If you really think about it though, everything is a competition and music is no exception. Music and the music business is all about “favorites” and that is the basis of competition. When you start a band you are with the people that won the contest of who is the best for you to play with. If you join a band you beat others that tried out. When you are booked at a venue you beat out the other bands looking to get booked at that venue. People that come out to see these bands or musicians are also winning against other shows that night in that area.
When it comes to the larger end of the business, there are literally thousands of bands trying to get signed to a major label but the truth is that few musicians get a record deal. The ones that do get a deal beat out all the other people that contacted that label for a deal.
Music isn’t a competition however music is a business even the best musicians can lose out. At the end of the day the things that matter all stay the same. People need to support music, no matter if you’re a musician or the person sitting at home listening to the radio. If you hear about a show you don’t have attend them, support can be as simple as sharing that info to your friends. Everyone out there has a friend that is a musician so support your friends and show your love of music. The music business will not change for the most part but maybe by having it be less competition and more cooperation we will see a new movement of music.
Here are some musicians celebrating their birthday this month
1. Chris Poland, Jonathan Coulton, John Densmore, Steve Gibb, Brad Delson, Akiva Schaffer,
2. Britney Spears, Nelly Furtado, Maria Callas, Rick Savage
3. OZZY, Andy Williams,
4. Lila McCann, Gary Rossington,
5. Little Richard, Gary Allan, John Rzeznik, JJ Cale,
6. Randy Rhoads, Ira Gershwin, Dave Brubeck, Peter Buck
7. Harry Chapin, Dominic Howard, Tom Waits, Sunny Sweeney
8. THEE Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Morrison, Sam Kinison, Jen Ledger, Marty Friedman, Sinead O’Connor
9. Tre Cool, Jakob Dylan,
10. Meg White, Sarah Chang,
11. Nikki Sixx, Jermaine Jackson, Carlos Gardel, Mos Def
12. “The Chairman of the Board” Frank Sinatra, Bruce Kulick, Dionne Warwick,
13. Taylor Swift, Amy Lee, tom DeLonge, Dick Van Dyke, Ted Nugent, Randy Owen, Jamie Foxx
14. Spike Jones, Mike Fuentes, Vanessa Hudgens
15. Don Johnson (look it up), Henry Santos, Stan Kenton, Tim Reynolds, Cindy Birdsong,
16. Ludwig Van Beethoven, Billy Gibbons, Mariza, Benny Andersson
17. Taylor York, Maria Brink, Eddie Kendrick, Ryan Key, Paul Rodgers
18. Keith Richards, Randy Houser, Christina Aguilera, Cowboy Troy
19. Juan Luna, Elisa, Alvin Lee,
20. “The Cat” Peter Criss, David Cook, Chris Robinson,
21. Frank Zappa, Yasmin, Natalie Grant, Carl Wilson,
22. Robin & Maurice Gibb, Jordin Sparks, Meghan Trainor, Luthor Campbell,
23. Eddie Vedder, Harry Judd, Mane de la Parra, Kat Perkins, Chet Baker
24. LEMMY, Ricky Martin, Baby Dodds, Hezekiah Walker, Louis Tomlinson
25. Jimmy Buffett, Cab Calloway, Annie Lennox Dido, Barbara Mandrell, Alannah Myles, Tony Martin
26. Jared Leto, Lars Ulrich, Chris Daughtry, Phil Spector, Andy Biersack
27. Hayley Williams, James Cassells, Shay Mooney, Fred Hammond
28. John Legend, David Archuleta, Joe Diffie
29. Bryan Dexter Holland, Dallas Austin, LaToya London, Marco Antonio Solis, Alexa Ray Joel, Chris Barnes
30. Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Bo Diddley, Ellie Goulding, Jeff Lynne
31. John Denver, Donna Summer, Joe McIntyre, Tom Hamilton, Scott Ian, Odetta, Psy
SHOWS FOR THE REST OF 2014! (Shows start between 9-10pm unless noted)
4th
* Open Mic at Rumor's, Pottsville (Every Week)
* Open Mic at Hegins Inn (Every Week)
* Wooden Keg Pottsville The Boys Upstairs 7-9
* Wooden Keg Saint Clair Doug Drost 7-9
5th
* Ricky and the Ricardos at O'Sheas, Shamokin
* Sterling Koch Acoustic at St. Thomas Roaster, Linglestown 8-10
* Jim and Larry at Vito's Coal Fired Pizza, Saint Clair (by walmart) 7-10pm
* Ostrich Hat at the Woodlands WB (Wilkes-Barre)
6th
* Sterling Koch Band at Strikers Pub, Pottsville 9:30-12:30
* Reckless Country Band at Distilled Bar, Saint Clair 9-12
* Adrenalyn at hang loose, Tamaqua
* JCJ Band at Denny's Hot Rod, Cressona
* Ostrich Hat at Beech Mountain, Drums 8:30pm
* Donna Nye at the Famous Bar, Pottsville
* Tommy Guns Band at Lakeside Ball room, Barnesville
* Rick Smith and the Crush at Top Diner, Allentown 9-12
* Madd Roots at Berwick Brewing Co. 7-11 w/Monkey and the Engineers
* Ebenezer Screw at the Pour House on Derry, Harrisburg
* Governing Murphy and Angel Down at the Mixx, Allentown
* Wonderchunk at the Hilltop Bar, Danville
7th
* Susan Mary Featro at the Tamaqua Performing Arts Hall (Tamaqua Community Arts Center) 2:30
10th
* Open Mic Night w/Jon Stefon at Hall's Nowhere Saloon,Girardville (Every Week)
11th
* Open Mic at Rumor's, Pottsville (Every Week)
* Open Mic at Hegins Inn (Every Week)
* Wooden Keg Pottsville Doug Drost 7-9
* Wooden Keg Saint Clair the Boys Upstairs 7-9
12th
* Sterling Koch Acoustic at Berwick Brewing Co. 7-11pm
13th
* TOOLSHED JACK at Shenandoah Santa Trot, Columbia Hose co.
* Fallen Pride at Raudys Bar, New Philly
* Hooligan (acoustic) at Goodfellas, Pottsville 8pm after Raymond the Amish Comic show.
* Alias at the Wooden Match, Bethlehem 9:30-12:30
* Ward Youth Military Appreciation Fun Fall Harvest at the Strand Roller Rink, McAdoo 12:30-4:30pm w/CroTek and Keystone Kid StarMarkers
* Matt Pless, Tedd Hazard, Everyone Except Me, the Business Fairy, Clayton Ravine and Suckered In at Hazleton Art League, 5:30-11pm
** Puff's Promotions Skook town Throw down (6 Venues 40+ bands. $5 covers all venues for the day) 5:30pm
* Frackville Elks w/Panic, Inner Temple, Geniverse, Steve Mazur, Sour Milk, Within the Outbreak and Tusko
* Trippin Billie, Pottsville w/the Commuity, Home Movies, the Hidden Agendas, Todd Burd, Vulturepeak, U Blue, Young at Heart, and Beneath the King
* Tamaqua Elks w/Kevo Can't Dance, Waging Wars, Cornelius the Third, LMI, the Filthy Low Down, Beer and Pretzels, and From Philly
* the Oyster Bar, Shenandoah w/Ryan Conroy, the Artifact, Moxie and Rebel, Kelz tha Good Money Kid, Observe the 93rd, Raymond Strife, American Evil, and Ghost County
* McNiff's, Mahanoy City w/John Bardi, Canyon, King Kong Hates the wolf man, Robbing Noll, Hate to Say it, Shut Mouth, Eye on Attraction and Broken Fayth,
* the Mineshaft, Ashland w/Roxy Nova, We the Assembly, Stupyd Cow, Condition Oakland, In Place, Brokenhead, Friends with Murder and ERIN MARGARET!
14th
* Jam Session at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center 6pm (great opportunity for any musician)
17th
* Open Mic Night w/Jon Stefon at Hall's Nowhere Saloon,Girardville (Every Week)
18th
* Open Mic at Rumor's, Pottsville (Every Week)
* Open Mic at Hegins Inn (Every Week)
* Wooden Keg Pottsville The Boys Upstairs 7-9
* Wooden Keg Saint Clair Doug Drost 7-9
19th
* Sterling Koch Acoustic at Vito's Pizza, Saint Clair (by Walmart)
20th
* TOOLSHED JACK at Christmas party, Friendship Hose Co. englewood/Frackville
* Holiday Hootenanny at Hucklebucks, Pottsville w/the Margie Trick, Gleasons Drift, Total Quality Institute, the Bleanies, Thick Brown Fur, the Remarkable Stims, Case 150, Backroad Burners
24th (Christmas Eve)
* Open Mic Night w/Jon Stefon at Hall's Nowhere Saloon,Girardville (Every Week)
25th (Christmas) As of right now we are unsure about these shows? Stay tuned
* Open Mic at Rumor's, Pottsville (Every Week)
* Open Mic at Hegins Inn (Every Week)
* Wooden Keg Pottsville Doug Drost 7-9
* Wooden Keg Saint Clair the Boys Upstairs 7-9
31st. (New Years Eve)
* RATL at Locust Gap Fire Co.
* Sapphire at Hollywood Casino, w/Honey Pump
* Adrenalyn and Hooligan at Strikers Pub, Pottsville
* 2014/2015 New Years Eve Extravaganza w/Willie Jack and the Northern Light & others!
* Open Mic Night w/Jon Stefon at Hall's Nowhere Saloon,Girardville (Every Week)
January shows coming around Christmas Week!