“He had found the band of jackals he needed. But as Jack McCall rode through the center of town, he experienced the terrifying certainty that a man faces when he's about to make his own name famous. He lacked both a hero's calm and a coward's resolve to survive at any price.” MenFacesFoundNamesFearHeroNeededBandTownsCalmCertaintyResolveCowardJackals Author:Walter Hill
“My vision of punk rock was these dudes who were spitting on the audience and moshing. That's why I kind of left that scene. Then I see all these people around my same age or between 17 and 25 that were making music themselves in their own town. They weren't just singing, but creating. I see them putting out this music where there are tons of women involved in the scene and involved in the bands.” PeopleKindAgeLeftVisionAudienceRocksInvolvedSceneBandCreatingSingingTownsPunkPunk Rock Author:Kathleen Hanna
“You never know that this is the moment when you're in the moment. When I was sixteen I moved to a smaller town in Vermont, and at that time I didn't have a band to play in. So I was forced to play in Top 40 bands and fraternity bands and wedding bands. That was all pop music, but I was listening to Weather Report and classical music. Then I went to Berklee College of Music in 1978, and you had Victor Bailey there, and Steve Vai. And suddenly I was among my ilk.” KnowsPlayMomentsCollegeListeningBandTownsMovedPopsWeatherReportsClassical MusicPop MusicSixteenFraternityVermontWedding Band Author:Stuart Hamm
“There were so many bands in New Orleans. But most of the musicians had day jobs, you know -- trades. They were bricklayers and carpenters and cigar makers and plasterers. Some had little businesses of their own -- coal and wood and vegetable stores. Some worked on the cotton exchange and some were porters. They had to work at other trades 'cause there were so many musicians, so many bands. It was the most musical town in the country.” KnowsLittlesCountryJobsCausesBandMusicianTownsTradeMusicalWoodsStoresMakersVegetablesCoalNew OrleansCottonCigarCarpenterDay JobsBricklayers Author:Zutty Singleton
“My first big break was with the Ted Fio Rito band. Fio Rito had a bunch of record hits in the 1930s and did a lot of radio work back then. When he came to my home town in early 1942, I sat in with the band. Ted liked me and offered me a job.” FirstsHomeBigsJobsBreakRecordsBandTownsRadioBunchSat1930sHome Town Author:Louie Bellson
“One springs to mind: one of our very first gigs in a small East Texas town was not well promoted. At least, that was our conclusion. After the band loaded in and the curtain opened, we realized there was exactly one paying customer in the audience. We kind of made the best of it playing through the first set, took a break and bought him a Coke and then went on to perform for the remainder of the night. It wasn't exactly a catastrophe but it certainly stands as legendary.” MindFirstsWellsKindMadeNightBreakAudienceBandSpringTownsCustomersEastConclusionTexasCatastropheCurtainsGigsLoadedCokeLegendaryEast Texas Author:Billy Gibbons
“I grew up in Nazareth, Penn., which was an hour and a half from New York, and an hour and a half from Philly. So bands that were touring came through one way or another. We got to see stuff people in other small towns didn't, like Wesley Willis. I couldn't have asked for a better place to grow up and be into music.” PeopleWayGrowsStuffHoursHalfGrowing UpNew YorkGrewBandGrew UpTownsOne WayBetter PlaceSmall TownTouringNazareth Author:Daughn Gibson
“Occasionally I hear a band that blows me away. For instance, there's a musician in Oakland named Weasel Walter who has a band called the Flying Luttenbachers. Go see the Flying Luttenbachers when they're in your town. He's one of the greatest rock composers who ever lived, and he's struggling and living like a poverty-stricken hermit.” PovertyStruggleRocksBandMusicianTownsBlowFlyingInstanceComposerHermitsOur TownWeaselsOakland Author:Glenn Branca
“Some kid can say, "Hey, I really want you to play my town in Switzerland, or Sweden, or Latvia," and they could have a fun night at the show. On the other hand, all those kids could have a record that means something to them in a more personal way a couple months down the road. The live band is a really important thing for us, but my focus is on the album now.” WayWantMeanImportantPlayShowsHandsKidsNightFunRecordsFocusMonthsCoupleBandTownsImportant ThingsAlbumsHeyDown The RoadSwedenSwitzerlandLatviaFun Night Author:Zachary Cole Smith
“The first time I ever went to Chicago was with Zappa and I had a fantastic experiences with him and every other band I've played with. It's a great music town.” FirstsBandFirst TimeTownsFantasticChicagoGreat MusicZappa Author:Terry Bozzio
“It costs lots of money to make records. It costs lots of money to generate artwork and manufacture and then ship things to people. If it keeps getting stolen, then the band has less ability to come to your town and perform. And that is ultimately what all of us want to do.” PeopleIfsWantAbilityRecordsCostBandTownsShipsLots Of MoneyStolenArtworkOur Town Author:Matt Snell
“I was on one bus with my band and crew for seven years. I didn't come to town with a karaoke tape. I didn't get on a TV show. There were no shortcuts. Anybody who wants to follow my model is welcome to it. You don't want to follow my path.” WantYearsShowsPathTvsBandModelsTownsSevenWelcomeBusTapeTv ShowsCrewSeven YearsShortcutsKaraoke Author:Kenny Chesney
“It was R.E.M. who showed other Eighties bands how to get away with ignoring the rules - they lived in some weird town nobody never heard of, they didn't play power chords, they probably couldn't even spell 'spandex.' All they had was songs.” PlaySongHeardBandTownsGet AwaySpellsChordsEightySpandex Author:Rob Sheffield
“Yet for all the depression no one ever quit. When someone quit, we couldn't believe it. 'I'm becoming a rafting instructor on the Colorado River,' they said. 'I'm touring college towns with my garage band.' We were dumbfounded. It was like they were from another planet. Where had they found the derring-do? What would they do about car payments? We got together for going away drinks on their final day and tried to hide our envy while reminding ourselves that we still had the freedom and luxury to shop indiscriminately.” BelieveSaidStillsTogetherFoundCarCollegePlanetsBecomingDrinkBandRiversTownsFinalsEnvyQuittingLuxuryShopsGoing AwayThey SaidPaymentTouringRemindingGarageColoradoInstructorsRaftingCar PaymentsColorado River Author:Joshua Ferris
“My youngest son, who is now the drummer in my band, lives in Brooklyn. My oldest son is about to move out to California, and my daughters are both out of town.” MovingMotherSonBandDaughterTownsCaliforniaMy DaughterBrooklynDrummerOldest SonYoungest Son Author:Herbie Mann
“I was inspired by a lot of people when I was young, every band that came through town, to the theater, or the dance hall. I was at every dance, every night club, listened to every band that came through, because in those days we didn't have MTV, we didn't have television.” PeopleYoungNightTelevisionBandTheaterTownsInspiredClubsHallsEvery NightMtvNight Club Author:Quincy Jones