"The Scene"

When the world thinks Music and New Orleans, they think" Bourbon Street." It was funny recently I bought a copy of "X-Men,Wolverine" and there is a character introduced in this movie called "Gambit" He's a mutant from New Orleans. In the scene he is introduced he is seen playing cards on Bourbon Street and the first thing you hear is someone playing the blues. The truth of the matter Bourbon Street is mostly classic rock. Yes you'll find the blues,Funk,R&B, and Zydeco but when I first came here last August I walked it's entire length in and out of all the live music clubs. What I heard was mostly classic rock. In fact because I consider myself a classic rock musician(if there is such a thing) I didn't hear a single song I didn't know or hadn't played. What I've gathered form a few conversations that the locals don't consider Bourbon street to represent the real true New Orleans. It's kinda like someone who comes to Alaska and buys a Ulu knife that was made in China. Ulu knives for those who have never seen one were knives the Alaskan natives designed for skinning and scraping hides. The good ones are locally hand made. Or someone who comes to Alaska during the summer(which is fine I guess)If you want a true Alaskan adventure come to Alaska in the winter and experience 40 below,ice fog ,18 hours of dark and the northern lights.
The locals here, as with their sophisticated and highly refined tastes in food, share the same discriminating tastes in music and art. Without exception the locals look at Frenchman Street as where the real scene is. My observation is there are gigs all over this town but from what I've learned a gig on Frenchman will add an air of being legit and could lead to something more. It could also take sometime to snag one. Let me qualify all this by this. I am really not that picky. Maybe I should be. But after years of playing in a scene where the club owners would rather have frigging Karaoke or a DJ rather than real musician's, I'm really looking forward to playing a party hungry crowd. I want to play Bourbon street! I've always adopted the attitude that as long as I got my guitar strapped on, crowd to entertain and there is some money involved later..I'm way,way ahead of the average joe working in a car wash. But on the other hand I am totally stoked about being in a city that encourages musical exploration and celebrates something original. I have a ton of my own material,several cd's worth and I write all the time. Another thing I found funny and alot like Fairbanks. My friend said none of the working musicians here ever rehearse. They learn the set off cd's or they already know the bag and just show up to play. That's totally how it is back in AK. I will fit in here fine..live well and RAWK....s