Blitz plays quite a bit of original music. At a recent out-of-town gig, one guy asked the band when they were going to play dance music. “It’s tough to please audiences. People who are familiar with our work would get up and hit the dance floor immediately.” Forrest went back to his restaurant analogy. “If a guy opens up, say, a Thai restaurant, he has to convince everyone eating Chinese food to try Thai. Once they try it, they may be back for more.”

Forrest diversifies his product line by maintaining 3-piece, 5-piece, and 8-piece bands. He books shows based on what the venue can handle—and afford. “Some places can’t fit an 8-piece band, so I use one of the smaller ones. Also, venues may be able to pay a 3-piece band really well, but can’t proportionally pay an 8-piece band.”

Just like other small business proprietors, musicians have to be concerned about liquidity, and music isn’t as liquid as audiences may think. “I have a lot of overhead. I pay for lights, and sound, and the band.” Forrest laughs as he estimates an “hourly rate” for himself. “I’ve never been overpaid,” he says.

Forrest emphasizes that bands should have competent help in navigating the sometimes murky waters of the business industry. “We’re in this for the long haul,” he explains. “It’s a great comfort to have an attorney help with performance and partnership agreements. The more stuff you do, the more you need help. It’s not an extravagance [for us].” Some bands have members or associates that can handle legal or accounting issues, and if they’re experienced, that’s great. But it’s nice to have a “firm foundation” Forrest says.

At what point should bands consider a manager? “Managers can be the key to success, so bands should have one when they’re liquid. Labels don’t want to talk to the band’s guitar player, they want to talk to the band’s representative.” Forrest says it’s never too soon to take that step up, but he cautions that it’s not always easy to find good management. “Sometimes your best friend is the best manager you can have. They’re willing to walk through fire for you, where a high-powered professional with an established client list may ignore you, while tending to other, more ‘important’ clients.”

Once they have a manager, Forrest says the band should still be involved in the business side of the band. “Just like audiences sometimes don’t fully the intricacies of running a restaurant, band members sometimes don’t appreciate the intricacies of the music business.”

Of the time he’s able to dedicate to Blitz Dynette, Forrest estimates that 75 percent of his time is spent on business. “I think it was Miles Davis who said, ‘The only thing wrong with the music business is the business.’ ” So, why continue to do it? “I love to play music. It’s what I love to do.”