Happy Holidays to everyone. I decided to skip cards this year. Maybe I will do a belated New Years card. Or Valentines. Something non-denominational. Since I am now aware of my Jewish ex-Catholic heritage I am trying to put the “Oy in Joy.” It is just an excuse. I do love designing and sending cards.
Open Mic Therapy. I have continued my “open mic therapy tour.” While I had some wonderful outings some were better than others. Some were actually painful but that is in the next post. I guess I should go in order so it makes sense.
Luthiers. On November 30, Charlie Thompson, Mike Sullivan and I convened at Luthiers. I actually played electric bass for the first time in years. Charlie had two old rock songs he wanted to try. He coaxed Mike into playing the actual drum set there, too. My other job was to film our performance. Charlie wanted to hear what it sounds like. Once again, I was nervous about my bass part and forgot to turn the camera on. We did Be Bop A Lula and Summertime Blues. It was fun to play a different instrument. Charlie needs to film his own playing.
Getting covered. The highlight of my evening was hearing someone else sing one of my songs. Bruce King did his version of Marriage of Convenience. He slows it down so it is more of a ballad. But it is a cool feeling having someone like a song enough to learn it. I had no idea he was going to perform it. But since I was going to be the next performer I had the camera rolling.
When I got up there for my two songs I was a little flustered. I joked, “Damn, that was the song I was going to do.” My first song was a “folked” version of one of my jazzier songs called Two Cents Worth. Later in the month I did the jazz version at Infinity Hall.
Then I brought Charlie and Mike up to do my bluesy version of Help Me Rhonda. That was fun. The audience sang along. When we were packing up to go home, I started talking with another musician. He’s the bass player in the band, Cadence. I said I felt nervous playing bass in front of an actual bass player. He said, “You were very solid.” Then he said, “Well, I truly admire what you do. You can write a funny song one day, and then write a song about Huntington’s Chorea.” That was nice because I’ve only performed that song once, there. I didn’t realize anyone remembered it there.
A case of Folk Rage. The following Friday I drove to the First Friday Open Mic at the Hopkinton Arts Center (Hopkinton MA). I think It is pretty incredible what some towns can accomplish. An old music friend Barb Kessler runs it. Barb was one of the other finalists with me in the Boston Acoustic Underground back in 1993. The center was decorated for Christmas and they were auctioning off decorated trees to raise money.
Mysterious Tom. Before the open mic started I set up my camera and tripod in the back. One guy asked if I was going to film. I said I was just planning to video myself because I don’t have permission. He was testy,
“Well make sure you don’t film or photograph ME.”
He let out a weak, “Please.” as he turned around. When his turn to do a song came up, he got on stage and said “My name is Tom. That’s all you have to know. And I would appreciate it if everyone would turn off their cell phones and put away any cameras. I don’t want to see my photo on any social media sites.”
Okay, Tom. Simmer the fuck down. it is called an OPEN mic. I don’t know whether the mob was after him. Or the music police. Because, after that, he wasn’t very good.
I did Dear Mr. Santa Claus (Did you lose my list?) I can’t seem to get through the guitar parts without muffing up a little. But it is fun to play. Everyone did one song in the first round.
After everyone had played their first song, Barb wanted to have a break so that some of the families could leave if they needed to get home. She asked if everyone wanted to do a sing-along. Our friend “Tom”, (witness protection Tom) piped up “Are you asking if we want to do our second song? Or what!?” Barb said, “Well, we usually do this so that some people can leave or go to the restroom. He got up huffing and puffing, put his fancy guitar in his case and stormed out grumbling. A clear case of Folk Rage.
Huntington’s Waltz. For my second song, I decided to do the Huntington’s Waltz. I want to be able to perform it more without getting too emotional and it seemed like a good audience.
Open mic without mics. December 3, the next day I went to the Pioneer Valley Song and Story Swap in Amherst. This is a different format from a typical open mic. There are no mics, for one thing. Everyone sits in a large circle and we take turns telling a story, a few jokes, or telling a story. The featured performers were Sheryl Stanton and Bruce King (see Luthier’s post above). Both have been solid friends and musical supporters over the years and while Kathy was sick. The Nacul Center, in Amherst, held the benefit for Kathy a few years ago.
Guitar talk. When we took a break for tea and cookies, someone saw my guitar just lying on the gig bag on the floor. “Boy, you are a trusting soul. Leaving your Martin out. Someone could step on it.”
I put it back in the bag and placed it out of the way on the stage. My friend Mike Orlen said, “You don’t see many players with valuable Martins in gig bags.” We talked about instruments and stuff. I was saying how “I need to bring it in and have some work done on it.” He asked what it needed? I showed him how the sharp fret ends were sticking out and catching the strings. And my fingers.
He said it was because “I let it dry out.” Basically, the wood on the neck is drying and shrinking. So it would be better to keep my guitar in a hard case with a humidifier. Or a wet sponge inside a travel soap box, with holes in the top.
I realized I should be taking better care of my baby.
I started using a gigbag a few months ago when my shoulder was bothering me. When I got home the guitar went back in the hard case with a sound hole humidifier. I figured if nothing else, it can stay in the correct environment when it is at home. But, as you will see (in the next post) there is a case for always using a hard case. (pun intended). I made some additional humidifiers with mint boxes to help the guitar out.
