--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ…" description: "\"I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Waylon Jennings, the Rolling Stones - everything and anything people wanted to hear. You're n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/frankie-ballard-15498_band_i-started-off-as-a-bar-band-we-played-zz_2982222.jpg" --- # I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ Top, Bob Seger… ![“I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Waylon Jennings, the Rolling Stones - everything and anything people wanted to hear. You're not really selling yourself back then; you're selling beer.” quote by Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/frankie-ballard-15498_band_i-started-off-as-a-bar-band-we-played-zz_2982222.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/frankie-ballard-15498_band_i-started-off-as-a-bar-band-we-played-zz_2982222.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fe/frankie-ballard-15498_band_i-started-off-as-a-bar-band-we-played-zz_2982222.jpg) > “I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Waylon Jennings, the Rolling Stones - everything and anything people wanted to hear. You're not really selling yourself back then; you're selling beer.” [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early performances catered to audience demand, selling beer rather than artistic identity. **In simple terms:** Early gigs prioritized audience over self. Key Takeaway Develop authentic artistic identity. Themes music authenticity commercialism Mood reflective inspirational Type musical career When to use this quote - venue gigs - record deals - branding - fan engagement Key Concepts cultural studies music industry Questions to Reflect On - When did you discover your true style? - How to balance audience demand and authenticity? A Different Perspective May undervalue early learning experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beer/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Selling yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-yourself/) ## Related quotes > [We started out as a bar band. We were sometimes playing in front of 20 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-demarcus/we-started-out-as-a-bar-band-we-were-sometimes-playing-in-front-of-20/) [Jay DeMarcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-demarcus/) > [I was in one bar band from 1965 to '69, then I was in another one from 1970 to '79 - a 9-year bar band!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-carr/i-was-in-one-bar-band-from-1965-to-69-then-i-was-in-another-one-from/) [Eric Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-carr/) > [We're a bar band, so we know all the bar songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bryan/we-re-a-bar-band-so-we-know-all-the-bar-songs/) [David Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bryan/) > [If you don't have a good rhythm section, your band is toast; you're a bar band. Good rhythm section, you've got a chance to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duff-mckagan/if-you-don-t-have-a-good-rhythm-section-your-band-is-toast-you-re-a/) [Duff McKagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duff-mckagan/) > [My mom and sisters liked to sing and we would jam at home very often. I would also jam a lot in college, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/my-mom-and-sisters-liked-to-sing-and-we-would-jam-at-home-very-often/) [Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/) > [You have to remember the band played from 1960 to 1965, every night. You get into a rut playing nightclubs every night, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-danko/you-have-to-remember-the-band-played-from-1960-to-1965-every-night/) [Rick Danko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-danko/) > [ I went in \[Sweet Basil band\] and played with them, maybe half the gig for almost eight years or more. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/i-went-in-sweet-basil-band-and-played-with-them-maybe-half-the-gig/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [My live show experience has not been good. It's just because I haven't had a band or anything. I played a show in Santa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clairo/my-live-show-experience-has-not-been-good-it-s-just-because-i-haven-t/) [Clairo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clairo/) > [My mother was really into big band. It was played in the house all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-bogguss/my-mother-was-really-into-big-band-it-was-played-in-the-house-all-the/) [Suzy Bogguss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-bogguss/) > [ It \["Begin the Beguine"\] became such a hit that it superseded anything that any band had ever had. It was the first time that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/artie-shaw/it-begin-the-beguine-became-such-a-hit-that-it-superseded-anything/) [Artie Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/artie-shaw/) > [I grew up with the Beatles and they are still to this day my top band played in my iTunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-laswell/i-grew-up-with-the-beatles-and-they-are-still-to-this-day-my-top-band/) [Greg Laswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-laswell/) > [“People always asked me how the band played like it did night after night, almost murderously consistent, NEVER stagnant and always full balls to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/people-always-asked-me-how-the-band-played-like-it-did-night-after/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I have such a great band. We had played all this material on the road. I just wanted to let it fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-williams/i-have-such-a-great-band-we-had-played-all-this-material-on-the-road/) [Lucinda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-williams/) > [Politicians say more taxes will solve everything, and the band played on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-temptations/politicians-say-more-taxes-will-solve-everything-and-the-band-played/) [The Temptations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-temptations/) > [That's the first band I ever played in that was working and I was getting paid for it. I was 12. The other guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-gatton/that-s-the-first-band-i-ever-played-in-that-was-working-and-i-was/) Danny Gatton ## More by Frankie Ballard > [I believe it's possible to have hit songs and popular music that's recorded by human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-believe-it-s-possible-to-have-hit-songs-and-popular-music-that-s/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I've always expressed myself on guitar, and so I look at it as another voice that is available to say what you need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-ve-always-expressed-myself-on-guitar-and-so-i-look-at-it-as-another/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I've got an incredible family that I never get to see. I've missed so much. They know how much my career means to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-ve-got-an-incredible-family-that-i-never-get-to-see-i-ve-missed-so/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [My dad is a big Outlaw country guy - Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton, Waylon, Willie. He loves Elvis and turned me onto Elvis. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/my-dad-is-a-big-outlaw-country-guy-johnny-cash-johnny-horton-waylon/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I'd like to wrestle an alligator and fly a fighter jet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-d-like-to-wrestle-an-alligator-and-fly-a-fighter-jet/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I see so many people living in a bubble. They want to be safe, they want their kids to be safe, and they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-see-so-many-people-living-in-a-bubble-they-want-to-be-safe-they/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [Some people are songwriters, and some people are just recording artists. I'm both. I write and record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/some-people-are-songwriters-and-some-people-are-just-recording/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [Are you really into pop? Are you really into old country? Blues? If you're not honest about your influences, then things don't sound as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/are-you-really-into-pop-are-you-really-into-old-country-blues-if-you/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [That's what music-making is: a dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/that-s-what-music-making-is-a-dialogue/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I'm always moving like a kid. I'm always bouncing around and never sit still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-m-always-moving-like-a-kid-i-m-always-bouncing-around-and-never-sit/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [I want to be the guy with the fresh new sound. I can remember as a kid thinking about a DJ going, 'Ladies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/i-want-to-be-the-guy-with-the-fresh-new-sound-i-can-remember-as-a-kid/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [There are a lot of country artists now that are heavily influenced by hip-hop. That's not me. I was very heavily influenced by rock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/there-are-a-lot-of-country-artists-now-that-are-heavily-influenced-by/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [You hit me like fire shot me like a bullet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/you-hit-me-like-fire-shot-me-like-a-bullet/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [If I'm blessed enough to have financial freedom in this world, my family is the ones I owe thanks to first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/if-i-m-blessed-enough-to-have-financial-freedom-in-this-world-my/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) > [All my influences go into a pot like a big ole stew, and it tastes like all the years I spent trying to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-ballard/all-my-influences-go-into-a-pot-like-a-big-ole-stew-and-it-tastes/) [Frankie Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) [Explore all 43 Frankie Ballard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-ballard/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started off as a bar band. We played ZZ Top, Bob Seger, Waylon Jennings, the Rolling Stones - everything and anything people wanted to hear. 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