Back in the mid 80s I began getting real selective about the type of bars and clubs I played. If the place was loaded with TVs and pool tables I just wouldn't perform there. Too many drunks, too many fights, and the cigarette smoke was like pea soup fog.

I played every Friday night at the American Legion in Havre de Grace, MD for 7 years. They had smoke eaters in three rooms, two in the bar area where I performed, and a single TV over the bar that was turned off when the music began. The last year I was there was when the new club manager decided to put in a big-screen TV at both ends of the bar and keep them on all the time I played. The sound was muted, but they were distracting when a ballgame or other sporting event was on. Two weeks later I decided that it was time to more on.

As Dave said, there are so many jobs in the Mid-Atlantic region that you can pick and choose the ones you want and leave the others for the kids.

Cheers,

Gary