Man On The Scene

I've been trying to go see as many shows as possible lately. This is rather new for me. The funny thing is, I don't really enjoy watching other small bands play. I do go to a lot of concerts, but they are the big signed national acts. A lot of people have stage-fright, but I have the opposite. I just feel uncomfortable and out of place in a smaller venue unless I'm on stage. Pretty stupid huh? If you look into the past of a lot of rock stars you'll find that they weren't very popular in high school. Often it's the feeling of isolation that fuels their creativity. So back in the 80s Bruce Springsteen was married to a super model, posing for pin up photos in tight jeans, and seemed like an all American frat-boy. He had a massive hit single "Glory Days" about running in to an old high school friend who was a big baseball player, and it rang true. Later on Bruce confessed that in fact he had no friends in high school, and was just a scrawny kid who was actually asked by the community college he attended to drop out because he was too weird.
I think a lot of the people who become rock stars do so because they had to. Think about it, what else is Tom Petty going to do. Well I wasn't very popular in high school either, but I had enough friends that I rather enjoyed the experience. And I never had a problem fitting in or finding work so it was easy for me to fool myself into thinking that I didn't need to be a musician. Basically it cost me a very precious 10 years. I know it seems strange, but at 28 I'm already on the outside looking in. "With or Without You" was already a radio staple when Bono was 28. Because I wasn't a desperate, angst filled youth I was able to live under the delusion that I could just plug into the matrix and work a 9 to 5 like everyone else. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I could never live that life. Busy work drives me insane. And I'm tired of not being rich, dammit! It only seems logical that if one wants to be rich, one should find whatever skill they have that stands out and ride that all the way to the bank. Some people have the ability to just grin and bear it, and that is a great way to get ahead. Just set aside your own feelings about how meaningless the task at hand is and soldier on. I don't possess such an ability. My skill is drumming.
The reason I've been going to shows is that a successful musician I met recently said that is the biggest thing I can do to find the next great band needing a drummer. Sitting at home looking on craigslist won't cut it. I need to be out, constantly networking. So that's the busy work for this job- putting in face time at shows. Beats the hell out of cold calling if you ask me. Even if I would rather be onstage, knocking back a couple ribbons and watching someone else play isn't really so bad.