Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?

Subject: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: GUEST,Knappo
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 01:09 PM

So, a person comes up to me after a gig and said "You guys should play at campgrounds". (!?) I am a tent camper and have never heard of entertainment in camp, but she meant RV parks (recreational vehicles). Has anyone ever played at a gig like this? She said they'd love us and would *gasp* actually pay us. Sounds kind of interesting to me. Thanks for any experiences anyone might like to share. Knappo

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: wilco
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 01:33 PM

I've noticed more and more of this, I don't know that playing in RV parks is new, or I just haven't noticed it. Many of these "parks" have many, many amenities for the RV crowd, and this is just one more. I haven't really thought much about it, but it might be a cheap way to see the country, hooking-up with a big chain like KOA, and going from one KOA RV campground to another KOA campground all across the country. Here in SE Tennessee, it adds "local flavor" to the "R-V experience," with bluegrass, old-time country, etc. It's a hoot to me when people take pictures of us, thinking they have run into real hillbillies!!!

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: kendall
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 01:39 PM

I've done this many times at the Spirit of the Suwannee in Live Oak Florida. I'm not at liberty to tell what kind of deal I have, but, I'm going again this winter.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 03:56 PM

We haven't, but there is a campground here that features LOTS of entertaiment, and we are going to try for it for next summer. We did play one night for free several years ago at a state park campground near here-- it was a gospel sing. I can also tell you that whenever we have camped in our pop-up and taken along instruments, a crowd has gathered to listen, and kids have wanted to try out the instruments. For all of these, I could and should have set out a tip jar. I think we blew an opportunity, though we did have a good time. Now we are working up a set of can't-miss tunes and singalong songs. Parents today remember lots of Clementine-type stuff and the kids nowadays are not getting much of that in school. We did a few tunes like that the other night in a local restaurant just to have a place to jam a bit, and we got two gigs out of it from people who were there. And it was all old stuff the adults knew and the kids liked but had never heard.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: GUEST,KentuckyPat
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 06:16 PM

Our mountain dulcimer club has played at two state parks and a couple of deluxe RV campgrounds in Kentucky. Pay is pretty low ($75-100 honorarium plus 2-4 campsite fees) but the food is great, the audience is appreciative, and it's fun to do. We alway include old favorites like Down in the Valley (said to have originated in Kentucky) and the Stephen Foster songs that are so popular here.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: X
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 08:27 PM

We played one summer at a place in California called Butterfield Stage Co. RV Park. We played from sunset into the night, in the outdoors. It got cold! Find out if your playing indoors or out, night or day and prepare.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 11:24 PM

Sound systems? They have 'em? Good mics? How much logistical insanity was involved? Do they hire local folks or audition via CD for bigger names from outta town?

Spill it! Please.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Deckman
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 11:48 PM

About a hundred years ago, or maybe it was only fifty, I did one of my favorite gigs. They offered me a $100 (remember, this was 100 years ago) if I would meet a group of horse riders as they rode into camp after an all day ride, over the pass. I said something like, 'Lady for a $100 bucks, I'll ride with them!. Well, I ended up driving an hour into the mountains, found their camp and campfire and had one of the best nights of singing I've ever been payed for. They were all older folks, knew and loved the songs I knew and loved, and we had a blast! I ended up passing the guitar around the campfire. I organised a 'sing thing' of some of the teenagers that were around. I still remember, most fondly, the warm spirits and feelings that were there that night. It's times like those that serve to make us stay humble. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: C-flat
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 11:14 AM

I once got asked to play at a large caravan park near Thirsk in the U.K. Had a great night, everyone's relaxed and in the holiday mood. There was a broad cross section of people and musical tastes to accomodate but at least I didn't get asked if I could play "Bohemian Rhapsody" on my 6-string!
And yes, make sure you're indoors first.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 12:11 PM

A friend of mine has a nightly spring/summer/fall gig at the KOA campground in his hometown (Great Falls, Montana), with a new audience every night.

He lives "lightly" - the only 50-year-old paperboy I ever knew - and says this gig is a fairly significant part of his income. He plays banjo, fiddle, guitar and sings - old-timey, bluegrass, and a little country. The toursists love it.

I've never seen his set-up, but get the impression it's some sort of make-shift outdoor stage. After all, this is "camping" we're talking about.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 12:15 PM

When my parents did the tow-the-trailer-to-Florida-for-the-winter thing, they got together with a square dance club made up exclusively of RVers and trailer-ers. There's more than one such club... and I'm sure they'd appreciate some live music to dance to! Contact: National Square Dance Campers Association INC., 612 Meadow Lane, PO Box 681, Beecher, Illinois 60401-0681 Phone: [phone]

There are square dance campgrounds as well; check 'em out and see if they'll book a square-dance-music band! Here's one to start: http://missoula.bigsky.net/sqrdance/

Find more on Google.com; I used the keywords "square dance RV club".

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 05:10 PM

Guest Les B - I played with your friend in Great Falls this Summer. He and a lady fiddler. Didn't get any names but they both played several instruments. He was a tall guy - they had a box with "20,000 songs in here" that they would reference if someone requested a number they did not know.

I kept asking for various tunes and got talked into sitting in with them for a couple of songs.

Steve

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 08:30 PM

Oh, this is so wierd. Really. Ya' see, about 3 months ago a found and purchased a 1953 Spartanette 30' trailer, which I plan to pull with my 1963 GMC car carrier with my old Karmann Ghia on the car carrier. Well, when its finished, my wife, the P-Vine, are gonna spend 3 months in the winter on the road going south and three in the summer going north.

Well, I was also thinkin' of gettin' back into giggin' a little so this is *real* interstin. Real interstin'. Think I'll keep an eye out on this thread.

Bobert

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 08:49 PM

in uk rv parks are known as caravan sites/parks. i've plyed music at heaps of camp sites & also mixed caravan & tent sites. just for pleasure not for gain other than the craic. you have to watch out this time of year as the humidity is on the increse in the evening and heavy dews can make your instruments out of tune

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Wotcha
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 08:57 PM

My ex-inlaws play in Yuma, AZ where they repair from the cold of PA for winter ... no danger of humidity at their RV park ... accordian features in their repetoire ...
Cheers,
Brian

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 10:21 PM

Norton 1 - amazing! This guy isn't so tall, so it may have been a substitute. His other claim to fame(besides being a pretty good musician) is that he looks alot like Dave Letterman, and has appeared on the Letterman show a couple of times playing fiddle. Probably the lady fiddler was his ex-wife who still plays music with him. And he does know a big batch of songs.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: leprechaun
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 02:58 AM

I once sang Woodie Guthrie songs at a meth lab. Kind of an impromtu thing.

Subject: RE: Help: Anyone Played at an RV Park?
From: Mooh
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 08:53 AM

Have played at an Ontario Provincial Park a number of times. Many of these parks are under private management even though they're still owned by the province. This particular one has an old barn with a stage for public gatherings. It was lights out at 11:00pm, so we'd finish our last set at 10ish. A rustic atmosphere for sure, with log benches, raccoons in the rafters, and lousy power service, but I really enjoyed the mood, and the crowds, though small, were very appreciative.

Years ago I used to play regularly at campfire gatherings which grew to the point of hired bands and very annoyed neighbours. It took all the fun out of the thing.

On this year's camping trip we encountered several "no music" campgrounds. One saw the guitar and mandolin cases in the back of my van before we registered and wouldn't let us stay even for one night, even if I only played in the vehicle! Needless to say we found a friendlier site elsewhere.

Camping and music go together.

Peace, Mooh.