Do clothes make the band?

[BenE]

I have been thinking about Bill Monroe and the image of bluegrass. He sort of gentrified country music and took it from being a hillbilly, straw-between-the-teeth image to a more polished look with the matching suits and hats. Then I started thinking about all the bluegrass bands today that sort of try and emulate the old look buy wearing matching hats and suspenders or other throwback style clothing. Bill always wanted his music to progress but still be recognized as bluegrass music. I wonder if by dressing in the old style clothes if we aren’t sort of doing what Bill Monroe tried to change with the image of country music. You can just look at some bands and know they play bluegrass by what they are wearing. What do you guys think?

[AlanN]

Frankly, I never much liked the "all dress the same" look, particularly the somber suits and hats, or the polyester suits that adorn some of the 70's bg groups album covers. But, it's definitely period styles that dictate clothing. I have a b&w video of Wes Montgomery from the early 60's and the quartet is dressed in suits and ties.

Remember,it's not how you feel, but how you look and you look Mahvelous!

[garyblanchard]

For years I just wore whatever I felt like wearing when I performed. I thought it was okay. When Carol suggested we "wear outfits" when we play I just kinda did one of those "whatevers" that we husbands can be so good at. Now Carol and I have a set look for perfomances and I must admit that I find it helpful. When I put on my performing clothes it feels like I am stepping into a role and reminds me that I am a performer. Now I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think the key is to find what is uniquely you and what fits your music rather than thinking about what others used to wear. (Though I must admit that my derby is as much an acknowledgement of John Hartford's influence on my idea of music as it is a reflection of who I am.)

[doanepoole]

I kinda agree that the stage presence should match the style of the music.

For example, Sam Bush doesn't look strange in his tie-dies because that's part of his personality which also comes through loud and clear in his music.

Similarly, the Del McCoury band I've always seen in really sharp looking suits, with Del having a different color than the rest. I think they look like real pro, traditional bluegrassers, whcih is just what they are.

I've seen jokey-type bluegrass bands with the hillbilly getups and its an effective part of their act.

Just make sure your wearing comfortable clothes up there!

[John Flynn]

I think that photo should have been on the previous thread, "Who is the queen of bluegrass?" Those guys could all be candidates!

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

if you dress in suits you'll get more gigs and make more money. thats what i've found anyway. i don't like the everybody where the same thing idea though-to cheesy.

[MartinD_GibsonA]

Our trio prefers something in the middle, i.e. neat but only slightly coordinated. #We wear khaki slacks with black or brown belts, socks and leather lace-up shoes. #We also wear solid-colored button-down Oxford cloth shirts, although each of us decides what color to wear independent of the others. #There have been times we've all shown up in robin's egg blue. #At other times, we've looked like a peacock on stage with green, brown, black, orange, yellow, plum, navy ... whatever! #I like garyblanchard's comment that putting on the "uniform" makes him and his wife feel like performers. #I couldn't have quantified it so well, but I know the feeling and I agree with him. #I like it when the band stands out from the audience.

Don Smith

[Fretbear]

Hot Rize!

[acumando]

mandodude -- LOL -- i was wonderin when the gert jonnys would make a comeback on the board here...

[mrbook]

For years I wore my regular clothes performing, until I realized you have to look like a performer to be on stage. Somewhere I head a musician say, "I don't want to see a guy on stage who looks like he should be sitting next to me in the audience." Our group doesn't wear suits, but always good pants, shirts, and a vest, and I will often wear a tie.

The early country performers usually wore their best clothes - it was the business people who made them dress down like country bumpkins, until Monroe tried to change the image. I just think it's cool to dress up a bit, and would love to find some short, wide ties and two-tone shoes.

[mpeknox]

Nothing makes a suit and tie look better than an F5 slung over your shoulder (IMHO).

[sandcastlefaith]

I personally love the Evan Marshall look, with the obviously expensive suit, and cowboy boots with his F5. Or better yet, the Ronnie McCoury pinstripes. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[mandoman4807]

[quote=mpeknox,May 08 2004, 07:49]Nothing makes a suit and tie look better than an F5 slung over your shoulder (IMHO).[/quote


I SECOND THAT EMOTION. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif



Darrell

[jim simpson]

I never thought I would like wearing a tie in a group as I lost the suit and tie in my business atire years ago. The group that I currently play with was already into the black pants w/shirt and tie look. I really like the other players and I didn't want this to be an obstacle to joining the band so I agreed. Now after appearing with the group, there is a sense of professionalism one gets from having "the look". We always get compliments on our appearance, stage presence, etc. I must say that The Gert Jonny's outfits may have ours beat! Here's what we look like: www.geocities.com/wallsoftime
Jim Simpson

[mmukav]

This is great! The band I'm in is going from a 3 piece folk/bluegrass band to a more standard 4 piece band--banjo, mando,guitar,upright bass. We're not sure what we'll wear yet. I've always done the casual/slightly dressy thing, but never suit jackets or ties. I always liked it for the truly straight bluegrass band, but..........maybe you guys should decide what we'll wear!

[Frankmc]

A band should look like a band... like they're in it together. I love the traditional suit, tie and hat thing ala Open Road, Del McCoury etc. The only caveat would seem to be that if you look like that you better be able to deliver.. I mean that is serious dressn'.

[jlb]

I tend to agree that a badn should dress professionally, especially at gigs that I paid to see.

If you go see a doctor or lawyer, I woulnd't be to confident if he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Dressing professionally sends the message that being a musician is a profession.

[ira]

i think it truly depends on the bands personality, rep, music, etc... i wouldn't want to see sam b., chris t., or dawg in a suit, but del and the boys sure look good. then again, i wouldn't want to see them in some cheesy matching outfits and cowboy hats, but i like seeing frank w. in a western shirt. there is a persona to each performer based on what and how they play, their personalities, and the types of venues they play. that leads to what they where.

just my 2

I don't own a tie & am not wearing one period!.......it's to dang hot in Texas to wear a stinking tie!

Personally, I find it refreshing to meet a Doctor in jeans & without that "noose" around his neck. I once worked at a New Car Dealership that required ties....I made great money & quit after 2 weeks....I'm not wearing a tie!

[garyblanchard]

Ira -
Good point. The key is to find what works for you and what suits your music. When I was doing a lot of 60's cover stuff and my originals a tie-dye shirt and jeans were fine. The old-time/good-time stuff seemed to require a different style of dress; the derby and suspenders fit my personality.

Dale -
I don't wear a tie often, and certianly not for performances. When I do wear a tie, however, I wear bow ties. (The real kind you tie yourself, not the pre-tied, clip-on types.) Again, it fits my personality. It also presents a "professional" look when I am teaching a class or doing a professional presentation. And as you point out, temperature can be a factor is choosing wardrobe.

[jlb]

Gotta admit a little Baltimore/DC-area jazz background/bias here. If someone shows up at a jazz club to play and they don't look sharp, they're often told to pack it up and go home, if not by club ownership, than certainly by the audience, who expect a level of sophistaction in appearance

Different genre, of course, and the history of jazz dress is a whole lot different than other genres, like country.

[garyblanchard]

jlb's post remonded me of the book, "Southern Exposure: The Story of Southern Music in Pictures and Words." It shows a lot of pictures of southern musicians from various time periods. Some were professional musicians and some were not. In many of the pictures, the people were wearing their best outfits, even if some of the outfits were a little worse for wear. I think that the Grand Ole Opry pushed the "hayseed" look for their performers and the 60's promoted a more dressed down look for rock performers. This brought about a general change in how performers present themselves.

[Mark Normand]

hey MrBook, how about these guys, that the shoes you looking for? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
www.karlshiflett.com/
Karl and crew are great entertainment, they do the one mic thing, jumping in/out. They are coming back here this summer.

[doanepoole]

I really respect the efforts of Bill Monroe, Earl Skruggs, and others to "de-hillbilly" country music.

But makes you wonder when the decision was made to do this, because String Bean was a Bluegrass Boy, and, not to be mean about his physical appearance, but from pictures I see it was highly exploited trhough dress in a sideshow type manner.

[garyblanchard]

Bear with a faulty memory, but as I recall reading is was (William?) Judge at the Grand Ole Opry who insisted on the outfits, strange names, etc. that came to signify country music. I read that he had a whole list of group names and would rename groups if their name wasn't "colorful" enough. While he did help spread interest in country music, he also helped to create and perpetuate certain stereotypes.

[doanepoole]

Shows like Beverly Hillbillies and Hee-Haw probably had a similar effect as well.

[sunburst]

Styles change. In the old days, suits and ties were "in". Then in the 70s mod was "in", or the jeans and T shirt look. The suit and tie look, tho currently fashionable, looks a little "retro" to me. I suspect it's partly due to my 70s upbringing, but I see a musician in a suit and I think "who do you think you are and who are you trying to impress?"
I, for one, cannot wear a suit and tie without a strong feeling of putting on airs. I know there are those who like to wear suits, but I don't fully understand why anybody does that doesn't have to.

Basically what I'm saying is; you may not be projecting the image you think you are to everyone out there. You'll impress me more and better if you look comfortable and confidant, and make good music without too much emphasis on clothing.

[doanepoole]

I think we can all agree that we're g;ad the eighties look didn't stick!

But my wise old dad, whose seen many a year and understands the cyclical nature of life through experience, has warned me for more than a decade now that one day it will return!

[mrbook]

Karl Shiflet and his band do wear the kind of shoes I want. We opened for them a couple years ago, when Lyle Meador was playing mandolin with him. They came off the bus in overalls (I think Lyle had overalls and no shirt as I remember), but were dressed up when they went onstage and did a couple fine sets. Looking the part makes someone a performer.

[doanepoole]

Gotta admit a little Baltimore/DC-area jazz background/bias here. If someone shows up at a jazz club to play and they don't look sharp, they're often told to pack it up and go home, if not by club ownership, than certainly by the audience, who expect a level of sophistaction in appearance

jlb ain't kidding here. Audiences at those jazz clubs can be BRUTAL, and not just about dress but even more so about musicianship. As I can remember, I've seen at least two bright eyed college kids booed off the stage and reduced to tears. Once I even heard a guy pull out a trumpet in the audience and start playing over the band!

[ira]

many genres can be brutal about appearances. i am not a bg player, but have gone to fests/jams, and as pointed out on this board, if i came with an a style or an oval hole- i'm sure folks would give me looks if not make comments.

[doanepoole]

I've definitely seen alot of that type of behavior in the BG world, as well, but thankfully its usually limited to the older generation.

I can't count how many times I've heard old folks say to someone "That sounded good, but you should sing it/play it like Bill Monroe did."

I guess that's more about the music than the appearance, though.

Whether or not it's true, I've found a good reply to A-style snobs is "Sorry, I can't afford an F-style." Usually shuts the BGers right up because I think it's pretty safe to say bluegrass was invented by and for poor folks.

[mrbook]

A couple years ago I saw Lyle Lovett and his Large Band - they wear suits on stage, and so did Stuart Duncan and Jerry Douglas, who were sitting in. When I need a replacement for a gig in our band, or ask someone to sit in, I like it when they ask what to wear. They wouldn't be asked to play if there were any questions about musicianship, so the only other important matter is how to fit in with the band on stage. It's a matter of attitude and professionalism.

Last year, our group played a show at a large theatre with several other groups. We arrived and were escorted to our "dressing room." We were the only band who wore our stage clothes to the gig - and out to dinner afterward.

[garyblanchard]

Back in the late 80's I had this urge to become a neoclassical composer so I wrote some pieces for string quartet and woodwind trio. I bought a tuxedo to wear to those performances. Looking back, bib overalls would have been a little out of place.

[Kevin@bluegrassbrethren]

Boy are we in trouble....... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Summertime may find us in Hawwiian Flowerdy Shirts.....and black jeans and boots of course.

But only in Kal-ifor-nia (best Arhnold Accent).....out-of-state stuff is always conservative.

[mrbook]

I usually wear a tie in winter, hawaiian shirts in summer (I now have at least ten, which is a lot for upstate NY), but even the ties are not the typical businessman's "power" tie - I have a hawaiian tie, as well as ones with Mr. Potato Head, Gumby, and other characters that start conversations. Of course, I wear them to work, too, which may explain my position in life...

The whole thing about stage dress is connected to performing attitude. Our group gets work not just because we play okay, but also because we show up early, set up quickly, give a full show, and never complain (even when there are problems). Promoters find us one of the easiest groups to work with, and know that they can count on us to put on a good show, whether it is a big gig or a small one. The outfit isn't just to impress the audience, but to show that you are there to do the job that is expected of you.

[krishna]

From the Fests I've been to here in Canada, straw hat suspenders does #nothing but damage to the whole Bluegrass thing.I can't tell you how many fests I've been to were,if you watch the comings and goings at a particular stage(and I often do),you'll see regular people come up, look (but not listen), shake their heads, and walk away. #Image. It's all an image thing. It seems to me that you don't have to go to the opposite extreem either, with a suit and tie,but looking nice sure goes along ways.When I'm at a Bluegrass fest and I see some band doing the hayseed thing,it just plain old fashioned makes me mad.You can be channel surfing with the volume off,come across a band playing and know a lot by just looking at them ,right?I KNOW the hayseed look is one reason people dismiss Bluegrass out of hand. And there are a LOT of people who do.

[krishna]

Case in point.I was at a Bluegrass Fest last year and saw a band dressed like that.But they had a great rep as master pickers,and I had been looking forward all month to their show.So I thought I could overlook the clothes.I did not know what I was in for.They had the whole joke thing going on,and spent a large part of their main stage time (maybe about a third of it) telling rude jokes,making rude jestures at each other,and just generally goofing off. Guess what.They were oblivious to the audience in front of them.They were having so much fun doing their schtick,they did'nt see how pissed off the crowd got.They seemed to have a utter lack of respect for the music,and it came through loud and clear to the people watching.Also,I personaly do NOT want to EVER hear a comedy Bluegrass song.What in the world were they thinking? That sort of thing never belonged in Bluegrass. The thing that made me realy angry though, was that it took so much time away from their playing. They were all, everyone of them ,world class Bluegrass pickers, and ,not ever having seen them before, I did'nt know what to expect. I just wished (and I was'nt alone)that they would just shutup and play. And it was the same all weekend long at their other performances as well.After that band's second performance,a certain # of people just left whenever they took the stage.I love to see a band having fun up on stage.BUT co-ordinated goofing off for a third of your performing time is unacceptable under any circumstances.If I wanted musical comedy,I'd get a Homer and Jethro album.

[jim simpson]

Krishna,
I agree with you. I too find it annoying when bands spend so much time with joke telling that one believes the music must be just a vehicle for their comedy. If you know in advance that a band's focus is comedy then you can decide ahead of time whether or not you want to see them. I think Homer & Jethro is a good example, Dry Branch Fire Squad is a modern example of extended comedy. I try to limit any humor I present while performing to limited moments such as introducing band members, etc. Sometime you just have to say something while the banjo player re-tunes (sorry banjo players) and a short bit of banter would seem appropriate then. I would never consider wearing country cornball getups but I think novelty shirts are fine or just nice clothes. Who can forget John Duffey's K-mart pants? I don't think I ever saw Bill Monroe without at least a tie, usually a suit. I guess it really comes down to what image the bands wants to project.

[BenE]

Who can forget John Duffey's K-mart pants?
Not only his pants that are unforgetable!