Blogs

Second time is the charm.  :)

Last night was my second open mic at the iconic Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs.  It was largely the same crowd of seasoned and extremely talented blues musicians as last month and I was tremendously better prepared for the scene.  And I didn't let the intimidation factor get to me like last time. You know, the guys who can play more notes than I can hear, the sideways glances that say, "he brought guitar again,"  and the pictures of Bob Dylan on the stage over my shoulder.  This month, I took the stage as a student who had practiced with focused intent for the prior month and put on a show instead of thinking I could just show up and play a couple songs I fool around with in the basement.  What a difference.

My first song was Hungry Blues on my Sawzall box dobro.  The lyrics were given to me by Ron "Oily" Sprague and I did a speaking version of the song.  I set the crowd up for a few laughs before starting.  I got a few laughs where I wanted them and good round of applause afterward.  It is a great, funny song.  I was prepared with my lyrics sheet in case I choked, but didn't need it.

My second song, I pulled out my garbage guitar and played "Baby Please Don't Go" with a bourbon bottle.  The whole thing.  It sounds intentionally pretty bad, as if I'm a sad, miserable drunk lamenting the loss of his woman.  I've changed the end of the song to suit.  It is a little funny-sad.  

I had enough self-depreciating comments and humorous quips mix in that I felt like I had the crowd on an upnote, especially those who saw my first performance last month, which was an unqualified mess.  They are set up.

I wanted to tear them down.  I did my version of "Goin' Down Slow" which is a perfect song about my experience before, during and after having cancer at 29 years old.  I spent all day in a local public school working with different teachers including an awesome group of students with autism and an 11th Grade English class.  The English students were reading from "Death of a Salesman" and I picked up a new line to add to the song since it fit perfect.

You know, when you break a deposit bottle, you can't get your nickel back.

I had my eyes closed the whole time and I wish I could have seen the crowd.  I almost cried when I got the round of applause and cheers at the end.  I felt like I did what I wanted to do.

If you are interested, pics of the Sawzall box dobro, garbage guitar and videos of all three songs are here on my page, although none are from last night - only previous versions.  I'm going to have to get someone to do video for me in the future.

Other highlights from last night:

I thought I'd be the only one on stage with heavy metal, but a local musician brought his tuba and a former opera singer to do two great songs.  The vocals were incredible and the tuba was perfectly matched.  I loved it.  This woman can sing.  Incredible.  Absolutely incredible.  It felt really great when she saw me after my set and offered her honest compliments.

I also met fellow (new) CBN member Ronald Whitford last night and he brought his CB Ukulele.  I was pretty amped up after my set so I wasn't giving him the attention I wanted for his three songs, but what I heard was excellent.  It felt great to have a fellow CBN member there last night.

Price of admission was $5.  Value for your money right there.