Live Music As Background Noise.

[Silence Dogood]

One of my sons works in a fancy restaurant in a hipster part of town.  Last night the wife and I were out and about and decided to drop into his place for a drink. 

There was a dude set up in the corner with a fancy hollowbody guitar, nice tube amp, and all sorts of audio equipment to play tracks while he jazzed it up live on his guitar. 

He played very well, and all tasty arrangements of various Xmas songs.  I think I was the only person in the room even remotely paying attention to him.  His tip bucket had the same lonely $20 bill in it when I was leaving as it had when I arrived.  I made a modest donation, mainly because I felt sorry for the guy.  I thought of all the work he must've put into his craft, only to become background noise.  Just seems like kind of a waste!

[William2]

Some of the people I know that play for a living view venues as paid practice. When I occasionally filled in for them, I used this attitude also. It's great for calming the nerves LOL. Years ago, when my wife and I lived in Milwaukee, we would go and listen to a couple of guitarists who were established in the Milwaukee area. I never saw a tip hat where they played. I think because of who they were; they probably had a financial agreement with the venue. These were restaurant settings, and while only a few were intently listening, I think the people generally liked having live music. I was always amazed at these jazz players. Whenever they got a request, they always knew the tune and were able to put a version of it together.

[Queequeg]

Think of it this way, maybe-
Now if you're going to a concert, we're there to hear, but more importantly to listen to the music.
But going to a restaurant is a different thing altogether.
Maybe we go for a drink or the food, or more often to meet friends or family or maybe a date. It's a social engagement.
If the music is so loud we cannot carry on a conversation it will undermine most of the motivation for going there in the first place.
Live music will add some atmosphere (or "ambiance", if it's in a high-end neighborhood.) 
Tipping is something of a hot topic these days; isn't it?
Who gets tips and how much? Wait staff used to get the standard 15% ordinarily. That went up to 20% or more in recent years. Some restaurants share gratuities with the kitchen staff, others don't.
Bartenders get tipped. Even baristas who pour your coffee get tippled.
Get your hair cut? Gotta tip him/her.

Should we tip the musician(s)?
I think so. Something. Anything. A couple of singles or perhaps a fin if you really enjoyed it. But that doesn't always seem to be the order of the day in many places.

I had a conversation with a friend a few years back. We had been invited to play at a charity event for a hospital. A pretty fancy affair. Well-heeled donors were the patrons.
They hired a bar staff to mix and serve drinks. And it was catered of course, so all the good-looking young women walking around handing out hors d'oeuvres were being paid and the dinner staff got paid.
But... you know it's a charity event to raise money for the children's clinic. Kids with cancer and other heartbreaking medical conditions. So they expected us to donate our time and talents and play for free. The only ones who didn't warrant being compensated for our efforts.
Why would they single us out?  Obviously they believe there's some kind of value or they wouldn't have wanted music there.

[Queequeg]

Some of the people I know that play for a living view venues as paid practice. When I occasionally filled in for them, I used this attitude also. It's great for calming the nerves LOL. Years ago, when my wife and I lived in Milwaukee, we would go and listen to a couple of guitarists who were established in the Milwaukee area. I never saw a tip hat where they played. I think because of who they were; they probably had a financial agreement with the venue. These were restaurant settings, and while only a few were intently listening, I think the people generally liked having live music. I was always amazed at these jazz players. Whenever they got a request, they always knew the tune and were able to put a version of it together.

Something that lots of restaurant musicians employ is to prominently display their tip jar (sometimes a glass jar with those little LED twinkle lights), and salt it with a few bucks and then the musician will remind the guests to "remember to tip your waitress/waiter".
Although the 20 dollar bill where Silence Dogood visited might have had unintended consequences.
It raises the subject of gratuities to their conscious minds, anyway. Face it- there's only so much we can do. The public can't be expected to know (or care) exactly what the arrangement with the house is. Are we getting the door or a percent of the door? Are we getting paid at all? Just playing for tips?

[B0WIE]

I agree with Queequeg here. Whenever I've seen musicians doing live music at restaurants, as background music, I've appreciated them without necessarily watching them or tipping. They are usually in a location where watching or tipping wouldn't even occur to me because I can't even see them well from my table. I still appreciated them though.

 Every time, my wife says something like, "You're so much better, why aren't you doing that" but I don't think she realizes it's not really a gig you do for pay. It's partially for exposure and mostly for the love of performing. I did it a couple times in mall settings and the reactions were really strong. Kept my ego fed for years. But, I never expected to get paid for that.

[Silence Dogood]

I had a feeling the fellow might've put that $20 bill in himself to get things started, show folks what the bucket was for, etc.

I don't mind tipping people who work hard.  I'm a blue-collar working stiff myself (have been my whole life) and tipping usually ends up making me feel like I'm part of what's right with the world.  Tipping can go overboard and get out of control, but it somehow does my heart good to help people who are working hard.  My son going into the service industry also opened my eyes to just what those folks do and go through.

There is a Mexican restaurant (a few of them actually) around here where these guys with nylon-string guitars go around and serenade folk as they dine.  These guys are fantastic musicians and can play anything. It's always fun to hear them do The Beatles in Spanish.  I think they do pretty well playing for tips. 

There is a fancy place over in Dallas where I've taken my wife.  They have a violinist walking around the place. I saw that guy getting $20 bills all night long.  Must be a good gig!

[Queequeg]

I have never played on the street corner before but I  usually tip buskers on the street, unless the guitar is nothing more than a cheap prop and they're just faking it. As long as they make an honest attempt to be competent, I'll put a dollar or two in their case.

Admittedly this is a whole different kind of a thing and it's a fine line between busking and panhandling. Generally, I won't reward panhandlers.

[William2]

I have never played on the street corner before but I  usually tip buskers on the street, unless the guitar is nothing more than a cheap prop and they're just faking it. As long as they make an honest attempt to be competent, I'll put a dollar or two in their case.

Admittedly this is a whole different kind of a thing and it's a fine line between busking and panhandling. Generally, I won't reward panhandlers.

Your comment reminded me of this video LOL!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZwt845UyM4

[teh]

If I can afford to buy a concert ticket or a meal at a restaurant, I figure I can afford to leave a tip. When I go to a concert or venue where the musician is selling merchandise or music after the show, I always buy something to support their efforts. If I see someone busking on the street or performing music at a restaurant who is really good, I will tip them too, unless they are playin an accordion. Then all bets are off.

With regard to restaurants and carryout, would consider myself a generous tipper if I receive great service from the wait staff and depending on their workload. I always pay the wait staff in cash since they have to wait until the credit card is paid to receive their tip.

As an example, yesterday my bill was $52 and our waitress was running full tilt covering her tables. Rounded up, at 20% her tip would have been $11 and I gave her $15 cash. She earned it and it is the holiday season. The exception is on the rare occasion when I go to a buffet, I only tip 10% since I'm serving myself. In my opinion, for every person who tips at the standard 15 to 20% rate or higher for a sit down meal, there are probably three patrons who leave less than the standard tip. That's how I do it.

[B0WIE]

Where I live (Phoenix/Scottsdale) many restaurants have noted on the menu that you will be charged a 15% "tip", or they will round your tip up to 15%, if that minimum tip is not provided. I know that goes against the concept of tipping but it's just the way server wages work now.

Regarding the $20 in the performer's bucket, yes, he definitely put that there. The trick is to put a $10 or $20 so people will be more inclined to put something decent in there and not a couple ones.

[unclrob]

In both the duo's I have played we seem to have no rhime or reason for having entertainment.As for tips our speil has always been "as we also like to eat a little something always helps".Also for a single $500 we'll stop playing and go home



keep smilin and keep dancin   

[ducktrapper]

I busked with a partner in Montreal in the 70's and made good money. Too stupid to wait an hour and repeat but that's another story. A prominent tip jar is a good idea. No venue wants to pay what the performance and all that goes into it is worth. Sunday, I played with some friends (whose guitarist couldn't make it) in a (heated) tent in 25 degree weather (5 for our Canadian friends). Drove 75 miles, round trip, and made $100.00. No tip jar. It was cool. Pun intended but not sure it was worth it. More of an investment on my behalf for future considerations. Plus I discovered that my little Larrivee LT-1 is a wonderful guitar and pretty much all I need to play out. 

[musicrowscott]

Just 2 weeks ago I played a holiday craft fair with my band fully knowing we were merely background music...BUT we were performing the next day on the NBC affiliate morning show and given the crowd turnaround, it allowed us to rehearse the song several times in the 2 hour span without anyone noticing. So it was basically a paid practice and we all got gas money. That said, several folks pulled up chairs and hung out for the lion's share of the gig...they didn't seem to mind the song we repeated every 3-4 songs, ha!

In general I avoid these types of shows since I am mostly originals, but we had fun busting out Christmas tunes. And yes, I always tip they guy in the corner playing "Margaritaville" in the corner of the restaurant...that is tough work!

Cheers, SS

[ducktrapper]

Just 2 weeks ago I played a holiday craft fair with my band fully knowing we were merely background music...BUT we were performing the next day on the NBC affiliate morning show and given the crowd turnaround, it allowed us to rehearse the song several times in the 2 hour span without anyone noticing. So it was basically a paid practice and we all got gas money. That said, several folks pulled up chairs and hung out for the lion's share of the gig...they didn't seem to mind the song we repeated every 3-4 songs, ha!

In general I avoid these types of shows since I am mostly originals, but we had fun busting out Christmas tunes. And yes, I always tip they guy in the corner playing "Margaritaville" in the corner of the restaurant...that is tough work!

Cheers, SS

I don't know about you but I suspect that, like me, you can be (almost) obnoxiuosly loud should you choose to be so. I've never been hard to hear.