in - $200

You "sing" and want to sit in while we play "Me And Bobby McGhee" - $300

etc. etc.

how much for Feelings???

[Man with the Golden Arm]

My golly, ya click over to "tip of the day" and there is more good stuff in here than i can shake a fin at. classic organissimo forums!

Now how many of you guys tear a little rip in the middle of the bill and stick it on your nipple!?