Thoughts on playing cover music

So after the gig last night I got contemplative...what is different about playing other people's songs for money vs. playing your own stuff for money or not?

There's a vast difference. As far as ability goes, I haven't been able to experiment as much as I would have at other points in my life with new things, sounds, playing styles, and of course writing music. What I do gain is a pretty high level of proficiency with what I ALREADY KNOW...so I guess you would say my 'chops are sharp' (at least when I haven't had a few too many) but it's the same old, same old.

You feel some nights like a rock star, a full room and everyone being crazy helps this illusion, but other nights you see the reality a little clearer, you're a jukebox. Sure, as far as jobs go, it's a very fun job, but a job is what it is. There is definitely a part of me that struggles with this at times, feeling like a musician but not like an artist, if that makes sense. The majority of people in the joint are NOT there to see you, but to drink, dance, get laid, obnoxious, whatever. They can achieve these things regardless of who's in the corner on the small stage cranking out the tunes.

Writing music and playing it offers an outlet you just don't get in a cover band. Sure, a lot of time you're "playing to play", but those people are there to see you, to see bands, to have a great time checking out the music scene. When you get a crowd going it is 100% you that's doing it. That is something I miss alot.

Then there is song selection. You play a lot of songs that you aren't really fond of in the interest of filling (or trying to fill) the dance floor. There is a positive to this though. You are playing songs and paying attention to music you may have closed your mind to previously for whatever reasons. You are 'expanding your horizons' a bit, although dance rock only runs so deep ;). I would have thought that this would be hard, but it's actually easy most of the time. Once you're playing other people's songs, you tend to kind of not even notice the song or original artist very much. You don't think about it, you're in autopilot so to speak. That's the only explanation I have anyway for being able to play a Bon Jovi or Rick Springfield song without vomiting on stage. Take it or leave it.

So yeah, it's fun, you make some money, friends, get to watch drunk people be stupid a lot. It has it's ups and downs. I sure do miss the pay to play days though. I may have to get something going soon that involves creative brain, at least to avoid atrophy of the mind...