We got shut out this year for performing during NFR. There I said it.....to all of you.
Disclaimer: I am personally booked for four different shows doing an acoustic thing.
That being said, that's not my band playing with me. That's upsetting. Those of you who have been out to our shows know that it is dumbfounding that we aren't playing together during the greatest ten days for rodeo fans, cowboys, cowgirls, and buckle bunnies. WE ARE A COWBOY BAND! WTF?! My guys are as good as it gets when it comes to musicianship. I have a group of professionals around me. For hell's sake, I'm the weakest member in the band. It's a damn good thing I can sing because nobody would ever hire me to play guitar for them. But you know what? They've made me better. They've pushed me, been irritated with me, I've even pissed them off a time or two all to mold me into more than just having a voice. They've taught me that playing an instrument in a band means you actually have to become a musician. They were never on board with me "faking it." By no means am I a great guitar player, but I now can confidently say that I contribute to our band with that Taylor of mine. I mention this because through the nearly five years we've been together they have all been very loyal to me. Aside from having a few different guitar players I use when my regular guy can't be there, I have the same band mates I did when we threw together a group nearly last minute to do a show downtown at Mickey Finnz. This is what provides longevity for bands; knowing that your guys will be there every show. I can tell you with all modesty and humility....we're not just good, we are one the best shows you will ever see. Period.
It's for my guys that I struggle so much with not playing this year. They deserve better than this. Not to mention that our shows are their livelihood, they should be heard all the time. This is a talented group of men. Forgive me for being dramatic but its really heart breaking that I can't reward their efforts. NFR is what I work for every year. The best crowds and, yes, more money. AND WE'RE A COWBOY BAND!!!
I will tell you this. It's been very hard not to be bitter about this and to not take it personally. Dawn has worked very hard to keep my spirits up and stay positive for me. Through all of this I've realized one thing. Despite the fact that we've been playing in this town for close to five years. Despite the fact that we put on one of the best shows you'd ever see.....we are relatively unknown. Is this our fault? No, not really. We've played just about everywhere here in Vegas that a band would need to gain notariety. Have I been resting on my laurels waiting for someone to book us because they heard we were good? Used to. Haven't this year. My friend Raymond and I have been working our asses off for months to help facilitate booking Seth Turner and the High Desert Drifters. We know who we need to talk to, we just don't know how to get them to talk to us. I'm telling you right now though, we'll get it figured out and we'll do what we've set out to do.
We're not pop country folks. We never will be. I won't apologize for it. Country music fans actually want to hear country music strange as it may seem. If you want to dance, that's us. If you want hear the lyrics we're singing over the instruments playing, that's us. If you want to see a band that looks like they gave a shit what they wore that day, that's us. I have no problem with Pop Country bands believe it or not. I have some favorites even. Ryan White Maloney and his group are a fantastic show. Marshall Reign is one of the best groups I've ever seen. I love to see both their shows. I have a respect and admiration for these bands. I however am traditional country. I play songs from way back to Lefty and Hank moving along to Waylon, Willie, and DAC then through King George and Alan Jackson and then finally to the modern day guys like Zac Brown and Jamey Johnson. Music that proves country music is still alive. Guys who sing songs that don't use every stupid redneck device or cliche to show how country they are. To those who have forgotten I say this....
Country Music is a sound and a lyric. It's a feeling down deep inside that stirs when you hear it. It's twin fiddles and steel guitars and a really bitchin' riff blowin through a Fender Amp from Terry Greene, Alvin Blaine, and Eric Wicks' telecasters. It's Nashville and Bakersfield, yet it loves New York and L.A. Everyone's welcome in our music. We're proud to have you, even if you don't tell your friends. We don't get too bent that our music is evolving, but we do get mad as hell when you tell us that the sound of old isn't wanted around anymore. For that we'll roll up our sleeves and kick somebody's dumbass.
For now my friends I'm going to go play my solo shows. I'm going to go enjoy NFR 2011 as a spectator and fan. I'm going to go watch some good bands play some great music. And I'm going to leave you with this:
My name is Seth Turner. My band is The High Desert Drifters. We play Country Music. We play it well. If you don't like it, ok. Thanks for listening either way.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Social Networking....now you can keep up on ignoring everyone.
Nearly all of us these days have a Facebook or a MySpace (soooo 2009) or a Twitter or a seemingly infinite amount of other options for internet connectivity to our pasts and presents. Some of us even have a combination of these places to show everyone how we live our lives and secretly compare them to our "friends." ha. ha. Most of the time, at least for me, these sites are a cool way to do just that (except the comparing part). I have friends that are funny and I enjoy reading the crazy shit that travels their nervous systems from brain to fingertip on keyboard.....or cell phone. I also enjoy seeing the pictures of them doin' what they do. Watching babies grow up, blah blah, all that. Don't get offended, I'm just trying to get to the point of this one.....
So the other day it suddenly dawned on me that not everything about the social network experiment we live in is awesome. I had sent out invitations to my friends to come to our house for my birthday celebration. The convenience of sending that "event invitation" and knowing that it would be a one stop shop, instant gratification thing that we as a society have grown accustomed to. Out of 40 invitations I sent, less than 10 people actually responded to it. Of those, a few actually told me if they had more notice they would have come. I didn't bother letting them know that I sent the invite out a week ahead of time. In my world seven days is plenty of notice. I don't get offended if people have other plans, I understand that kind of thing. Scheduling conflicts are everywhere. I don't think less of myself if someone just doesn't want to come either. I'm gonna have a good time no matter what.
It occured to me the day after the party that the same thing was going on with invites I've been sending out regarding shows that the guys and I play. Send 'em out, not many respond. I put a little post up on Facebook asking if I was the last one there to realize that people just ignore them and sorta hoping that it wasn't just me. I got some truth. Out of the four responses, three told me they pretty much ignored event invitations. Wow. That is exactly the thought that went through my mind.
Now, I do understand some of the frustration that some of you might have with them. I get invites from people I barely know (yeah, yeah save the wisdom, I get it) who are in completely different states. Dude. I'm probably never coming to your show. If I'm in or have plans to come to your town, I will check in with you then to see where you're playing and I'll be there. I'll make one small amendment to that statement, by saying that I do have some friends in the music business that I like to see the events come in just to know that they're out there working. It's good to know they're out there doing it.
I try to be polite about my invites by doing a few different things. 1. I have all my Las Vegas Area people on one list (Facebook does it for you for hell's sake) and those are the only folks that I send the invite to. 2. If I'm playing at one venue for consecutive days, I only send one invitation and explain that it's for the duration of the gig. 3. I have a few people that I send "come on out's" to for the reason I explained in the last paragraph. Pat Watters and I have even made a game out of it by clicking the maybe button because "you never know....." And, that's it. I use my upbringing in the process of inviting by being respectful, but still promoting myself and the band. I guarantee that I am in a very small minority.
Because I'm artist who has this tech to take advantage of and because I've always thought it rude to ignore other artists, I do my absolute best to answer each and every invitation and add a little blurb on their walls. I say this to all of you who are reading today because....well maybe you just don't understand what it takes to be someone who isn't a household name. With all the time we spend Socially Networking, it only takes a few more seconds to head to that section of your home page and click yes, no, or maybe. I promise you I will never be offended by the folks that click no. To the contrary in fact. I appreciate the folks that do so, if only because they took the time. To all you I say thank you very much. To those of you who ignore, just remember that your response just might make someone feel good about themselves and the effort they're putting forth while chasing a dream....even if you click no. Believe it.
To all my fellow Event Inviters I say this: Think about who you're inviting. Don't just throw a blanket deal out there because Facebook lets you. It's not necessary. The amount of people who are your friends or like your page doesn't provide any justification for that kind of thing. Stick to those who are more likely to come. Let your peers know what's up. I'm sure many of them are like me and will be happy for you that you are out there gettin' it done. But if you're in L.A......
As for me, I guess the old school is calling with the test message, email, and phone call.
So the other day it suddenly dawned on me that not everything about the social network experiment we live in is awesome. I had sent out invitations to my friends to come to our house for my birthday celebration. The convenience of sending that "event invitation" and knowing that it would be a one stop shop, instant gratification thing that we as a society have grown accustomed to. Out of 40 invitations I sent, less than 10 people actually responded to it. Of those, a few actually told me if they had more notice they would have come. I didn't bother letting them know that I sent the invite out a week ahead of time. In my world seven days is plenty of notice. I don't get offended if people have other plans, I understand that kind of thing. Scheduling conflicts are everywhere. I don't think less of myself if someone just doesn't want to come either. I'm gonna have a good time no matter what.
It occured to me the day after the party that the same thing was going on with invites I've been sending out regarding shows that the guys and I play. Send 'em out, not many respond. I put a little post up on Facebook asking if I was the last one there to realize that people just ignore them and sorta hoping that it wasn't just me. I got some truth. Out of the four responses, three told me they pretty much ignored event invitations. Wow. That is exactly the thought that went through my mind.
Now, I do understand some of the frustration that some of you might have with them. I get invites from people I barely know (yeah, yeah save the wisdom, I get it) who are in completely different states. Dude. I'm probably never coming to your show. If I'm in or have plans to come to your town, I will check in with you then to see where you're playing and I'll be there. I'll make one small amendment to that statement, by saying that I do have some friends in the music business that I like to see the events come in just to know that they're out there working. It's good to know they're out there doing it.
I try to be polite about my invites by doing a few different things. 1. I have all my Las Vegas Area people on one list (Facebook does it for you for hell's sake) and those are the only folks that I send the invite to. 2. If I'm playing at one venue for consecutive days, I only send one invitation and explain that it's for the duration of the gig. 3. I have a few people that I send "come on out's" to for the reason I explained in the last paragraph. Pat Watters and I have even made a game out of it by clicking the maybe button because "you never know....." And, that's it. I use my upbringing in the process of inviting by being respectful, but still promoting myself and the band. I guarantee that I am in a very small minority.
Because I'm artist who has this tech to take advantage of and because I've always thought it rude to ignore other artists, I do my absolute best to answer each and every invitation and add a little blurb on their walls. I say this to all of you who are reading today because....well maybe you just don't understand what it takes to be someone who isn't a household name. With all the time we spend Socially Networking, it only takes a few more seconds to head to that section of your home page and click yes, no, or maybe. I promise you I will never be offended by the folks that click no. To the contrary in fact. I appreciate the folks that do so, if only because they took the time. To all you I say thank you very much. To those of you who ignore, just remember that your response just might make someone feel good about themselves and the effort they're putting forth while chasing a dream....even if you click no. Believe it.
To all my fellow Event Inviters I say this: Think about who you're inviting. Don't just throw a blanket deal out there because Facebook lets you. It's not necessary. The amount of people who are your friends or like your page doesn't provide any justification for that kind of thing. Stick to those who are more likely to come. Let your peers know what's up. I'm sure many of them are like me and will be happy for you that you are out there gettin' it done. But if you're in L.A......
As for me, I guess the old school is calling with the test message, email, and phone call.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Hey look at me with a blog again!
Once upon a time there was a guy (me) who had a blog on that dinosaur of a social network called MySpace. I had 300 and something followers which absolutely blew my mind. I was always left to wonder how it was possible that this many people actually cared what I had to say. It's actually a pretty gratifying feeling that so many will sign up just to read your thoughts. That was four or five years ago now. I guess it is time to start a new one.
I tend to be one of those guys that shoots straight. No one will ever accuse me of sugar coating anything. I have my moments where I will, but for the most part it takes too much energy from my ever rotting brain to think of the "nice" way to say something. I'll pass. I have five children now and it's hell just staying ahead of their little deviant minds. (That reminds me of the time my Dad wished five of me on me. What a terrible thing to wish on your child.....but I do understand it now. Sorry about that Dad. All of it.) Anyway, my blog will consist of whatever happens to be on my mind in that moment. Sometimes I'm going to let you know where we'll be playing a show or talking about a show we just played. Other times I'm going to tell you about a funny thing that happened (or really not funny) in the course of my day. There'll be the days where a soap box is involved or perhaps where I should be typing from a pulpit as well.
One of the nice things about blogging is you get the opportunity to share your thoughts. Anyone can have one; they're like children. Don't need a license or even have to take classes. They are amazing that way. Point I'm actually trying to make right now is this: you may not always agree with what I have to say and that's ok. There may be times that I say something that offends you. You know what? That's ok too. It's my blog and I can paint it any color I want to. The part of blogging that is most important to me is that it's not Facebook. If you want to read what I have to say, you actually have to come to this site to do it. It's not there on Facebook for everyone to see. Philosophy is great. Amazing subject, especially if you know what the hell you're talking about.
I tend to be a philosopher at times. I think it comes from being an idealist. What I don't do is share it on Facebook. That's really not what I have a profile there for. I do it to keep up with the people in my life that I care to know what is going on in theirs. I prefer to see the status updates that are funny or sharing important moments. Once I realize that preaching, proselytizing, or philosophizing are taking place I lose interest and drive on. I wouldn't bring it up, but I've had many a conversation on this subject with many people AND I can honestly say that everyone (yes everyone) finds it annoying in some form. So, I promise no Facebook Filosophy or is it Phacebook Philosophy? Whatever.
If you choose to become someone who wants to see what I have to say, I want to say thank you in advance. As I referenced earlier, it's gratifying to know you take the time. If you don't want to read that's fine too. Sometimes I am full of shit.
I tend to be one of those guys that shoots straight. No one will ever accuse me of sugar coating anything. I have my moments where I will, but for the most part it takes too much energy from my ever rotting brain to think of the "nice" way to say something. I'll pass. I have five children now and it's hell just staying ahead of their little deviant minds. (That reminds me of the time my Dad wished five of me on me. What a terrible thing to wish on your child.....but I do understand it now. Sorry about that Dad. All of it.) Anyway, my blog will consist of whatever happens to be on my mind in that moment. Sometimes I'm going to let you know where we'll be playing a show or talking about a show we just played. Other times I'm going to tell you about a funny thing that happened (or really not funny) in the course of my day. There'll be the days where a soap box is involved or perhaps where I should be typing from a pulpit as well.
One of the nice things about blogging is you get the opportunity to share your thoughts. Anyone can have one; they're like children. Don't need a license or even have to take classes. They are amazing that way. Point I'm actually trying to make right now is this: you may not always agree with what I have to say and that's ok. There may be times that I say something that offends you. You know what? That's ok too. It's my blog and I can paint it any color I want to. The part of blogging that is most important to me is that it's not Facebook. If you want to read what I have to say, you actually have to come to this site to do it. It's not there on Facebook for everyone to see. Philosophy is great. Amazing subject, especially if you know what the hell you're talking about.
I tend to be a philosopher at times. I think it comes from being an idealist. What I don't do is share it on Facebook. That's really not what I have a profile there for. I do it to keep up with the people in my life that I care to know what is going on in theirs. I prefer to see the status updates that are funny or sharing important moments. Once I realize that preaching, proselytizing, or philosophizing are taking place I lose interest and drive on. I wouldn't bring it up, but I've had many a conversation on this subject with many people AND I can honestly say that everyone (yes everyone) finds it annoying in some form. So, I promise no Facebook Filosophy or is it Phacebook Philosophy? Whatever.
If you choose to become someone who wants to see what I have to say, I want to say thank you in advance. As I referenced earlier, it's gratifying to know you take the time. If you don't want to read that's fine too. Sometimes I am full of shit.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
New website coming soon
Howdy y'all.
Just to let you know, we are about to launch the new Seth Turner and the High Desert Drifters website. Soon http://www.sethturner.com/ will present the new band, and you can followus and easily connect to Blogger, see pictures and our event schedule on Facebook, and see the videos on Youtube.
Launch date is the end of March 2011.
See you all there soon.
Just to let you know, we are about to launch the new Seth Turner and the High Desert Drifters website. Soon http://www.sethturner.com/ will present the new band, and you can followus and easily connect to Blogger, see pictures and our event schedule on Facebook, and see the videos on Youtube.
Launch date is the end of March 2011.
See you all there soon.
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