Why?

Why is it so fucking hard to be a solo artist? Not even a solo artist but a folksinger at that. Maybe I just came into this genre 40 years too late or something? I mean, you watch some of those old schoolers like Woody, Dylan, Joni, and they told it like it was. They told stories that were meant to be heard and wrote songs FOR the people. They didn't write AT them or ABOVE them but FOR them. And the people appreciated that!

Now I know it's not just me but I look at some of my other local peers and they all seem to have the same issues. There is really no place in this area for this kind of music. I have ONE place that I can honestly say treats me like an artist and really opens it's doors and arms to me each and every time I perform there. Other than that, it's just just happening. I hear of these great places and "listening rooms" in NYC where people actually go to hear songwriters sing their songs and share their words. It's just not the case here. Here, we are merely background music for desert and coffee which is fine because even then, you're gonna get someone who's listening and getting what you're saying. It's just that it's so hard to get those gigs because, for some reason, venues just don't return calls and/or e-mails and you just end up e-mailing/calling into the ether.

Until then, I can just keep writing my songs and calling and e-mailing and e-mailing and calling with hopes that I will get a slot some night in some venue that will allow me to share my words and songs with those that will listen.