[Dixielandjazz] The Entertainment Slowdown.

[Stephen G Barbone]

Hi Don:

Seems that all the band leaders I talk to say they are experiencing a  
slowdown "because of economic conditions". They've got the blues about  
January 2009 and beyond. As you recall, here is the BSJB schedule I  
sent you on November 9th.


> JANUARY 2009
>
> 4 (Sun) Germantown Unitarian Church, Germantown PA 11 AM to 12:30 PM
>    New Orleans Funeral Service for the old year.
>
> 5  (Mon) Brittany Pointe, Lansdale PA 7 to 8 PM
>
> 10 Sat) Swing Dance for Lindy & Blues Club Ethical Society Building,  
> Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia PA 8 PM to midnight.
>
> 17 (Sat) Swing Dance, University of Delaware, Newark DE 8 PM to  
> midnight.
>
> 18 (Sun) Tri-State Jazz Society, Am Leg Post 72 Brooklawn NJ 2 to  
> 5:30 PM
>
> 24 (Sat) Mosulu Tall Ship, Penns Landing, Philadelphia PA 7 to 11 PM
>
> 29 (Thu) Spring House Estates, Ambler PA 7 to 8 PM

I've added the following January gigs in the past 30 days:

Jan 11 (Sun) Grace Episcopal Church, Wilmington DE  3 to 5 PM  
(Fundraiser)

Jan 17 (Sat) Potomac River Jazz Society, Silver Spring MD.  7 to 10 PM  
(sideman w/The Vintage JB)

Jan 23 (Fri) Private Corporate Party 8 to 11 PM, West Chester PA

Jan 25 (Sun) Private Party 7 to 10 PM, Media PA

Eleven gigs in January 2009, a slow month here, in the midst of  
economic hard times, is about 30% more than I did in January 2008.  
Even more ironic is that I am not trying to add gigs for 2009. Indeed,  
I'm trying to cut back by about 30% from 150 this year to about 100 in  
2009 because I'd like to fit some other things. (horse & carriage  
competitions, birdwatching, astronomy, political writing etc) into my  
schedule.

It is strong evidence that the cumulative, successful  promotion of  
Barbone Street these past 10 years is paying off big time during these  
"hard" times.

Note also that we're diversified, not a "steady" gig among them.  
That's simply because steady gigs don't pay anywhere new as well as  
single casuals and we unashamedly follow the money.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband