Buzz Evans (YouTube) - But Why Bother?

[Chip Fossa]

Tonight I've been moving thru many forum topics and eventually wound up on YouTube. Which is great. You know - somebody puts up a YouTube link about something, and I love to check it out.

Well, inadvertently, I stumbled on a Buzz Evans video. He was doing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

Now this is truly tragic.

Here's Buzz playing away in what looks like some kind of "island" in the middle of a friggin' mall.

One of the best, undisputed, creative steel players ever to pick up the bar.

Nothing wrong so far? Well, for the 1st half of the video, it's just close-ups of Buzz. But then, the camera wanders leftward to expose the "mall" and all of the gay shoppers gazing and merrily cavorting about, as Buzz plays on.

So from here on the video captures Buzz and the mall. NOBODY walks up to the little stage-type fence where Buzz is playing; only until the last few seconds does some gal or two finally realize that something is going on and approaches the fence. But that was the end of the video.

I don't know. Maybe there were more people out of camera range, but the mall scenes looked sparse at best - still tho - people were just walking on by.

Here was one of the greats playing unbelievable stuff and nobody's caring or coming up to listen.

Buzz, as great a player as he is, in this video, was reduced to a human jukebox. Just like all of us who've played out, know.

I can see this happening to a mediocre player such as I am, but to a master - well?!?! God help us all.

I wish I was more astute at putting up weblinks, but you smart guys ought to figure out how to get to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

Buzz does it justice. But the passerbys - don't do nothing justice.

It's weird, but, - ya gotta check out this one video.

[Ric Epperle]

Here's the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYCAkNx6nFg

I'll bet there are several on the forum that remember playing "Show Bars" in Nevada. You think you're right in the middle of playing something totally awesome when all of a sudden over a loud speaker someone hollers "jack pot on number 27"! It makes you wonder why you're there at all.

It's sad that such an exceptional player doesn't receive more notice even in an environment like this...

[Herb Steiner]

It makes you wonder why you're there at all.

I don't wonder about it at all. It was explained to me quite succintly by Bill Green, the entertainment director at the old Golden Nugget, back in 1971. He thought we were playing too loud in the lounge, which was an open room at the old Nugget and only held 60 people anyway.

Bill told me directly "Too loud! You're too loud! You're disturbing the players. See those guys at the blackjack table? They make us money. You don't make us money. You COST us money. Turn the amplifiers down NOW!"

The biggest disappointment for a lot of unrealistic/idealistic neophytes in the bar bidness is when they realize that in a high percentage of the situations in which they play they're only there as a pretense to either 1) sell liquor, 2) allow boy to meet girl, 3) give the gamblers a brief break (Vegas and Atlantic City), or 4) some combination of the previous three.

That was the room where Hank Thompson recorded his "Live at the Golden Nugget" album, incidentally.

You want the patrons to listen and appreciate your solos? Try Carnegie Hall, not the Carnegie Mall. I'm sure Buzz considered himself fortunate to have the bread from the gig. And I know he'd rather play with recorded tracks than work with a band that was not up to his level of playing, because he told me so personally.

[Ellis Miller]

Welcome to the real world of the music "business". Most of the GP don't know a good/great musician from a brick. They like what they are told to like by marketing people, what their friends like etc etc etc.

My dissappointment in the fact that I often took on the role of wall paper in the lounges, clubs etc where I performed was soon tempered by the fact that I could make a living doing something I would do for free if I was not getting paid for it. I don't regret a minute.

[Alvin Blaine]

the camera wanders leftward to expose the "mall" and all of the gay shoppers gazing and merrily cavorting about, as Buzz plays on.

I hate to tell you, but it worse than you think.
That isn't a "mall", it's Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas. Those ain't shoppers, they are glazed over drunkin' gamblers, stumbling from casino to casino.

Buzz's gig was to play in front of a casino and draw the people in. Kind of a pied piper, on steel guitar. I've done those gigs on Freemont street, at times they do pay well, but there isn't much artistic value to it.

[Ken Lang]

Yes. It's the old glass eyed musician who stares out into nothingness as you walk by. A few bands even act like they are having fun, but again, that's their job.

One time there was a good piano player doing a single by a stairwell, with no one listening. My wife and I stopped, took a chair, and began to listen. He was good. I don't if he could tell if I was a musician, but I have a suspicion he could. You know we all give off that kind of aura. He seemed so grateful that someone was listening and paying attention.

[Larry Jamieson]

I saw a deal on TV recently where, as an experiment, some folks had concert violinist Joshua Bell stand in a public place and play. It may have been Grand Central Station. A handfull of people, one, two or three at most would stop and listen. Most walked by and didn't even look in his direction...
Larry J.

[Jim Cohen]

Yes, Larry, it was in the subway in Washington, DC. Here's a YouTube of it. One of the world's greatest concert violinists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn6KMSq_vaE

[Howard Tate]

It's the mark of a true pro when they can perform so well under those conditions. It was hard for me to get used to playing Nevada casino lounges while competing with piped music on the sound system, which is never turned off. It was hard but mostly fun, and paid pretty well.

[Ben Lawson]

We did the Atlantic City "thing" for about five years. You are just a brief distraction to the gamblers. We were only entertaining the waitresses & other staff. We had regulars but they weren't there for us. They had favorite bands to listen to when they wanted to sit & rest for a while.

[Richard Damron]

Larry and Jim -

To think that the complete version of Bach's "Chaconne" fell upon unlistening ears is almost unthinkable - yet it happened.

To each his own, I guess. Wish I had been there.

[Ric Epperle]

It was hard for me to get used to playing Nevada casino lounges while competing with piped music on the sound system, which is never turned off. It was hard but mostly fun, and paid pretty well.

That's how it was for me. I was pretty young back in the early 70's when we were playing in the casinos. At that time I was working in a family band with my dad. It was my dad who reminded me of what Herb Steiner implies. I did learn in short order why we were there and I soon realized that the pay was pretty good and the experience was worth it.

Heck, I'm still playing in the clubs around here most weekends and loving it and getting payed for it at the same time. Can't beat that... As long as that dance floor stays full...

[Joe Casey]

I once worked a special grand opening for stores in a mall(I believe it was TGMax, for a local radio station. We played inside a Mall in front of the store and actually drew a pretty decent crowd standing around.. But we got told to take long breaks and play short sets by the mall mgr. The Station that day had a stack of give a ways "Tee" shirts ,Hats,bumper stickers and some resturant tix for four.And at that time LPs. What I can guaranty is the band had a good supply of shirts and hats to wear and we ate good. Bobby G Rice was in town working with us that night so he even came by and sang for his supper and a shirt

[Mark van Allen]

This stuff is why I try to remember my time in Vegas, and in top 40 bands, and "beach bands"... as chop building and dues-paying time.
And also why I so greatly appreciate the fans and venues on the Jam Band scene, where a large percentage of the people listen, and know the music, the bands, and pedal steel.
It's a very rewarding genre for a steel player.

[chris ivey]

hey c'mon....i mean..that joshua dude wouldn't even play orange blossom special ...or devil went down to georgia...!!

[Jim Cohen]

[John Steele (deceased)]

I would assume you'd have to ask Buzz Evans.
It's not surprising to me that he'd choose to play
in such an atmosphere, rather than in some bar being mauled by drunks and crazy people.

[Tracy Sheehan]

Mentioned this before.but Buzz used to come sit in with us at a club in Mt.back in the early 70s.He sure had a great sense of humor.He would play guitar.Where he was working he got off before we did.
Speaking of the Golden Nugget in vegas,i played there many times in the 60s and 70s and hated every minute of it.The pay was good tho.At break time you better be off the stage as the curtain would close in a middle of a song.They wanted the gamblers to go back and lose more money.
We must have played ever water hole and cattle crossing in Nv.
As i said before the pay was good and you only had to be careful and not bother any of the gamblers.
I never figured out why they hired bands in the first place.I know it was to attract patrons,but no one listened to the band after they came it.The only thing good about it if one could call it that,no dancing so you could play what ever you wanted.

[Tracy Sheehan]

hey c'mon....i mean..that joshua dude wouldn't even play orange blossom special ...or devil went down to georgia...!!

what fiddle player would want to play the OBS?I did like to play it but after getting requests for it a jillion times,well.LOL

[Kevin Hatton]

Being a great steel player and 25 cents will get you on the subway. Thats about how much its worth. Someone said this here on the Forum years ago. No one cares if you are a technically great steel player. The only people who care are other musicians. In Nashville over playing on a session will get you fired. Herb's story is very appropriate. Thats why I refused to play Casino gigs even though they paid more. People are far more interested in the visual than they are the music. If they feel entertained then you are a great musician in their eyes.

[Bob Hoffnar]

I'm not sure that being admired matters that much to many players including myself.

[Chip Fossa]

Great replies, dudes.

I'm glad I finally hit on a worthwhile topic/discussion.

Usually, my head is buried in the COMPUTER sector. Why is that?

Keep it coming fellas. All interesting responses.

[Donny Hinson]

I can see this happening to a mediocre player such as I am, but to a master - well?!?! God help us all.

The average American has a taste for $#!&, and it shows in what's popular on the radio and TV. Ol' John Q. Public knows about as much about musicianship as the average musician knows about particle physics. If it were some twerp wailing away with a fuzz guitar while gyrating across the aisle, the picture would have been quite different.

Some old dude playing schmaltzy music on a "sit-down thing" has zippo entertainment value. (Welcome to the world of "now".)

[David Doggett]

There was some applause for Buzz at the end of the song, so there must have been a few people out front actually listening. Also, Buzz is the best jazz steeler alive in my book, but while we can see the technical brilliance in what he does with the world's most difficult instrument, that style of mellow jazz just comes across as elevator music to many people.

I'm trying to remember the whole story of the Joshua Bell thing in the D.C. subway station from when this story was posted on the Forum awhile back. It was an experiment in social psychology. I think Bell was playing that very night (maybe in the Lincoln Center?) to a sold out concert with tickets going for like $100. Yet here he was for free; but, because of the context, people just didn't notice. In fairness, they were trying to get somewhere, and weren't looking for an arts performance. I love it when I encounter good buskers. I've seen great string quartets in the shopping streets of Boulder. And the New York subway platforms are a good place for great chamber music also. I usually try to stop for a good listen, but the people I'm with start tugging on my sleeve after a couple of minutes.