Hacking the road at today's prices?

[Mark Hepler]

Not trying to be funny or whatever; just curious. How are you guy's doing on the road at today's prices?

When I toured, Denny's patty melt was $4 (with fries), Waffle House's waffle $1.50, coffee 35 cents, gas 50 cents. You get it.

Costs enough just to play locally like I do; don't know how I'd hack the road.

Thanks for any insights, Cheers!

[Brooks Montgomery]

It’s like the old joke,
“you know how you end up with a million dollars by playing music?”
“You start with two million.”

[Doug Beaumier]

Here’s my favorite:

"A musician is someone who loads $5,000 worth of gear into a $500 car to drive 100 miles to play a $50 gig,"

[Ian Rae]

[Dave Hopping]

A corollary to Doug's wise words...

"Fifty bux a man was pretty good bar-band money back in 1975, and it still is today".

[James P Mitchell]

I'm 36, been on the road off and on since age 18. Doing alright. Certainly seems like it was easier in the past, but it's all I've known. So it goes.

[Justin Bloudoff]

It's certainly a juggling match, and for many a balance of working a day job and playing music and sneaking in family life and sleep in between to make ends meet. Haha. I've been working as a freelance utility guy up in the prairies of Canada for the past 20 years and have stayed consistent working 50-70 dates a year (other than the covid years) with various acts. Average pay up here is $500 per performance, but is always a trade-off as some gigs have expenses covered and some are out of pocket. I also charge a mileage fee when working outside of the home radius, but even with that the cost of travel, food, and everything associated with playing out has certainly changed.

I'm sure there are people on both sides of the fence, but for someone in my position I don't see anyway of making a decent living and supporting a family by just playing music alone without a day job.

[W. C. Edgar]

Just two years ago, when I was still living in Phoenix, I booked myself & my Martin HD-28 on a 107 US city solo acoustic songwriter tour. For the most part, the majority of the dates were North of the Mason-Dixon Line, which was my target logistically.
Traveled in my trusty 1998 Chevy Silverado regular cab long bed pickup that NEVER let me down.
Slept in the back some of the time when I needed to, when I was doing the solo show
On several West Coast dates in San Francisco, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, San Diego, and as far into the upper Midwest as Chicago & Minneapolis, I had a friend playing pedal steel with me.
I survived and lived to tell about it, and I will do it again as soon as we purchase another home and get out of an apartment for good.
It's all about how much a person loves the music and what they are doing
It sure as hell wasn't about the money from the beginning, and there were some really good venues and nice folks that made it worthwhile for me at that time
Sometimes I'd be guaranteed $300 for a couple of sets and walk out with well over $800 with tips
Other times, I'd play for $50 plus tips and walk out on average with $250 cash
Truth be told, I'd rather beat the road doing my own self-penned songs than be back playing steel with Tim McGraw & Ty England on the road and having to put up with all the corporate bullshit that came with the gig
That's my story and I'm stickin to it
WC Edgar
American songwriter & Vagabond Troubador

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Front Street Social Club
Berea, Ohio

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The Midway Saloon
St Paul, Minnesota

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Montrose Saloon
Chicago, Illinois

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Turnstiles
Grand Rapids, Michigan

[Rick Campbell]

WC Edgar -I understand your thinking completely.

I have little interest in working the road. Maybe a one off gig if it's something I really want to do and the travel circumstances all fit together.

For me. It's not about loving the music, or not. My love of the music is as strong as it's ever been. My willingness to tolerate all the BS that goes with playing it has declined. I've about stopped doing weddings, reunions, etc... events where people are there for some other reason, and they stand around and talk loud while you're playing. That's so disrespectful. If a speaker talks, they expect people to pay attention. I'd rather play for a few people that are satisfied sitting quietly and listening to what I do, and hopefully some applause after a song. For those gigs where people are not paying attention, I hope they get a cheap DJ to rock their world.

Actually, I enjoy the music, if it's the kind of music I enjoy playing.... mostly. A good jam can satisfy me. When they start telling you what time you have to be there, how long you have to play, when you can load in, what songs you have to play, what you have to wear, and you have to go out and buy a $40 red shirt, and a few days before the gig, they decide they want you to come and rehearse for several hours for free, etc... then that justifies decent money. Not gas money! I actually would rather do benefits to help someone who's had some bad luck. I'm glad to do them for free, and probably put in a few dollars of my own for the cause. That's my way of giving back and paying it forward.

My retirement time is very valuable to me and I have a broad spectrum of interest and obligations. I try to balance it the best I can.

RC

[Paddy Long]

What is the difference between a Musician and a Pizza ??

A Pizza can feed a family of four !!

[Bob Hoffnar]

back to the original question:

Every tour I have been hired for includes meals, lodging and a per diem. Then there are often buyouts at the venues along with backstage food that is included in the rider. I can usually come home with an extra pile of money if I'm careful with the per diem.

The best I have ever eaten has sometimes been on tour. It's part of the fun. You get chefs that are fans making wildly extravagant dinners for the band or on the bus cook offs. Some tour managers take pride in knowing the special places out there on the road.

Often touring musicians are fantastic cooks. I learned about how to make a proper risotto from a trumpet player that used to play for Sinatra.

Even with driving around central Texas picking up gigs here and there the venues tend to feed you and if they don't the food is no more expensive than anywhere else.