(cough)… Played the Philadelphia Union League ‘cigar gala’ last night. It was like playing in the midst of a forest fire (cough, cough). 150 guests, cocktails with cigars, then 4 courses, each course with a special cigar to go along with it, and I mean whilst eating (cough). I love a good cigar and its aroma, but ‘twix 500 and 600 lit and smoked in a three and a half hour period … (cough). Super nice people and the room was ventilated somewhat (cough). Yeah, I'd do it again ... I started in the 50's when playing in a smoke filled room was the norm.
Ciao,
Jerry (cough)

Hi Jerry. Thanks for sharing your gig experience. That's one gig (cough cough)I definitely would have had to pass on (cough cough, cough cough).
I find cigarette smoke annoying enough, but cigar smoke (especially the stale variety) would be intolerable for me to put up with.
I suppose a quick shower plus throwing all your gig attire into the wash (or sending it (tux?) off to the dry cleaners) will remove it from your hair and clothes ,
but how long does stale cigar smoke take to finally dissipate from your music equipment? Pee yew!
I guess one would have had to live thru the 50's & 60's to become accustomed(?) to that. Lucky for me, I started out gigging here in California, when smoking was first banned in public places.

Cigarette smoke is particularly hard on the (formerly) white binding on guitars. It turns an easily recognizable yellow after a few months. It's easy to tell instruments that have been played in smoke filled bar rooms.


Of course that's half (or more) of my equipment. Frankly I don't know how we survived.

An EX partner of mine-Preston Weber, had 1/2 his tongue cut out due to cancer, even though he never smoked.

Ruined his career and his life.


I smoked a pipe for 30 years, but quit 10 years ago after an oral cancer scare.


NASTY!


Russ

Wow....that would've been rough for me, lol...

Hey JerryT,

You should of received Hazard pay for that gig.

Just curious, what kind of songs did you play for that type of gig? I see you started in the 50's, but where did you end up and what did you play along the way?

Thanks

Smoke gets in your Eyes?

Smoke On The Water

Good Ones Donny, Btweeen, Scott!!

Do I know how to setup them up or what?

Cigars - yuk.

Merle Haggard: "This ol smoke-filled bar is something' I ain't used to . . ."

No more for me. I played at a covered patio last night where smoking is allowed. There was maybe one person who smoked all night, and I could smell it clear across the patio.
Most of us are lucky we still have lungs after all those years of playing in that stuff.
DonM

We used to think it was normal doing smoky bars...and there always the romantic illusion and mystery of the smoky after hours nightclub.

I've played some pretty rough and seedy and smoky places in my musical journey.

One night, while loading in my keyboard, the doorman at a particularly rough joint, stopped me at the door and asked if I was carrying a weapon.

I said I wasn't.

He reached in his pocket, handed me a switchblade, and said, "This will have to do till you get something better."

Man, I don't miss those old days...especially the smoke.

Ian

That's a great tune by Brad Paisley ... one I hadn't heard before ... ... thnx Donny ...

I had smoked cigarettes from the time I was 15 until I was 30 - gave them up in 1971 ... cigarette smoke - especially certain brands - bothers me, but a number of years ago I started smoking cigars - pretty much only on the golf course or when I am mowing the lawn ...
Coincidently, the cigar shop I purchase from had a 'cigar night' last night ... could have cut the smoke with that switchblade ... when I got home, the clothes came off in the garage, and I headed straight to the shower ...

BTW ... even when I smoked cigs, I never understood smoking while eating ?!? ...

why? I see people drink hard liquor when they eat YUK! I don't drink or smoke.

Personally, I think there is a BIG difference between smoking or drinking while eating ...

And Donny, not even a little glass of Chianti with a nice dish of pasta ??? ...

T, I said hard liquor................. nothing like some Foie Gras and down it with some JW Black straight up...