Podcast #6 – Life as a professional touring musician in the USA

“Big” Jim Brown will talk about what it’s like to be in a professional touring musician in the USA. 10+ years on the road.

The Polarizer Podcast episode 6

About this episode
“Big” Jim Brown is on the podcast today. He’s been a professional touring musician for over ten years, and his job is being a guitar player and singer in the band Big Jim Brown and the Speed Kings. You can find him play music at Seville Quarter downtown Pensacola, FL. He also runs a music school: The Gulf Coast School of Music.

Hailing from New Orleans, LA and later Pensacola, FL, he’s played shows in every state in the USA except for Alaska. We talk about life on the road, band vehicles, money, and adventures. At one point we get a little bit philosophical about the Internet, phones, and the state of the music industry today.

It was a very laid-back, fun conversation, recorded on the porch on a nice sunny evening on the Florida Gulf Coast. It felt great being back there and hanging out with a good old friend. I’m sure you can tell from the general vibe of the recording.

Till we see again, Jim!

The show

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Contents
00:02:30 – Food in the States
00:07:00 – The beginning of the band
00:19:50 – Stories from the road
00:24:45 – Finding gigs & winning over an audience
00:26:45 – Glued to the screen
00:37:00 – Based Generation Z
00:40:45 – Putting it into numbers & different ways of success
00:44:45 – Making money off your music in this Internet era
00:46:40 – Drive & reflection
00:51:25 – The vehicles for the band
01:00:47 – Road warriors (Drive By Truckers mention)
01:04:42 – Stories from the road
01:10:35 – Talk radio & podcasts
01:17:24 – Shows in 49 states
01:20:40 – Political correctness
01:24:00 – “Marry a nurse.”
01:30:55 – Advice to young musicians
01:37:08 – Song: “Big Jim Brown – Golden Sun”