Okay maybe I missed this on another thread but I was just kind of curious how y'all back in Texas are doing these days. I know with all the talk of the economy being bad and gas prices being sky high, usually optional things such as entertainment is the first thing people cut in their budgets. So...with that said, any talk among the artists about lower numbers at shows? How about you personally? Have you changed your show habits?

As most of you know, and probably did yourselves, or maybe still do...I used to drive all the hell around Texas. 1 hour trips one way from North Austin to New Braunfels once a week (at least) on a weeknight, sometimes even a 2 hour one way drive up to College Station during the week, then of course the 3.5-4 hour drives up to D/FW on the weekends. Between 2001-2004 Texas regular gas prices were between a 1.25 - 2.00 (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_history.html) and obviously even on a smaller salary I could afford that. Now I know I probably wouldn't be able to afford half the stuff I used to do.

Gas prices and in the past, lack of a sitter, kept me home from shows I really wanted to drive too. This is new territory here for me. I don't have roots here like back home. Gas is just killin me right now.

this time of year last year, my roomie and i where driving all over texas to see EYB. seriously over the summer i put about 8,000 miles on my truck. we've yet to go to a show this summer. only ones ive been to are ones in college station.

We used to go out and see music from 2 to 5 times a week. Sometimes, on the weekend, we would hit a couple different shows in the same day. Now, we are maybe getting out a couple times a month, and then no road trips like we used to do. We were known to drive 300 miles to Amarillo for some music. Our issue is we only have trucks, and they do not get good mileage. Looking into a little car eventually.

So yes, the shows ARE taking hits from lack of attendance. The musicians pay more for fuel. Would like to raise what they charge for shows, but the smaller clubs / bars do not want to pay more, as less folks are coming out, so they are making less. This would be a TOUGH time to be one of those bands getting started, that is for sure.

BTW, we did road trip to see EYB, as hubby had frequent miles for a car, and a room, and all we paid was fuel for the little Ford car we drove. we went over 300 miles, and spent less than the amount it would have been to go 120 miles away to a show.

There's two bands Vinny roadtrips for if they are within a half a tank or so of gas. Other than that, there's always an OKOM band/artist playing 8 miles down the road at the Wormy Dog every weekend. So, basically $2 roundtrip for gas most of the time. And there hasn't been a significant dropoff in attendance there either.

This is something I have been talking about with various people.

With the gas prices going up, the band needs more to cover cost (or keep margin) but the bar has less people coming out so they can't afford what the band needs...a big circle jerk...eventually, something has to give.

I used to drive all over KS for shows when they'd be up there, but I had been cutting back a lot in the last few months b/c of the gas prices. I had pretty much limited myself to the shows in Manhattan obviously so I didn't have to drive. Like Vinny said, there were a couple bands I'd go to KC for, but it still made it hard even for that. Now that Im down here in RR, it isn't as much of a concern, other than the fact that I don't have a job yet

The last two years we would go to 3 shows a week or so. Now I am lucky to go to one a month. Cover Charges are going up, beer price is going up and gas is way up. So we rent movies now or buy PPV movies and cook at home and drink at home. No food or drink mark-up, no $5 popcorn and No DWI.

I've cut back to almost nothing. It's sad really, but once I used to be all about just jumping in the car and driving somewhere and now I find myself skipping shows because they aren't in town.

I've cut back significantly... I'm going to the river ONCE this year. Making a total of 2 road trips. I don't even go down to Big Texas south or up to Big Texas North unless it's someone I REALLY want to see.

And gone are the days of just checking out new people to be out at a bar... it's not worth the $10 it costs me to get into town and back...

I've only to been to 2 or 3 shows this year so far b/c of the fuel costs.

On the musician side, I've scaled my gigs back to basically local-ish. I'll still play out of town, but not as much. To offset the travel/gas expense I no longer get a hotel room. I'll either stay sober and drive home from Houston at 2am or sleep in the SUV if I don't have a friend to crash with.

Luckily my parents have a prius, and they just live down the street from me. So, gas has not hampered me a bit. I got 58.6 mpg on average friday night when I drove from Midlothian to Ennis(about an 80 mile round trip from my house) to see Brandon Rhyder.

I used to hit every show in Htown during the summer but now, I'm lucky to go to one show

Being in NC we don't get the number of shows y'all do. I have only been to 3 shows this past YEAR due to gas prices. As a matter of fact I missed Ragweed on Saturday cause we didn't have the extra money this week to fill up the gas tank . Unforunately I think it is gonna be like this the rest of this year and I fear with attentance down in exotic locations such as NC, the bands will stop coming.

Yeah, I scaled back a lot. It sucks but it's an adjustment that just about everybody out there is making. I cannot wait to get a motorcycle.

Being from Chicago, when there are any OKOM shows, I take the train in.

Mom brought up an interesting point a couple days ago...Do we think we're going to see a (or have we already seen) a decline in the number of shows because of the price of getting everything from one venue to another?

Are ya'll going to Jack Ingram or the Drive by Truckers next weekend in Chi-town?