Music in Lubbock? (Amarillo, Center, Howe: school, college, tornadoes)

[bbrix]

Hi folks!

Would really appreciate some advice from musicians in the know. I live in the NorthEast but I'm considering a move to Lubbock. I'm 57 yrs old and have played electric bass guitar my entire life. I don't s*ck, I can sing and I own great gear. I currently play with a 6-pc old-school R&B band that plays festivals and corporate events here on the east cost and also I play every week with a classic rock/modern country band with a hot female lead singer. (Think Sugarland crossed with Heart.)

Question: any chance this old fart will be able to land a gig in Lubbock? I'm solid, attitude-free and love everything from traditional blues to Green Day. I look younger than I am and have hair half-way to my butt. (Yeah, OK, some grey. )

So... What's the club scene like? I live in a college town now and have no problem mixing it up with a younger audience, but... as a big-city boy I have the (hopefully erroneous) impression that outside NY and LA and a few other choice spots, EVERYBODY wants to listen to Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings -- even the college kids. LOL!

Please tell me I'll be able to find a band when I get there.!

THANKS!

[Westerner92]

I say come on down! I have heard many non-locals say we have a pretty good music scene for a city our size, and it sounds like you would make it even better. There is a notable amount of bars and clubs being that this is a college town. Many of them are in a section of downtown called the Depot District, which is growing steadily. The nightlife is kind of slow, but it should get much better as the downtown is revitalized and Tech grows. There is a music festival which seems to be getting more popular. During the summer months, there are free concerts every Wednesday and Thursday at the courthouse and Buddy Holly Center respectively. The largest free festival in Texas is the Independence Day parade, and this year there are going to be ten stages. This is just to give you an idea of some of the gigs that you could get here.
Lubbock is not the place to go if you want to make it big, but it does have a relaxed music scene that you may or may not like. I would just suggest visiting to see how you like it. Good luck with your decision.
P.S. Maybe I translated the third paragraph wrong, but the younger generation is not into the old-timey country if that's what you're afraid of. Some of the older people like it, but from my experience, there are more who prefer the more modern country.

[bbrix]

Thanks! I appreciate the info. I'm really hoping to hear from some working musicians. So if anybody out there has inside info?

[catman]

bbrix: I'm a lifelong electric bassist (& tubist) in the DFW area, and the music business is pretty awful here. Maybe I should move to Lubbock myself! I've been playing jazz and classic rock since 1964 (I'll be 63 on 5 July). BTW, I started playing fretless bass in 1971.

[High_Plains_Retired]

I'm about 30 miles out of Lubbock but am not, nor have I ever been, a working musician. However, I just happened to be playing some Haggard tunes tonight on my Martin when I saw your thread. Come on down, welcome to the area and best of luck with your music.

[scsigurl3000]

Hi: I'm a musician and music teacher in Lubbock (violin/fiddle, piano/keyboards, viola, guitar). There is lots of music here in Lubbock, classical and pop and country. There are five orchestras: the Lubbock Symphony, the Tech Symphony, and three youth symphonies. Lots of music in the churches, and we're 20 minutes from South Plains College which has one of the few Associates degrees in country/popular music.

SPC has students of all ages from all over the planet.

Write me privately if you'd like a link to my studio page. (Hope I won't get into trouble here). There are also a couple great guitar studios (I only teach beginner classical guitar, on the guitar piece of my studio). But music is pretty prominent in the nightclubs and restaurants, and there are a couple of first class recording studios here, as well.

I love Lubbock: no traffic, people are nice, weather is mild, tornadoes are really the only concern, money is good, growth is good, Texas Tech is a great school, and cost of living is like, zero....

[cobolt]

A good friend of mine is a musician in Amarillo and his band regularly has gigs in Lubbock. I say go for it.