Last year we took most any gig we could. It was our first year, the thrill was there, we needed the practice and experience, so it made sense.

2 of us have kids, a third a husband and farm, and all but one of us had a full time job (there was 7 in our band at the time). We need to make sure that it's worth our time to do it. Not just money, but exposure and opportunity too (free beer caries a bit of weight as well).

Our band is now 4. 2 of the fellers split off because they wanted to do music full time. We're still quite close and gig with them often, but 3 of us just had no interest in the grind to "make it". We already made it as far as I was concerned. These guys now gig like maniacs, almost every night. The rest of us take maybe a gig a week, sometimes 2 as long as the price is right.

We try not to play for less than $300, but that changes with opportunity. We took a gig with no guarantee a few weeks ago because it was the new "hot joint" in Wilmington. Turned out that we were on the bill with 4 hard core rock bands. In situations like that, we just turn it into a fun night out. We killed, but the only people there were the other bands and their girlfriends. I don't like vanity gigs.

I feel real good where we are right now. Our name is around town, 3 towns in fact, and the offers come to us. We take them or leave them depending on the compensation, fun factor, exposure etc, on a case to case basis. We don't sweat it. We know we can have just as much fun in the rehearsal room anyhow.