Best Area for an Active Musician with a Live Blues/Country/Rock Culture (San Diego: 2015)

[countryway]

Greetings. I am inquiring your opinions on which city, metro, or general area is be best for quantity and quality of live blues, country and varaitions of rock? I am a musician and have been planning a return to CA to live, which is where I have lived most of my life, and want to live where there is a vibrant and fervant LIVE MUSIC CULTURE.

I have strongly considered Austin, TX but really desire to live in my home state. I lived in the Sacramento area but don't desire to relocate to that area. I want to be involved with music on a professional/active level within the genres I mentioned above. Please provide as much info and advice as possible, and feel free to ask questions.

Thanks.

[ferretkona]

This is one of those cases you need to plan on a day job.
Musicians are a dime a dozen. My wife was recently paid near $50 a set for a play. She was just getting her feet wet in her old county.

You have to pay your dues dude.

[countryway]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

This is one of those cases you need to plan on a day job.
Musicians are a dime a dozen. My wife was recently paid near $50 a set for a play. She was just getting her feet wet in her old county.

You have to pay your dues dude.

You don't need to worry about that. I did not ask for info regarding that. What you said does nothing to answer my question. I am well aware of paying dues. I am not a novice musician. It is an eternal constant in the musical world that all must accept.

Please folks, if you have answers to the question I asked, I welcome your correlating response. Thank you.

[Think4Yourself]

Yep, there are places in all big cities but there are even more musicians so they get paid nothing. Don't quit your day job.

[countryway]

When I lived there not more than 4 years ago, every musician I knew got paid weekly for gigs and were very successful. I myself had too many paying offers and had to constantly refuse them. Unfortunately At the time I was not enthusiastic about playing weekly for money. Wish I had been. Hindsight? This however, was in the Sacramento area and I didn't want to return to that area, but wanted some place new. I simply wanted quality advice on a good area for Blues, Country and Rock aside from Sacto.

Please, if anyone can actually answer my question, I would be obliged. Thanks.

[5thgenSF]

Originally Posted by countryway

When I lived there not more than 4 years ago, every musician I knew got paid weekly for gigs and were very successful. I myself had too many paying offers and had to constantly refuse them. Unfortunately At the time I was not enthusiastic about playing weekly for money. Wish I had been. Hindsight? This however, was in the Sacramento area and I didn't want to return to that area, but wanted some place new. I simply wanted quality advice on a good area for Blues, Country and Rock aside from Sacto.

Please, if anyone can actually answer my question, I would be obliged. Thanks.

sorry i don't really know as i've been gone even longer than you.

SFBF: Blues Clubs

San Francisco Local Bands - SF Station

somebody in here posted that there was a lot of heavy metal in the east bay. ew yuck!

[MtnSurfer]

Hey Countryway,

Good to see you back on here. Last time we talked you were considering Bakersfield to Frenso areas. If you are expanding your net or at least considering it within CA then of course that opens up other options.

The only thriving live music scene I am well aware of is the Santa Monica, Hollywood area. Of course this area is heavily covered and visited by many musicians from around the world as well good local talent. But there are so many venues in LA that its mind boggling, not to mention all the ppl and private parties, record lables, recording studios, etc...

I think San Diego has a pretty good music scene as well. Folk is pretty big there and some signifcant stars have emerged from the local coffee houses such as Jewel. You could also live more in the country easier in SD than in LA. Though parts of the Inland Empire would be ok minus the smog.

I'm not sure about SF or SJ. Maybe other who frequent these other areas could chime in.

Derek