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I started a NEW Thursday gig a few months back and it has been going extremely well. It seems SINGERS and MANAGEMENT all are happy with the show and the pay is average for a THUR night. The dilema is the BAR closes for the Winter months
Mid November- Mid March. I was told I would be back in March as THURS are one of their best nights
I really like working there..but also need the money for the Winter !

I guess I'll look for another gig and if I'm lucky I'll have a decision to make in March between 2 gigs ? Is that wrong ? I can't tell any new show that I might leave in March ?

I would keep your mouth shut, go find another gig with the idea (only to you) that it's just for winter. Then corss whatever bridges you come to later. But either way give people sufficient notice

Jam I think you know the answer to this but I'm waking up over morning coffee so here goes...

Your current room is laying you off for four months! Don't put any preconditions on a new room. If your new room is a success call the old one up in mid-February and tell them you have found another job and are unavailable.

I guess you're right....I just have to find another GIG ...Thats the hard part !

I went thru the same thing. Make sure you all your singers phone # to let them know where the new gig is....

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If you have a good Thursday group they are probably not going to want to stop. So if it were me I'd talk to them a little about this. See if any of them have ideas or a preference as to where they'd like to relocate.

Approach potential rooms with the situation. "Our karaoke club is closing and I have all these singers who don't have a place to go in a few weeks. Are you interested?" I think you'll get some bites.

The best scenario I can think of is being able to find a gig for maybe a different night, maybe a wed. Than when this bar asks you to come back you can do both. I'd never hold the night for 4 months though. If you get another gig for that night you should take it and then in 4 months the highest bidder wins.

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Definitely find a new gig. Don't tell your new gig that you might leave in March because you never know what may happen.
Your old gig may not re-open. They may re-think their enetrtainment buget and decide to go with something else.
Anything can happen between now and then.
If they do want you back, and you decide to leave your new gig, I would tell them at that time, but not before.
But why you would leave a guaranteed gig for a gig that will lay you off for four months of the year is beyond me...
If the old gig does want you back and you decide that you don't want to leave your new gig, then they should realize that it's life.
The are laying you off for four months and expect you to wait around till they decide they want you back?
What are you supposed to do until then? Live off their love?
Are you supposed to starve until then?
If they are any kind of business people they will realize that they canot expect you to still be available when the time comes. It's called reality.
They can HOPE you are available, but reality is reality and you need to put the food on the table.

I'm trying to figure out how a bar can close 4 months out of the year and still survive

If I were a regular patron at a club and they told me "Oh we are closing for the winter come back next spring", I would find a new place to go and probably forget about the first one all together.

In this day and economy just how can anyone go for 4 months without a job

Does this mean that they are putting bartenders, waitresses, suppliers and others on hold too

Lone Wolf

Some places are seasonal because of tourist economy or demand. I assumed that was the reason. Like amusement parks, ice cream parlors etc... It isn't profitable to stay open during the off season. That is what I was thinking.

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Yeah Lone Wolf that was my thought too. I've seen places close and when they try to reopen they discover that everyone... staff, regulars, weekenders... have moved on.

They have to essentially start all over again. Which is why most places stay open during the slow months.

Jam does this place do this every year?

I realize that there are some places that can get away with that but a bar?
and especially in N.J.!

Our amusement parks close here (sea world, 6 flags, and water parks) for the winter but I really don't know why (other than water parks) as we have tourist economy all year round for other things going on here in the city, and am sure that visitors that come here for say a basket ball championship like the final four would love to go to 6 flags after their team plays.

Lone Wolf

Like the others, get a new gig & see what happens. If it's successful & you are happy then I wouldn't even ponder going back to the other or they can pick another night maybe. Just me, but I won't quit a show that is working to go back to another that may not have the same potential or even last if the crowds do not pick up - then where does that leave you, do you think the other bar would take you back knowing you have no loyalty to them? Even singers may move on to other shows during that time & sometimes get comfortable, the bar when it reopens may not attract the same crowd.

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This bar is right across from a 6 flags amusement park and gets a large percentage of customers from the park and the EMPLOYEES.
Since the park closes ..so do they ?

OK that's a different kettle of fish. A "Babs" scenario. And I can understand why you'd want to go back next season. It sounds like a real fun gig.

Those employees are going to hang out somewhere while the park is closed. I'd ask them where and see if there's anyplace in common with some of them. Might be a place to start hitting up in there.

I still wouldn't burn a bridge with another bar if it's successful. Either leave that night open for when/if they call you back, or if you get a successful gig working until then, have the past bar pick another night when/if they call you back - provided the new gig is doing well.

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First, get the new gig. Second, use the money from the new gig to put a second system together. Third, hire a KJ to do the gig that you DON'T want to do when you have 2 gigs on the same night.

Nice idea - another system and leaving someone else running. At times I have contemplated a FULLY set up second system; however, the cost of putting together a second system (with 18,000 songs) would be incredibly expensive. I already have the music equipment but in order to get that many songs LEGALLY, it'd cost more than the one night a week show for a few mos.

There are pirates locally that do that - second system running simultaneously with the first system but they are using illegal hard drives. Not my cup-o-tea.

Start taking notes on your most popular songs, on which discs first. If most of your songs are say from the Foundation, then you know that's a good choice. When I ran my mobile system I only had 3500 songs in it, but still it didn't seem lacking, I did have requests, but just bought custom discs every week for those to keep those singers happy. By the time I sold it all, I was up to around 4500 songs (individual titles).

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I'm sure you have plenty of duplicate songs in your 18,000 song collection. Divide your 18,000 into two separate systems; one with maybe 12,000 songs and the other for the newer gig at 6,000 songs.wouldn't hurt to try it out and if it doesn't work out in the long run, you would have a set of back up equipment for those times when your main set up might need some repair work done to it.