When I switched to OMB, I took a job at an after hours restaurant. There were two in town, and the one I went to was the newest one, with no business. Within a month, we were kicking the other places ****!. All musicians, bartenders, and more important, owners and managers, plus frequent restaurant and club customers went to this place after the regular clubs/rerstaurants closed. I worked from 1:00 to 4:00 AM 6 nights a week, and from 5-9 PM on week-ends and went to my day job at 7:30 AM. The week-end band, run by an old friend I had worked with before hired me to play 9:00 to 1:00, so weekends, I worked from 5:00 PM to 4:00 AM. That was in the mid 70's, and I haven't had to look for a job in the last 30 years. I have no promo package, photo, demo c/d..nothing, and I work as much as I want to....5 or so jobs a week.

The after hours clubs are gone, but this approach established me with the area decision makers. I now go to lunch and an occasional dinner at the upscale restaurants I work (quit working bars when I quit drinking in the 80's). I never approach owners/managers, but they stop by the table, appreciate my business and call me when they need me. This approach worked GREAT for me...still does, thankfully. Now, I book corporate communications work (video and print production, research, etc.) plus corporate playing jobs at the upscale restaurants,all of which pays much better than restaurant jobs.


Russ