Living in a 'gigless' economy
Members of Slick31: Lindsay Fockler, front left, Chris Allen and Sarah Warfield; back, Keith Fockler, Ray LaMarca and Clint Alguire.
With restaurants and bars ordered closed since mid-March, musicians — and their fans — are having to adjust to a world without live music, without applause, without a last call. While the total absence of gigs is a huge challenge, many local musicians are finding ways to cope and new ways to get their music out.
Here is how several local musicians are faring and what they are doing as all anxiously await the day to reunite and cavort into the wee hours again.
“I miss the crowd interaction.”
Matt Barnhart of Bolivar said he and his brother Dave of New Philadelphia were playing gigs about four to seven times a month. Together with Dan Traxler of Dennison they form the Brothers band. Matt Barnhart is feeling the financial pinch because his day job hours also were cut. Because they aren’t getting gigs, the band is using the time to polish up guitar techniques and learn new skills.
“A lot of what we do live is banter between songs,” Dave Barnhart said. “I miss that.”
Matt Barnhart echoed his brother’s thoughts. “I miss the crowd interaction,” he said. “The crowd’s enjoyment feeds your enjoyment and gives you energy to keep going.”
Matt Barnhart recently streamed a solo gig from his garage in Bolivar on Facebook Live. To access videos of Brothers music, go to www.facebook.com/brothersbandohio. Audio-only is available at www.soundcloud.com/brothersbandohio.
“What I miss mostly is the camaraderie.”
Guitarist and singer/songwriter Wil Handrich of Dover plays with the band, Whiskey Zulu, and is currently working on a solo album.
“I’d love to be working on tightening up our music, but we can’t even get together,” said Handrich, who has written a song about the current situation titled “Either Way, You Lose.” His Whiskey Zulu bandmates are guitarist and vocalist Zac Pirillo and drummer Daniel Stenz.
“It’s a euphoric feeling when you’re out there playing,” Handrich said.
Since the stay-at-home order was issued, Handrich said he is working on songs for a new solo album and performing on Facebook. He recently put together a Facebook Live show for a friend in Iowa who held a virtual birthday party.
“I got a lot of positive feedback, and it was fun to do,” Handrich said. “I hope people keep doing this kind of thing after this is all over.”
You can access Handrich’s video performances at www.facebook.com/wilhandrich and Whisky Zulu’s music at www.facebook.com/whiskeyzuluband.
“Nothing beats when people are having a good time and you’re a part of it.”
Lindsay Fockler of Bolivar is a keyboardist for the band, Slick31. Other band members include her husband, Keith Fockler, as well as Sarah Warfield, Chris Allen, Ray LaMarca and her dad, Clint Alguire.
Things were just picking up for the 2-year-old band when the stay-at-home order hit.
“We were booked every weekend in April, and May was booking up well,” Lindsay Fockler said.
The band also was scheduled to serve as the pit musicians for Tusky Valley High School’s production of “Mama Mia!,” which has been cancelled.
“My daughters, Brooklyn and Kallie, are in the show, so we can practice together,” Fockler said. “We are posting recordings on Facebook to remind people that we still are planning to do the show when the situation changes.”
Because Slick31 is a six-piece band, virtual gigs don’t work for them. “Keith and I can play together at home, but we’re not lead singers; we’re backup,” Fockler said. “I miss the interaction with the audience and band members. The energy is different when you’re out there live. Nothing beats it.”
You can access the band’s music at www.facebook.com/slick31band.
“There’s a difference between a musician and a person in a band.”
Drummer Clint Alguire of Dover said true musicians are always playing and always learning, no matter what is going on. Alguire is a member of several bands, but his main band is The Numbers Band, a mainstay on the Kent, Ohio music scene since 1969.
“I have a number of musician friends in Nashville, and they are using this time to write more songs,” Alguire said.
What he misses most about live performances is the bandstand. “When you’re up there, you’re playing with musicians you like, playing music you enjoy, and there’s a camaraderie,” he said. “You’re really having a musical conversation with like minds.”
Alguire also plays drums for Barflies, the Greasy Boys and Slick31. About the current situation, Alguire said, “Out of adversity comes opportunity. The smoke is going to clear, and when it does, you want to be ready because no one wants to hear a bunch or rusty musicians play.”
You can access music by The Numbers Band at www.numbersband.com and original music by Barfiles at www.jeffbeitzel.com.
“Playing isn’t just a job; it’s what makes you tick.”
Sandy Simpson of Canton plays in Slick31 with her daughter, but that’s a very small part of her musical life. A piano teacher and church organist, Simpson also provides accompaniment for student musicians at Malone University and other area schools. A recent gig she was really looking forward to involved accompanying a ballet performance at the Akron Civic Theatre.
A retired music teacher for the Plain Local School District in Canton, Simpson said she is fortunate to receive a pension; otherwise her entire livelihood would depend on gigs, which also include playing at weddings and funerals, two of the many events that are no longer taking place.
“I feel sort of purposeless,” Simpson said. “The collaboration is what I miss most. I can still play piano at home, but it’s the interaction I miss."
Simpson said it’s difficult to livestream most of what she does because she primarily accompanies other performers.
“We did try to record some music for church when no one was there,” she said. “I came in and played piano, and then the soloist would come in and sing, but it isn’t the same, and it’s difficult.”
“The adaptive nature of music is coming to the forefront, and it’s something to witness.”
Andy Bors started doing virtual solo gigs from his place of employment, Lockport Brewery in Bolivar. He said he is making the best of the situation by putting more of his solo music online. “I’ve released a three-song EP and five singles,” he said, adding other musicians he knows are doing the same.
Bors is one of the lead guitarists and vocalists in the Canton-based band, Divorce Horse. Other band members are Larry Kennedy, Tucker Parsons and Josh Campian.
Bors, like other musicians, misses the camaraderie of being with his band members. “Those guys are my best friends, and it is terrible not to see them,” he said. “But you have to find the silver lining. What we can do is focus on brand building and promotion. We can’t get together and play, but there are other things we can do to stay together and keep growing."
One of those things is releasing a new album. “We were supposed to have an album release at the Auricle in Canton on April 18,” Bors said. “Instead we are going to live stream it from our Facebook page. We’ll have three different camera angles and sound coming straight from the mixing board.”
The event will stream on the band’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/divorcehorse330 at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.
In the meantime Bors, who also goes by the nickname Duckii (pronounced Ducky), plans to continue his virtual solo gigs from Lockport Brewery. “More musicians are starting to do this," he said, and those musicians need your support. Many of them are using virtual tip jars that fans can donate to through PayPal, Cash App and VenMo.
Both Bors’ and Divorce Horse’s recorded music are available on streaming services worldwide including Google Play, Spotify and Bandcamp. For Bandcamp, the links are www.duckii.bandcamp.com for Duckii and www.divorcehorse330.bandcamp.com for the band.
When the coronavirus nightmare ends — and it will — live music is bound to be a reuniting force. Until then, the show is going on. Tune in wherever possible to enjoy music from favorite local bands and discover new ones. There's certainly time to do so.