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Author Topic:  Shorts
Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 6:37 am    
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I’ve seen hundreds of photos of pro steel players sitting at the instrument over the years and I can’t recall any of them wearing shorts. The only picture that comes to mind is Severed Heads In A Bag. I’m sure there are exceptions, and many good reasons why this is so. But it’s summertime now and long pants should be in the bottom drawer.

I only play outdoors these days & baby it’s hot outside. So I recently saw a couple of pictures of myself behind the steel wearing shorts and frankly it looked a little … strange. My bare legs disappeared beneath the steel skirt (hmm …) and you might think I was naked from the waist down! Maybe Paul Bigsby was onto something when he designed his early steels with those huge modesty shields.

So I’ve switched back to trousers even though they’re not the most comfortable. The lone positive I see is that it does protect your legs from cuts and scrapes from all the gear when loading in and out.
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Howard Parker


From:
Maryland
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 7:03 am    
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I giggled when I read this.

I have one photo of me on an elevated stage wearing shorts.... and boots.

Closest thing to a "booty shot" that I have.

Never again.

h
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Dave Mudgett


From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 7:06 am    
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There's a picture of me at a summer gig around 16 years ago playing pedal steel in a Hawaiian shirt with shorts. I resolved not to do it again, but I was wilting on a 100 degree, 100% humidity day at an outdoor Zoom gig during the pandemic a couple of years ago. Everybody - rest of band, sound people, etc., were wearing shorts. So I changed into shorts, and viewed the video later - it was equally hideous. Never again, I don't care how hot it gets. Not so bad for an outdoor surf guitar gig, where I might be standing up at a console steel part of the time. It's sort of part of the schtick. But for steel sitting down, it's long pants.

On a real hot day, I'll do a breezy Hawaiian shirt and light/loose khakis. I have an outdoor gig tomorrow evening, temps predicted near 90, high humidity, and thunderstorms, so that's the plan.
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Jack Stanton


From:
Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 7:34 am    
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Can't do it, no matter how hot it is. Just not a good look
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Matthew Walton


From:
Fort Worth, Texas
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 9:10 am    
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Most of my steel guitar gigs are pretty strictly "cowboy hat, jeans, and boots", so I don't have much choice there.

Playing with my traditional jazz band I used to wear shorts a bit, but I saw some videos with me dressed like that and decided that's not a look that screams "hire us," so I've stopped doing that. That said, we played on a boat last Friday where shorts were an option, and if I had a do-over I'd definitely wear 'em for that!

My secret weapon these days is linen pants. They still look pretty good, and they're nice and breezy.

Maybe the real answer is a collection of neat tapestries to hang in front of the steel guitar!
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Jeff Garden


From:
Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 9:28 am    
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When I was stationed in the UK there was a front page newspaper photo of Prince Charles seated on a stage facing the audience at some formal ceremony. He was wearing a kilt. The paper added a blackout box covering the Crown Jewels and the headline was something like "And Now We Know What A Scotsman Wears Under His Kilt!" I think I might have a flashback if I see you playing in shorts, Frank lol!
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Larry Dering


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 10:13 am    
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Never have and never will. My son does it often and I give him static about the look. But he's behind a drum kit so what would you expect. Fred Justice did it all the time. I'm not sure it helped his sales of Justice Steels, Lol.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 10:29 am    
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There may be times when we wear shorts, like when we're at the beach. But for crap sake, if you're making a video or know you're going to be "visually immortalized" for the next century by someone with a camera...please try to show a little class. Oh Well


"Look, on the side of the road - is that a homeless person, or Willie Nelson?" Laughing
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Dale Rottacker


From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 11:11 am    
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I play in shorts MOST of the time, but then I'm not playing out in public where it could be an issue... though even in my YouTube videos I've taken some chastisement, but always in good fun. I will say that my tender knee's would be a little happier against the knee levers if I were in pants... I just tell them to toughen up a bit.
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Ben Lawson

 

From:
Brooksville Florida
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 12:48 pm    
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Ronnie Miller goes up North in the summer and plays in shorts. With Charly Pride he dressed in long pants and I think that's what was expected. You certainly don't want to get the 'look', or the 'words of wisdom'. when you play with a Superstar. Ronnie is a classy guy no matter what he plays in.
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scott murray


From:
Asheville, NC
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 1:13 pm    
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JUST DON'T DO IT
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Michael Sawyer


From:
North Carolina, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 3:33 pm    
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I wear em .Never heard a negative comment from a band member or an audience member.
Nice,pressed blue denim,with a plaid pearl snap shirt,sperrys on my feets.
The same way i dress when i take my wife out for supper.
First frost comes i break out the bib overalls.
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Mitch Ellis

 

From:
Collins, Mississippi USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 5:49 pm    
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Jack Stanton wrote:
Can't do it, no matter how hot it is. Just not a good look


Same here.

Mitch
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Ben Lawson

 

From:
Brooksville Florida
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 6:37 pm    
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I can't even wear shorts when I play at home. The knee levers are always cold. I live in Florida and I don't wear shorts much anyway.
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Jeremy Reeves


From:
Chatham, IL, USA
Post  Posted 21 Jun 2022 7:04 pm    
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don't even own any shorts
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Mike Neer


From:
NJ
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 5:19 am    
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I play some gigs every year with a polka band and we wear lederhosen. The crowd mostly does too and my god do I have a thing for women in a dirndl.
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Dave Hopping


From:
Aurora, Colorado
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 6:49 am    
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Dylan said it best:

"You used to laugh about

"Ever'body that was....

HANGIN'OUT
Embarassed
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Larry Hamilton

 

From:
Keller, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 7:12 am    
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Yes it was hot 🥵. Just don’t wear Daisey Dukes
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 7:19 am    
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I live in shorts all summer but I put jeans on to play out.
My playing is borderline and I don't want my aging legs to be the deal-breaker!
Smile
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Joachim Kettner


From:
Germany
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 10:37 am    
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Mike Neer wrote:
I play some gigs every year with a polka band and we wear lederhosen. The crowd mostly does too and my god do I have a thing for women in a dirndl.

And a Tiroler hat is nice! This is Billy Mo who slept in our little hotel in the sixties and me in einer Lederhose.


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Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 11:38 am    
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Larry Hamilton wrote:
Yes it was hot 🥵. Just don’t wear Daisey Dukes


My man, Larry, stylin’!
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J R Rose

 

From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 22 Jun 2022 6:17 pm    
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Looking good Larry, Nice to see you on the forum. Been meaning to drop you a line but just too busy, ha. Your Okie Friend, J.R. (Jim)
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Jack Stoner


From:
Kansas City, MO
Post  Posted 23 Jun 2022 2:10 am    
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Living in Florida, shorts are the uniform of the day. I never wore shorts on a job, but have on a casual jam and see no problem with that.
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Dave Grafe


From:
Hudson River Valley NY
Post  Posted 23 Jun 2022 2:36 am    
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The next worst thing to a bad cleavage shot, only the legs are all moving back and forth under there alla time.

Unless you're playing the nudist colony's summer dance don't go there.
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John Peay


From:
Cumming, Georgia USA
Post  Posted 23 Jun 2022 6:16 am     Tried it ONCE!
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Great thread Smile. And ok, I have to say after having tried it (only) once, I agree with the majority opinion here of "just don't do it" lol.

This was a 100-degree July afternoon last summer in GA, around a pool for a senior facility. Never again!


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