Why is finding musicians to play with so hard?

[mathias]

Trying to get myself back on topic..

There should be an ILF e-band, a collaboration type thing.

This would be cool, but it doesn't fulfill my need to jam with folks.

I'd still just be a dude playing with himself in a room. And that's just sad. Because it's always more fun with you, err, play with others.

I've met with two people/groups from craigslist and communicated with a fair share of others and have completely struck out so far. It doesn't help that I live outside of the city where the only thing around are shitty metal bands and shitty emo bands but mostly annoying-ass acoustic singer-songwriters.

This. Although here in the (small) city we have all kinds of terrible music that people want to play, not just the "I'm out in the country and I'm mad!" high school metalheads. I think I'm like one generation too old to even pay attention to the kids in shitty emo bands. And that's just sad Because I'm only 24.

[mathias]

I keep trying to edit my posts to make them awesome and it posts them as a reply. I AM SO CONFUSE.

[RossCanyonsofstatic]

Best way to meet musicians in Milwaukee is go to shows. 90% of most shows audiences in Milwaukee is sadly other musicians. pick shows with bands you like and you will meet like minded musicians.

[mathias]

I guess I'm not going to enough shows. Now that the cigarette ban is in effect, that's changing. (I'm really allergic to cigarette smoke, so places like the Cactus Club were unavailable to me..)

Also, just realized you're in the area. You should have set your location or something so I knew!

[jfrey]

Go to music stores. Most of them will have a board where people put up ads and whatnot looking for band members or looking to join a band. Chances are that if they bothered to put up a physical ad they're at least slightly more dedicated than someone that put up a craigslist ad.

[jrmy]

Go to music stores. Most of them will have a board where people put up ads and whatnot looking for band members or looking to join a band. Chances are that if they bothered to put up a physical ad they're at least slightly more dedicated than someone that put up a craigslist ad.

This. Also, I've always had better luck putting up flyers than posting online. Don't know why that is. But going to the right kinds of shows and putting up flyers at the music stores that cater to the cats you want to meet (assuming that you've got something besides GC around... if not, go for coffee shops, whatever) - those methods seem to work. Hell, flyer outside the venues that host the shows you like.

[mathias]

Go to music stores. Most of them will have a board where people put up ads and whatnot looking for band members or looking to join a band. Chances are that if they bothered to put up a physical ad they're at least slightly more dedicated than someone that put up a craigslist ad.

This. Also, I've always had better luck putting up flyers than posting online. Don't know why that is. But going to the right kinds of shows and putting up flyers at the music stores that cater to the cats you want to meet (assuming that you've got something besides GC around... if not, go for coffee shops, whatever) - those methods seem to work. Hell, flyer outside the venues that host the shows you like.

Yeah, I'm friends with a guy whose store I like, and tried to get to know the guy who owns the place where I bought my new amp and that SG-knockoff guitar. I should totally go in and ask them if they know anyone who would be interested. They probably get people going in all the time asking them that kind of stuff. And if not, I can leave an ad on the bulletin board. Great idea.

[julius_deane]

i've been playing music for forty years, and i've never had a band i was entirely happy with.

I doubt even your favorite bands would say the opposite.

[MEC]

If you're not into the drinking or smoking scene you may be better off trying to find guys that play at churchs.
It's seems that most of them like to play something other than god rock when given the opportunity.

Other than that, the Cactus Club seemed to be where most of the musicians hung out last time I was in Milwaukee.
It's also where I saw an "IfIhadahifi" sticker and spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what is was called when a word was spelled the same forward and backward.

[mathias]

I don't think I'd fit in with the God-rockers. That's always an option though, I guess. I'd also be afraid I'd wake up one day and find myself in a Rush cover band. Nothing wrong with that for other people, or with liking Rush (I dig their stuff), just not my thing

[Bellyheart]

I personally wouldn't use CL and just find some buddies. Not a chance?

[mathias]

I don't know anyone who is a musician, really.

I don't know that many people in town, actually. Mostly just coders and librarians.

[ashdown]

If you're not into the drinking or smoking scene you may be better off trying to find guys that play at churchs.
It's seems that most of them like to play something other than god rock when given the opportunity.

Other than that, the Cactus Club seemed to be where most of the musicians hung out last time I was in Milwaukee.
It's also where I saw an "IfIhadahifi" sticker and spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what is was called when a word was spelled the same forward and backward.

palindrome!

and i would give some flyers a chance

[mathias]

Yeah. I'm going to the Young Widows show at the Cactus Club. If I can find some musicians into that sound there, that would be awesome.

[Seedy]

You can try bandmix.com. You put in your zipcode and find people close to you. I was in Charlotte for a year before I posted up there, got three calls right away. First one was really promising. They were my age, had wives and kids, into Thin Lizzy and Fugazi (nice mix) and busted out a joint, and they really rocked. It was too perfect: We had a fun time and a good jam but they didn't call me back. Then I got a call from another dude, he had tunes and was also from the northeast. We were singing pretty tight harmonies right away, first time I've ever jammed with someone else who could sing well. The catch is...I don't really like the dude. Like, I don't really enjoy his company. I'm 35, he's 45 and still thinks he's gonna "make it" which just isn't on my radar. Very salesman-ish. I don't know he just rubs me the wrong way. Great example of boneheadedness: "You know, Pete, I really respect you. I mean you got this disease (I got multiple sclerosis but am in remission) and it's gonna kill you. I mean, you JUST KNOW it's gonna be the end of you, but you keep going." MS doesn't fucking kill you moron, why would you even say that?

My big influences are Barkmarket, Shellac. His favorite band is Styx. STYX! Then he said he likes some of the "new stuff" like (God this hurts) Nickelback . But with each week that passes it's harder for me to just walk away because I got nothing else going on and it's coming together musically in a way that I wouldn't expect. The songs he writes don't sound like any of the awful bands he mentions. We are reaching an area that I guess is closest to the only two bands that we kinda have in common, Alice In Chains and King's X. That's ok with me, and I'm on my bass using the Algal Bloom frequently, with sexy results. But as soon as we're done jamming every Monday I practically push him out the door.

But yeah, brother, I understand you gotta play with others. Bandmix.com. Good luck.