My Facebook friends are usually the first to know when I have a musical adventure or gig of some kind. I don’t agonize over grammar or punctuation on social media as much as I should.
I post. Therefore, I am. Feel free to join Peter Lehndorff’s Music at facebook.com/standupfolk/. I’m just beginning to use Instagram, but I use Facebook more to let people know when and where I am playing. Videos show up there first, too.
The Bitter End NYC Singer-Songwriter Showcase
On Sunday, October 16th, I performed at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village. I was part of a regular singer-songwriter showcase held every weekend. It ended up being a wonderful experience. Musicians submit samples of their music and get booked for a 15 minute or longer set. The audience cover charge is $5, but I had to guarantee I could sell 10 tickets. So, since I didn’t have any New York City fans, I paid $50 up front to play there. It can work out pretty well if you have a fan base of some sort. The musician who performed before me sold a fair number of tickets.
Marty stayed with Joanne, his dog sitter. My sister, Barbara flew out from Reno to see me perform and spend the weekend in the city. We stayed with her friend, Carole. I went down by Metro North commuter train the day before. I had visited the Bitter End open mic a month before so I had already figured out how to use the trains and where to park. Here are some photos of the trip, trains, and people.
The actual gig was a lot of fun.The audience was wonderful. Jonathan Rooke, a terrific swing, and gypsy jazz guitarist came to the gig. It was great to finally meet him. We knew each other from Sound Cloud but had never met face to face.
Visiting McSorley’s Pub
My sister Barbara and I had time to kill on Sunday. We went to McSorley’s Old Ale House which had been open continuously since 1854. The cab rides made the ale expensive, but it was a unique place to visit.
Everyone from Abe Lincoln to John Lennon have passed thru McSorley’s swinging doors. Woody Guthrie inspired the union movement from a table in the front — guitar in hand, while civil rights attorney’s Faith Seidenberg and Karen DeCrow had to take their case to the Supreme Court to gain access. Women were finally allowed access to McSorley’s in 1970!
– from the McSorley’s Alehouse website
It’s probably a good thing we didn’t eat there. This week McSorley’s closed for the first time in over 160 years. The board of health found rat droppings in the basement.
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