Dress Like Django

fauves01

Dressing like a grownup and respecting your audience is something you never need to worry about. It’s not like you’re going out in spandex! I’ve played a lot in rockabilly and Western swing bands and when you look at bluegrass or jazz bands it always sounds better when the band isn’t in cargo shorts and a t shirt. Not cosplay but an effort made.

Dress up and take pics so your grandkids years from now know you were a gentleman and that’s it’s ok to be seen in public in something other than sweat pants.

the audience listens with their eyes.

cheers

Jim Kaznosky

Dress how you want but how the gig dictates. I agree with @bbwood_98 with the sentiment that we should be looking good when we are on a gig. We had a clause in our contracts that we agreed to look a certain way for gigs outside of the restaurant where we gigged for 15 years. Even then, we dressed the part in the resto because (a) the owner wanted a vibe and (b) the bandleader used it as a calling card to get the money gigs.

Funny related story...we did a wedding gig in Cape Cod...four sets and a lot of dance tempos in the swing style. The food was good, but minimal because we worked a lot that day in multiple locations. We hit a local pub after and ordered a bunch of food in our gig clothes. One guy says (as we walk in) "looks like the band is here." It's funny for obvious reasons but strengthens that point of looking like a pro and not like a slob. How you interpret that is up to you, as long as you don't wear a white wedding dress on those gigs.

Brief aside, always tell the bride she looks stunning and always congratulate the parents of the bride and groom. One of those groups is paying for you.