Anyone down for a cannabis-themed band project?

Lee MA

Description

Experienced classic rock and country guitarist and singer here with an idea.... on premise cannabis cafes are coming to Massachusetts, and will someday replace the fading, tired, elderly bar venues of old. Think brew pubs but much bigger, appealing to all adult age groups, popular with tourists, college students, and weekenders. You know -- the same folks lining up at dispensaries all over the state, quitting alcohol for cannabis, and growing their own. What if there was a working cover band that was tailored to those folks and those venues? The trick would be laid back and tight, wide ranging stylistically but with a jam band style and sensibility, covering everything from 60s folk-rock classics to modern material, a mix of electric and acoustic formats and the ability to swing either way, a subtle cannabis theme to the entire set (there are a million songs about weed, the alternative lifestyle, etc) and to the band name and logo etc. Not too showy, and not over-rehearsed. Drawing the crowd into the fun on stage. Also not too loud -- the ability to play fiercely but quietly could be important. These aren't drunks, they're stoners. Think Cowboy Junkies.... It's a growth industry, very much *unlike* the dying business of music bars and nightclubs (does anyone even drink anymore? I don't!). When the pandemic finally wanes, I see the the future of live cover band work here as tied to cannabis cafe and brew pub venues, not dad bands playing the same old 200 classic rock songs in half-empty bars for fellow aging boomers. Ideally male and female lead vocals, very good harmonies, ability to rock out but also lay back and keep it mellow. I'm a very experienced musician in my 50s, with a long history of working in bands (currently fronting a working acoustic classic rock project in NYC area, but live in Western Mass most of the time), a strong lead vocalist who can carry the entire set or happily share the front role, and a very good electric lead guitarist and acoustic guitarist alike, who knows how to put on a good show. I own high quality PA, double on lots of instruments, and have high musical standards. I could provide rehearsal space as well, in far western Mass. This is a very specific idea, and I'm seeking like minded fellow musicians. Chances are good you are into cannabis yourself, but it isn't necessary. An existing band that wanted to go in this direction would be cool too, but I'm down for starting something fresh. Be a good player with some level of professional experience please, although I'd be open to working with really good musicians who didn't have that experience (esp a female singer, which I think is really crucial for the project) as long as they understood this was intended to be a serious professional project and were up to taking it seriously. Need drums, and bass, of course, plus fiddle and/or second guitar and/or keyboards could all work. I double on mandolin, harmonica, some keyboards too. Naming the band will be half the fun. Getting it tight (while sounding loose) will be hard work. The market I'm talking about doesn't quite exist yet. But it will soon. Let me know if this resonates for you. Just seeing who is out there and gets this vision. We could be up and running by late spring, hoping the pandemic recedes.