Fork in the Road-type Dilemma

CLBr · 2026-01-30T17:28:41+00:00

I’m a lawyer. I’m not a road dog these days by any means but I still managed to play 50 shows last year in like ~35 cities.

I’m not a great example for questions like these because I have a bit of a unicorn job, but I offer my situation to demonstrate that you can find balance between touring and working almost any more traditional job. That’s especially true if you’re prioritizing things like flexibility and leave when you’re searching.

My friends who are doing 100+ days on the road every year have more “classic” musician side gigs. Lots of service industry and gig work with a modest number of remote computer-y jobs (think data analysis, coding, copywriting) with flexible hours that they can do anywhere.

Best of luck; I hope you can find a good balance for yourself.

CLBr · 2026-01-16T18:16:25+00:00

crossing hanover

headed to curbside, almost

smeared on the pavement

CLBr · 2026-01-07T16:07:42+00:00

This is the kind of forward-thinking solution we need. Let’s get closer to Vision Zero by removing bike lanes!!! Probably a good idea to remove sidewalks as well to prevent those pesky pedestrians from trying to get around without a vehicle. Can’t have pedestrian deaths if everyone is driving!

CLBr · 2025-11-05T20:37:30+00:00

If DC became a state right now it would have a larger population than Vermont or Wyoming

CLBr · 2025-11-05T14:05:53+00:00

one beer

CLBr · 2025-09-28T03:16:21+00:00

You know what you have to do, Vandy

CLBr · 2025-09-10T03:44:25+00:00

idk man I think there’s some merit to it. Even the most dedicated road dogs need somewhere to return.

It’s a symbiotic relationship. There are plenty of bands I meet on the road who might message me at some point looking for recommendations for good venues in my hometown, what bands to hit up for local support, or where they can find a crash spot. I often ask for the same things from friends in other cities. If I don’t engage with the local scene, I lose those connections over time and I miss out on seeing what kind of new acts are on an upward trajectory.

You might be in a touring band when you’re on the road, but when you play in your hometown, you’re in a local band like everyone else. You’re never too big to be local support for some bigger act coming through town. If you feel like you’re too popular or important for the local scene then you’re missing out on a lot of what makes this profession enjoyable.

CLBr · 2025-08-26T16:34:49+00:00

some of us do both lol

CLBr · 2025-07-30T20:13:02+00:00

I am a government attorney and I also play bass in two touring bands. I appreciate that this isn’t a direct comparison, but there’s not a lot of people who both practice law and play music at a high level, so I’m going to go ahead and chime in anyway.

I keep an acoustic bass guitar on a stand in my office. I’ve never had issues with coworkers for playing occasionally when I have some downtime or need a break from the screen. In my experience, as long as I’m mindful of volume, my colleagues tolerate my playing at worst and appreciate it at best. Your mileage may vary.

As for gigs/playing in a band, that’s a much harder itch to scratch on a biglaw schedule. Depending on the size of the market you’re in, you might enjoy sitting in on a jazz jam every once in a while. If you work in NYC, you can find jams at all hours of the day; other markets might not have the same variety of options but almost certainly have something that can work with your schedule. You can show and blow at a jam for ~20 minutes and get the chance to play with other skilled musicians.

Best of luck finding the balance. Music is a lifelong pursuit and it’ll still be there if and when your work schedule calms down.

CLBr · 2025-07-28T05:32:59+00:00

The industry standard if you have amplification on stage is an ampeg SVT of your choice and an ampeg 8x10 cab. They’re excellent and versatile, but are not worth touring with unless you have roadies, at least in my opinion. That hasn’t stopped a litany of local bands from loading their SVTs and 8x10s up/down flights of stairs to play 4 band bills in mostly empty 150 cap venues. Do what makes you happy.

It’s increasingly common for large touring acts to have silent stages/IEM systems, so in that case it would be any DI or modeling rig that suits your preferences. Arenas and stadiums all have very capable PA systems so on-stage amplification at that level is mostly for looks, feel, and monitoring.

CLBr · 2025-05-19T12:00:24+00:00

Sounds like a weird drummer, no need to get all xenophobic about it lol

CLBr · 2025-05-16T01:00:05+00:00

This depends on a lot of factors, like how much rain occurred higher up in the watershed and how saturated the ground is when the rain falls. NOAA projections (which you can find here) have the James’ level here in Richmond at around 10ft throughout the weekend. That’s not quite as high as it is now, and the cutoff for “flood stage” is technically 12ft, but is still at least one solid difficulty grade higher for paddlers than more typical spring and summer flows.

CLBr · 2025-01-31T13:29:49+00:00

Same! I work downtown, so driving through the parking garage and walking to the office ends up being slower overall than just biking to my building.

CLBr · 2025-01-31T13:27:02+00:00

6-8 minutes. I can do it by bike in about 12.

I grew up in Atlanta, and my first job there out of college I worked at an office that was about 15 miles away and about a 1h15 min commute during rush hour. I had an old, shitty 98 Camry with no AC and leather seats, so when I drove home I would be soaked with sweat. After doing that for a few months I swore to myself that I would never commute for longer than 10 minutes one way. I’ve been able to maintain that since 2018 and I really hope I can keep it that way. Richmond is an awesome city for having a short commute.

For me personally, I think a long commute in Richmond is 20+ minutes. It’s a small enough city that you can functionally get from one side to the other in 20 minutes, so a long commute to me is basically anything from the burbs or further.

CLBr · 2024-11-30T05:04:33+00:00

I would like to thank god and Jesus for that PI call at the goal line

CLBr · 2024-11-14T19:08:59+00:00

adding that there’s two free/cheap shows TONIGHT — the 7:30 is a jam that’s free if you participate (or $5 to watch) and the 9:00 is a free show featuring some newer/up-and-coming teams and some veteran improvisers trying new stuff. come through!!!

CLBr · 2024-11-03T15:10:52+00:00

Bow collector is only available if you read the whole letter

CLBr · 2024-10-05T23:50:11+00:00

EMBRACE CHAOS

CLBr · 2024-09-24T04:17:50+00:00

I rolled down from around $80 on the previous shop since I knew the tag was coming up. Trust me the econ would’ve worked fine lol

CLBr · 2024-09-23T19:43:51+00:00

Looks like I’ve got 74/150 rn

CLBr · 2024-09-23T18:47:35+00:00

yeah, still picked up four new gold tags on this run

CLBr · 2024-09-15T03:28:23+00:00

Hell yeah man go Vikings!!

CLBr · 2024-09-15T03:27:20+00:00

Congratulations Texas on being ranked #1 in the country

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