60 Songs About American Dreams

Want to take the stage at IOTA  on the 4th of July? Of course you do! Sign-up before June 6 to be a part of the American Dreams showcase. All 8 bands will play one 15 minute set, with at least one original song and one song fitting the theme.

This simmering show will be packed full of hits, classics and fresh originals. Pay homage to American greats like James Brown, Nirvana, Katy Perry, The Beastie Boys and Johnny Cash.

Need some ideas? Want to get your band inspired? Hosting a summer BBQ? Check out our hand-picked favorite songs about our big, complicated country. Some celebrate (Beyonce, Proud to be an American); some criticize (Public Enemy, Fight the Power). But all of them are as American as cold beer and an apple pie.
Listen to the whole thing on this Spotify playlist.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Portugal the Man - So American
Fun. - The Gambler
Ben Folds - Still Fighting it
Estelle - American Boy
The Decemberists - 16 Military Wives
Regina Spektor - Small Town Moon
White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
Jimi Hendrix - Star Spangled Banner
Green Day - American Idiot

Simon & Garfunkel - America
The Guess Who - American Woman
Don McLean - American Pie
Tom Petty - American Girl
Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
Elvis Presley - In the Ghetto
The Doors - L.A. Woman
James Brown - Living in America
Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville
Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom

Demi Lovato - Made in the U.S.A.
Katy Perry - California Girls
Miley Cyrus - Party in the U.S.A.
Kelis - Fourth of July (Fireworks)
Beyonce - Proud To Be An American
Lady Gaga - Americano
Drake feat. Alicia Keys - Fireworks
Mariah Carey - Fourth of July
Madonna - Freedom
Akon - Freedom
Katy Perry - Firework

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
John Legend - If You’re Out There
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Stevie Wonder - You Haven’t Done Nothin’
Marvin Gaye - What’s Goin’ On
Allen Watty - Hurricane Song

Public Enemy - Fight The Power
Mos Def - Rock n’ Roll
Young Jeezy - My President is Black
Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
Big Baby Ghandi - American Experience
Nas - America
Nas - I Can
Lil Wayne - God Bless Amerika
Kanye West and Jay Z (The Throne) - Made in America
Eminem - White America
2 Live Crew - Banned in the U.S.A.

Toby Keith - American Soldier
Brooks and Dunn - Only in America
Johnny Cash - Ragged Old Flag
Chely Wright - Bumper of My S.U.V.
Waylon Jennings - America
Trace Adkins - Arlington
Lee Greenwood - God Bless the USA
Charlie Daniels - In America
Aaron Tippin - Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly
Neil Diamond - America

A Musicians Guide to a Sound Check

As a musician, you play a crucial role in the sound check. A live sound setup, especially in a small or medium sized venue, is a delicately balanced system where many of the elements are outside of the sound engineer’s control. A great sound engineer can work wonders for a band’s live sound, but a performer knowing what to expect and how to make the check flow smoothly is equally as important.

While this guide doesn’t address some of the specifics of how we run a typical Flashband showcases (8 bands with quick changeovers and shared backlines), it covers all the core components of any sound check – including those in Flashband.

The Purpose

A sound check serves a two-fold purpose.  Most obviously, it allows the engineer to get all of the levels right for the audience listening to the performance.  In addition, it allows the performers to communicate their needs to the sound engineer.  An important point that new performers don’t often consider is that the stage sound and front of house sound are often very different.  Singers may want the vocals and keyboard turned way up with the drums turned way down.  Bass players and drummers may want to hear each other better while turning down their guitarist.  It is rare that a stage musician wants what the audience hears, and thus, should communicate what they would like their stage mix to sound like.

The 5 Simple Rules for a great sound check

1. Communicate with the sound engineer.  Find out your engineer’s name and use it. Tell them what you hear or don’t hear, ask them what they need from you, warn them about special considerations in your set. Be respectful and assume they know what they’re doing, as lots of times things you see as a problem have a reason or just a difference of opinion. They are not mind readers so always be specific – instead of ‘I need some more guitar’, point to the guitar in question, and point to which monitor needs adjustment.
2. Don’t noodle. If you have not been explicitly told to play your instrument, don’t. Excess sound makes the whole process harder. At best it lengthens the process, at worst you’ll have bad sound when you run out of time and patience. 
3. Be patient. There’s lots of waiting in the sound check – the engineer can only do one thing at a time, and diagnosing a problem sometimes requires tracing the whole chain of equipment. 
4. Pay attention. When your participation or input is needed in the sound check, nothing slows the process down more than when it’s your turn to check and you’re daydreaming. More so, when the engineer says ‘Is everyone okay with the bass level?’ and you miss it, you’re the one who’s playing suffers. 
5. A sound check is not a practice.  You should not be working out the final details of new songs during a sound check.  Play something you know already sounds good that can quickly show the dynamics and ranges of your instruments.  

The process

Every engineer will have their own method, so always defer to their instructions. But it’s best to know what to expect, and when a step is missing don’t be afraid to ask about it.

Part 1 - Setup

Be ready with all your equipment ready to go. Wait until the band before you (if any) as cleared the stage, and then head on stage to set up your equipment. Follow your stage plot to determine where to plug in, but don’t unplug or rearrange anything without the sound engineer’s permission – it’ll cause big headaches later. Think of it like going over to a friend’s house for dinner – ask ‘Should I put my shoes here?’ and ‘Can I help with the dishes?’

The performer’s role: Get your equipment up quickly, but ask permission before rearranging anything on stage. 

Part 2 - Line check

When everyone is plugged in, and the engineer is back at the mixing board, they will go one by one through each instrument to check that everyone has approximately the right level. The engineer’s job is to make sure the level is right in the room. It’s your job to tell the engineer what you hear on stage, and if you need more or less of anything so that you can perform well when there’s a crowd of people talking to each other and the sound bouncing off all the walls.

The performer’s role: When the sound engineer asks you to play, play something simple and repetitive at a volume that is the same as you will perform. 

• Vocalists: your talking voice is quieter than your singing voice.  Many good sound checks involve singing a few bars of a track without the backing instruments 
• Drummers: start with repetitive quarter note hits on each of the major drums before playing a full pattern.
• Other Instruments: one or two chords in a basic pattern is sufficient. 

When each other instrument does their line check, pay attention and let the engineer know if you need more or less of anything in your monitor – he can’t hear what it sounds like on stage. And don’t make any noise when it isn’t your turn. 

Part 3 - The song check

After level checks, you’ll play something as a whole band. Pick something that uses all your instruments at normal levels. Ask the engineer what they want, but normally you’ll want to play about 8 bars (20 seconds) of a song first, and then stop and tell the sound engineer of any significant adjustments needed now that everyone is playing together. You’ll start again while the engineer tweaks any specific components and levels.

The performer’s role: Start and stop your song efficiently – this isn’t practice, or a performance, so you should expect to cut the song short as soon as everything is set up. Tell the engineer about changes you need to what you hear on stage – it sounds very different across the room. 

Part 4 - The show

When you’re past the sound check and on to the actual performance, your main job (besides your music) is not making things harder for the engineer. This includes not making surprise changes, and using your equipment properly.

The performer’s role: Don’t change your instrument or amp volume levels without getting the OK from the engineer. Instrument and vocalists, play/sing directly into your microphones and don’t let them drift away – dynamic microphones typically used are very sensitive to distance and the sound engineer can’t correct the problem with volume if you’re not playing into the mic. Pay attention to your stage position and don’t point mics towards speakers – this usually happens when vocalists move in front of the stage. If you do have a big problem with your monitor levels it’s okay to say so between songs, but small problems are better left alone. 

Being good at sound check is a key tipoff of a professional musician - but by paying attention and keeping a few things in mind you can make the process go easier, and make it that much more fun to rock out in your actual set. Want to learn more? We cover this and lots of related topics in our Intro to Performance class, which we hold regularly. Check out this and all the Flashband events on the Events page.

More sound check resources:

Help the soundman get you a great live music mix

Meet the Musician: David Rothman, Guitarist for Cosmic Romp and The Anti-Social Collective

This post is written by a Flashband veteran (David Rothman) detailing his experience with Flashband. David is one of the top 5 contenders for 'Most-Flashband-Showcases,' starting with the 'From Scratch' show in October 2013.

I found out about Flashband via a bizarre route: an OKCupid date. The date itself didn’t go well (like, at all), but I was intrigued by how she pitched Flashband to me: you go to meet-ups with dozens of other musicians, you form temporary bands with whomever you like from said meetups, you practice for a month, write/perform 3-4 songs, and then play your set live in a packed, happening venue. Sold. After that date, I found love again with a different woman, but Flashband and I are also going steady.


Now I’ve played guitar for just over a decade, and while I’ve formed a couple of bands over the years, none of them amounted to anything. In the last full band I formed, via Craigslist I should add, my singer stole cash and credit cards out of my drummer’s purse. Through our own investigation, she and I found out that this singer was wanted in 4 different states for the same crime. We auditioned a few other singers but none of them were nearly as talented as the singer-thief. Our enthusiasm dwindled, she moved to England and I started grad school whilst working full time, and so that band died without us ever playing a single show. Sufficed it say, that experience soured me to meeting musicians through Craigslist. I played a few open mic nights in Virginia, and while that was fun, I’m a subpar singer and I missed rocking out with a full band. The hardest rocking out I did was by myself playing along to recordings in my bedroom in my boxers (tmi?).

Enter Flashband: I signed up for the “From Scratch” showcase, in which each band that formed was tasked with coming up with 3-4 original songs (sidenote: covers are usually allowed in most Flashband showcases). The very first meetup I attended was at a giant house in Arlington. As I was looking for parking, I started getting nervous since it dawned on me that I knew absolutely nobody at this 40-50 person gathering. I had no friend/safety net going with me, I was a solo act venturing into new territory. I actually contemplated bailing before I even parked, but I conquered my brief social anxiety attack, found parking, and strolled up to the front porch while clutching my guitar/security blanket and the 6-pack of beer I planned to contribute to the potluck. I was welcomed with open arms by Caleb and Amanda (the residents of the giant house, and also Flashband admins). They gave me a nametag so I could write my name and instrument that I play, and then gave me a folder with all the attendees names and emails…so well organized!

The admins gave introductions and then divided us up into randomly assigned groups so we could jam. After about a half hour I was playing with a completely different set of musicians. It had been a while since I’ve jammed with multiple musicians, so I felt a bit rusty. That, combined with my awkwardness, made me come away with a feeling that I didn’t really click with anyone at the jam. At the end, the admins encouraged everyone to form bands. It was at this point I stumbled across a red-headed emcee named Eric who started freestyling fierce rhymes over some riffs I was playing. Instant chemistry. Also joining us was a singer-songwriter with a powerful, melodic voice. Via email we eventually rounded out the rest of our lineup, and so Caesar Raps was born.

While I was practicing and writing songs with Caesar Raps, I was recruited to form a second ‘Flashband’. To rewind a bit: I wore an extremely nerdy Star Trek t-shirt to the meetup, and that drew some attention from other Trekkie/musicians. With said musicians, we formed a Star Trek themed band dubbed Reginald Broccoli and the Final Frontier. All of the sudden I had a very full plate: with Caesar Raps, we wrote kick-ass songs with a hard rock bent to them, with some funk and folk influences thrown in. With Reginald Broccoli, we wrote songs that included a love letter to the Starship Enterprise and a hard-edged hip-hop song written from Khan (aka KHAAAAAAAAAAAN’s) point of view. I don’t know if I’ve ever had as much fun in my life writing music as I did during that month as 2 of my biggest passions, science-fiction and music, intersected in a strange fusion. My bandmates from both bands were such wonderful, kind, funny, and talented people. I was fortunate.

Fast forward to the day of the show, stardate: 10.12.2013. The venue is the Dunes, I’ll be damned if I ever heard of it (then again I don’t go out to DC as much as I should). This time I wasn’t going alone, I had a small contingent of my friends and my girlfriend in tow to support me. There wasn’t so much of a stage setup so much as a large corner with amps and a drum kit in it, but it was awesome. Reginald Broccoli was penciled in to go on first, and then Caesar Raps third (of COURSE I had to play first at my very first Flashband show). The crowd was amazing, we received loud cheers after the first two song. But we damn near brought the house down with “Khanflict”. I was supposed to be screaming “KHHAAAAANNNN!” during the chorus, but Cody (a very talented emcee and Flashband admin) got the crowd into it so much that they collectively screamed it instead. I couldn’t hear my own guitar because of how loud the crowd was screaming during the choruses. That’s the sort of feeling you wish you could capture and put it in a bottle. It’s fleeting, but you never forget it.

But then just 20 minutes later, I got right back on the horse with Caesar Raps. We took great delight in playing the heaviest song of the night as our opener, complete with a heavy metal bridge and an overly indulgent guitar solo I authored. Our diverse setlist then dove into folk-rock that included head-blasting vocals to open it and rap verses. Then we got funky for our last song, which started out as a chord progression based off of James Brown’s “Sex Machine”. We had no idea how to end the song, we decided as a group just to improvise it and just read off each other on the fly to see when we should end it. That plan terrified me, but we pulled it off perfectly. I shouldn’t have been so surprised, given how talented my bandmates were. Then there was loud applause, and I felt so grateful and humbled.

My bandmates (from both bands) and I were smothered in praise following our performances. I had never received that many compliments about my guitar playing in my life. And while my performing night was over, I had an incredible time watching the rest of the bands play. I couldn’t believe how much talent was at The Dunes that night, every band ranged from really, really good to absolutely amazing. I had to do this again.

And so I did...like I said earlier, Flashband and I are going steady. I’ve played at 10 Flashband shows since that first one, all of which included different themes such as funk, hip-hop, the 90’s. And therein lies the beauty of Flashband, it’s diverse. You get to wear a totally different hat for each band you form, depending on the theme. It’s been the best thing for me as a musician, I’ve been forced out of my hard-rock, Rage Against the Machine/Muse inspired box (although I still had a tendency to sneak heavy riffage in where I can), all while playing with a myriad of talented musicians and singers. More recently, I played another “From Scratch” show, my band included two female vocalists, a ukelele, and a fiddle; that wouldn’t have been possible without Flashband.

Eric, the aforementioned emcee and I have been jamming and writing songs ever since we formed Caesar Raps at the first Flashband show. We also joined forces with a fellow Flashbander who happens to play bass, and a drummer - that band, now called Cosmic Romp - has been playing for a year now. I also formed a second band called The Anti-Social Collective (we’re actually pretty social dudes, despite what the name may suggest) after the Plymouth Rock Showcase at Jammin Java last Fall. They’re all such amazing musicians, and it’s all thanks to Flashband.

Flashband Closes Seed Investment - and What's Next

We just signed the paperwork for a seed investment round, a total of $350,000 spread over the next 18 months. I am incredibly excited about what this means for Flashband, and even more excited about what this means for musicians who face the same challenges I used to. This investment means we will be able to do a lot of things that we just haven't had capacity for until now - including the ability to focus dedicated time to growing the Flashband community.

Three years ago I had big visions for what Flashband could become. I had experienced the frustration of finding like-minded musicians who had that perfect mix of complementary skill level, commitment, creative interests, and instrument type - and I was certain that many of the millions of musicians in the US shared my frustration. While we're not at millions yet, many of our users have told me that Flashband has truly changed the way they experience the musician community. 

The trials and tribulations of growing Flashband did not change my vision - but it has been a lesson in the difficulties of starting and scaling a business. Flashband provides a valuable service - helping musicians of all backgrounds meet and play music - but it's not one they are used to paying for. We've managed to pay the bills just through show revenue and musician participation fees while we figured out a model that worked - but only by keeping the bills unrealistically low. Neither myself nor either of my co-founders have taken any money out of the business to date. Flashband has the potential to be a productive, self-sustaining business at scale, and we've proven that we can provide a service that our customers value. To get to scale we need to spend a lot of time and resources spreading the idea and bringing more musicians into the community. This investment lets us do that. 

We will be investing this money in three big areas:

• A 6 month project to turn the Flashband website into a fully functional, scalable, stand-alone service for running events and allowing musicians to connect independently. 
• Growing the DC-area community significantly, doubling our size in the next 6 months. 
• Starting new Flashband chapters in 6 new cities and creating processes so we can continue to do that across the country. 

For all of this, I need your help. A bigger Flashband community means a more valuable community to you - with more musicians we can do more diverse events, and you can find the right people to connect with.

If Flashband has brought value to your life, or you just think the idea is cool, help us spread the word about this announcement and about what Flashband means to you. We're running a celebratory deal all this week - every new account on the website gets free participation in an event, and any existing member gets $20 off if they upgrade to a Backstage membership. Share the announcement (email, or your social media of choice) with a story of your experience with Flashband and get the musicians you know to join us: https://flashband.org/resources/index/seed-funding

We also recently launched the Flashband Street Team - if you have a little time and interest and want to be rewarded and recognized for helping out, head over to learn how to sign up. And lastly, we are hiring for two positions, a musician recruitment and marketing coordinator and a full-stack Java/Grails web developer. If you know anyone that would be a good fit (or you think you would) check out the job descriptions for how to apply. 

For all of you that have been a part of the Flashband community so far, THANK YOU for helping us to get to this point. Your interest in our mission, your participation in our community, and your responses to my constant requests for feedback are what allowed us to get to this point. I'd also like to thank my team: my co-founders, Caleb and Amanda, who put in countless hours building the Flashband website and hosting the first meet-and-greet jams at their home; Cody, who's been running our events for the past year; and Ariel, who is our newest event coordinator. Lots of volunteers have come through - too many to name here - but thanks also to all of you that have helped me learn and put in time helping us grow.

Here's to playing more music in the months and years ahead. 

Neal


P.S. This pretty much sums up how we feel: