This is "The Wiz"
I am a professional pedal steel guitarist, known as "Wiz," currently operating out of Mid-Michigan. I've been playing steel guitar professionally since 1974, with various bands across the USA and Canada. This is my current gig schedule. Y'all come and see me sometime!
| Mondays - Thursdays | I am available for gigs or recording sessions, from Monday through Thursday, any time. I am currently only booked on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. |
| October 2008 Ace High Band |
#629 Eagles Club, in Flint, Michigan, on Dort Hwy, 2 blocks north of Davison Road. Saturdays from 8 - 12:30 and Sundays from 6 - 10:30. |
| October 17, 24, 31 2008 |
The Stroll Inn, in Flint, Michigan, on Branch Road at Western Road (across from Kearsley Dam), 1/3 mile north of Richfield Road. Fridays only, with The Dam Band, from 9:30 PM until 1:30 AM. Very inexpensive drinks! Food until midnight! |
| November 2008 Ace High Band |
#629 Eagles Club, in Flint, Michigan, on Dort Hwy, 2 blocks north of Davison Road. Saturdays from 8 - 12:30 and Sundays from 6 - 10:30. |
| November 7, 14, 21 & 28 2008 |
The Stroll Inn, in Flint, Michigan, on Branch Road at Western Road (across from Kearsley Dam), 1/3 mile north of Richfield Road. Fridays only, with The Dam Band, from 9:30 PM until 1:30 AM. Very inexpensive drinks! Food until midnight! |
My gig schedule used to be booked by the year, for 3 nights a week, in the same club. Now, it is down to only 2 nights per week and booked month to month, with an occasional 3rd night freelancing with other bands, in other clubs. Multiple night paying gigs for local musicians are getting much harder to find in one location. This is even happening in cities that have a long history of supporting live bands, like Flint, Michigan, where I used to play 6 nights a week.
More and more clubs are replacing bands with Karaoke hosts, to make more money. Others are hiring "single acts" who sing to their own tracks, or DJs who play CD tracks. I see people go to these places and drink and dance to Karaoke singers from the audience, or DJs with CD players, but when I look into the audience at my own gig - I see way too many empty chairs and tables.
Much of the reason for this displacing of live bands is the ever-growing decline in the number of paying customers, who no longer come out to listen to and dance to live bands. For some reason the Karaoke crowds still pack the clubs with Karaoke hosts, where they and drink and dance, so one can't put all the blame on drinking and driving laws. It is the public's lack of support for their local musicians that is putting us out of work and killing off a job description that has persisted for centuries, until now.
Unless the public finds pleasure in listening and dancing to live bands again, and real soon, we will go the way of the dinosaurs and the former auto workers. This is the last Cowboy Song; the end of a hundred year waltz. (Ed Bruce)
More to come, as my bookings are confirmed (I hope!). 
If you are a band leader, or know one, who is looking for a top-notch steel guitarist, please let them know about me! My contact page is here. I am willing to relocate for steady work!