Chicago or Nashville: Which is Better for a Musician? (Hamel: transplants, buy)

[mountain2012]

For a working rock musician, which city offers more opportunities to play gigs and work in the industry?

[supernerdgirl]

rock music? I'm going to say Chicago.

[Irishtom29]

Nashville. Lots of session work, club work too. Note that much Country music IS rock and roll. In Nashville music is a major industry and a big money maker, in Chicago it's not very important.

Scotty Moore and Steve Cropper went to Nashville and Cropper owns a studio there, that tells you something.

[Basekamp]

Blair School of music at Vandy = #1 in the nation.
Belmont School of music is top ten.

Per capita that is RIDICULOUS given the size of Nashville.

More music companies and execs headquartered there than any USA city with < .5mill population = huge opportunity.

However, ALL Musicians know this about Nashville. Literally one in three transplants you meet there moved to be a rock and roll star or professional musician.

Originally Posted by mountain2012

For a working rock musician, which city offers more opportunities to play gigs and work in the industry?

[thiqued]

I play in a rock band (myspace.com/largelovely <--SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION) and, while I have never gigged in Nashville, I think Chicago is a GREAT city for rock. There are so many venues that will put you on, but Chicago is basically like a huge small town so its easy to meet likeminded musicians. It also benefits from being very easy to navigate. If you want to know any more about where to play or whatever, just send me a message.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by thiqued

I play in a rock band (myspace.com/largelovely <--SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION) and, while I have never gigged in Nashville, I think Chicago is a GREAT city for rock. There are so many venues that will put you on, but Chicago is basically like a huge small town so its easy to meet likeminded musicians. It also benefits from being very easy to navigate. If you want to know any more about where to play or whatever, just send me a message.

Are you making your living playing? I get the impression the OP wants to make his living playing. I've known quite a few musicians here (Hell, I played in one of Chicago's first Punk bands in 1977) but few that made their living at it. On the other hand an old goat like me ain't in touch like you, nor are my old goat musician pals.

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Nashville. Lots of session work, club work too. Note that much Country music IS rock and roll. In Nashville music is a major industry and a big money maker, in Chicago it's not very important.

Scotty Moore and Steve Cropper went to Nashville and Cropper owns a studio there, that tells you something.

Ok, I see what your saying... I guess it depends on what type of music because I went to SO many shows in Nashville that were simply depressing because they couldn't draw flies. I MISS shows here in Chicago A LOT because I forget that people here actually care about certain types of music and actually buy tickets to shows.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Nashville. Lots of session work, club work too. Note that much Country music IS rock and roll. In Nashville music is a major industry...

This is very true.

Even rock, hard rock and metal bands go to Nashville for recording now.

As far as the live scene Chicago has the edge, however that is changing swiftly. Soon one will be better off going into Northwest Indiana to see and hear live music.
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Daley (as well his father while he was mayor) and his sheep having been working on killing the bar scene
for the past decade. Music in bars has been targeted for the last decade as well. The heat on the music scene is increasing.

Soon bars that have live music in Chicago will be even more a rarity than they already have become the last couple of years.

Moscow on the lake.

[coldwine]

I think Nashville is probably more important with respect to music I wouldn't be caught dead listening to.

I lean heavily towards authentic club music, good electronica, excellent punk/rock and lounge (Thievery Corporation, etc). For live performance Nashville does not compete with Chicago.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by coldwine

For live performance Nashville does not compete with Chicago.

That's a matter of taste not fact. You don't enjoy what you like any more than some Country music fan enjoys what he likes. And like the music or not the skills of Country musicians and technical people are of a very high level.

And like I said, a great deal of Country music is old fashioned, straight ahead rock and roll; rock and roll as if the Hippies had never happened (the Hippies and Brits took rock and roll in the wrong direction IMO but that's another story). And I can always go for that, even if the musician is wearing a cowboy hat.