Floyd Musician or Musician from Floyd?

Awhile back I was approached by a promoter about playing at a nearby festival. I was flattered. I'm always grateful when someone wants to hire me to perform. Let's face it, in a world where Paris Hilton and American Idol runner ups draw crowds of thousands and are considered huge talents, the chances for a 40-something acoustic blues act are scarce.

So the promoter tells me all about the event and how great it is and who's sponsoring it and how many people are expected to attend and then comes the first "red flag." "It'll be great exposure for you," they state enthusiastically. "You know," I say, masking my sarcasm with a deadpan tone, "People die of exposure." I get an incredulous look. "Matter of fact," I continue,"The last time I 'exposed' myself I was arrested." A faint smile crossed the promoters face. "Scott," he replied, "We don't pay local acts for this event." I responded "But, I'm not a local act. I'm a professional musician who just happens to live in Floyd."

It's a sticky wicket. I love Floyd. Don't get me wrong, love has not blinded me and Lord knows Floyd has it's downside. But it is a really great place, inhabited by some great folks and just the right amount of ne'er do wells and characters to keep it interesting. We've got the right blend of rural and funky, a great climate and beautiful bucolic vistas. But I've avoided the "Floyd Musician" tag like a cat avoids a wash tub.

Sure there's a time to "give it away" at a parking lot jam or open mic. But if a venue profits from musical performance then I must get paid. I'm flexible. Cover charge, envelopes on the table, guarantee against the Z tape; as long as the venue owner or event promoter shows that they value what I do and recognize that it helps keep their cash register ringing, I'm open to talking it though. But if someone asks me to perform at an event, venue or function for fun? Uh uh. I have fun pickin' on the back porch at home. You want me to drag a couple hundred pounds of sound reinforcement equipment out to your anniversary party and put 25 years of blood, sweat and tears on display for your guests? That'll cost you!

So what happened with the promoter? We talked it through and came to mutually acceptable terms. The event was a success and we've worked together many times since. I've had similar successes with lots of promoters who came at me with the same pitch. That's another nice thing about Floyd. Folks are reasonable and, for the most part, know a good deal when they hear one.