best cities for music?

[bubbleboy]

I wasn't sure where to put this. I'm curious as to people's opinions on the best music cities. Yeah yeah I know the obvious ones are Nashville, LA, NYC. But I'm sure I'm overlooking some great cities for music. I am looking for a vibrant music community - does that still exist?

[Seafroggys]

Vancouver, BC and Seattle aren't too bad from what I've heard. Stay away from Portland, everybody here are a bunch of pretentious idiots who make crappy hipster music and don't know how to make money.

[Jim Lad]

Vancouver, BC and Seattle aren't too bad from what I've heard. Stay away from Portland, everybody here are a bunch of pretentious idiots who make crappy hipster music and don't know how to make money.

Add to that Port Angeles WA., Eugene Oregon & Victoria BC. Seems to be an epidemic of folks willing to play for free though.

[Seafroggys]

I heard that Eugene was a bit better than Portland, but I dunno.

Yeah, so many people are willing to play for free, despite pouring thousands of dollars into gear and hundreds of hours into practicing their craft and rehearsal. Even at (Oregon's) minimum wage a 3 hour rehearsal session + 2 hours individual practice per week is $2184 worth of time per year that you aren't going to be making up. If you're lucky enough to play 2 hours a week at shows, that adds another $873 that you won't be recouping per year.

This goes along with the general issue of a population who is not willing to spend money for music and a group of people who are willing to do so for free because "getting their music heard is the most important thing." Eventually there will be a backlash, once people realize its not financially possible to support quality music....anyway, I digress.

[Chili]

Austin, TX

'nuff said.

[VomitHatSteve]

Bismark, ND; Fargo, ND; and Missoula, MO.

My band stopped by those cities on thour this summer, and they had really good music scenes. The bands were really supportive of anybody being creative. The venues were really open to new music. Lots of people went to the shows we played. And people let us sleep on their couches despite just having met us that day.

They probably aren't great cities for starting a music career, but they have really vibrant and fun scenes.

[darrin_h2000]

Since nobody's mentioned it yet...Kansas City is an up and coming city with a few new concert venues...Ive personally been involved with the Crossroads.

Branson Mo is the biggest music town in the USA with the most venues for that pourpose...and Ive been to Nashville and Memphis...Its been said that Branson is Vegas if the religious right had their way...lol.

And if I wanted to relocate to a booming city that has been a real destination for new acts of all kinds it would be Austin Tx...get me lotto money and Ill open a venue there.

[Seafroggys]

This is all good to know. I never thought touring through the midwest would be profitable, but if they got good music scenes going there, than it'd probably be better than hitting LA.

[gethypedmusic]

Chicago wasn't mentioned?

[ez_willis]

Originally Posted by bubbleboy

I wasn't sure where to put this. I'm curious as to people's opinions on the best music cities. Yeah yeah I know the obvious ones are Nashville, LA, NYC. But I'm sure I'm overlooking some great cities for music. I am looking for a vibrant music community - does that still exist?

have you heard of a town called the internet? that place is going off!

[jndietz]

Omaha, Nebraska has a great amount of bands and venues. Anything from country, to folk, to Americana, to rock, to hard rock, to metal, to black metal. Everything is here -- quite a melting pot.

Anyone who says otherwise clearly has never been here or taken the time to see what there is to offer here.

[bubbleboy]

i had wondered about portland, or too. interesting. definitely some stuff i hadn't thought of - i'm from the midwest originally and didn't even think of kansas city. And of course Chicago prolly rocks but it's so expensive. Austin...baby. I really need to check these places out.

[gethypedmusic]

Of course. The internet is the best place seeing as how it also resides in every city in the world.

[Dani Pace]

Avoid Spartanburg, SC unless you are willing to provide your own sound and lights, play 3-4 hour gigs and want less than $300 for the gig. Club owners down there have gotten seriously stingy about paying bands, no matter how good they are or how big of a croud they can draw.

[Walter Tore]

I have lived in NYC, SF, Austin, Brussels, London, and now Columbus OH, with my music. I would say that each of these cities had a great scene when I there. I left them because the scene died. Columbus I can't comment on because I haven't ventured in there enough yet. Austin is a mere shell of what it was. If you are coming from a place that is musically dry, you will be impressed, but when I was there 80's-90's, it was cooking. There were over 150 bars to play, and a house could be rented for $200 month. In the 90's it started to boom business and real estate wise. That same house was then close to a grand a month......... Most all but the longetime and famous musicians had to leave. That killed the root of what made it famous. NYC had a great scene in the 70's, but it too has died. SF was cooking in the late 70's when I got there and it too has cooled way off. My youngest brother lived/played in Seattle during the grunge days. He has since moved to LA and says it is pretty dry as well now.

I guess what I am saying is the scenes that were, and are no more. They most likely will never see the grass root movement that made them so famous today. That is a sad result of vibrant scene that gets worldwide recognition. Nashville is another example of this phenomenon. These places are great for tourists to visit, but are not going to support the local (not national stars) music scene anymore.

I am not sure where the scene is happening now. I basically just play for me, so if I am in the mood, the scene is hot I feel for the young musicians. The cost of fuel, hotels, and the pay having decreased at least 50% from the 70-80's, makes for a tough road. Follow your heart. If you are passionate, you will be a part of creating the new scene! Walter

[Lt. Bob]

New Orleans/Baton Rouge.
I now live in Florida and the thing I miss most about Louisiana is the music scene. You could play in bands 6 nights a week.
Over here I play that much but I have to do it as a single which I hate.

[Mindset]

Omaha
Austin
Houston
New Orleans
Waco
London
Baltimore
ATL
Madison & Milwaukee
Chicago
Detroit
St. Louis
Kansas City
Halifax
Montreal
all have decent music scenes.


and heres a map of music in the U.S

[Seafroggys]

Lol, that sums up Oregon in a complete nutshell.

Got a larger resolution for that image? THinking of putting it up as wallpaper.

[TerraMortim]

I hear Fuck, Brazil has a really good music scene.