Down here in the snowy south we have a deal going on all summer long called First Friday. It takes place in Havre de Grace, Maryland, primarily along two streets of town where the majority of the retail business' and restaurants are located. The establishments hire bands, including OMB performers, to perform for 4 hours from 4 till 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each of the warmer months. I've done about a half-dozen of them, the jobs were a lot of fun, got to see and meet lots of people, the exposure is incredible and lots of jobs are booked by the bands worth having. In addition to being paid by the business you were performing in front of, there were always people wanting to purchase CDs, plenty of $ in the tip jars, and pretty much no chance of being mugged or having your tips stolen. It's a relatively small town, and lots of cops on duty every weekend. Some of the other waterfront towns started getting into the act with similar, summer events, all of which are well attended. The payscale is about the same as local nite-clubs, usually $150 to $200 for 4 hours.

Cheers,

Gary