Second US Tour of 2011 – blog #2 (Day 11)
Driving Stats:
Miles Driven - 1444
Average Speed - 52 mph
Miles Per Gallon - 32
Today's blog entry comes to you from just outside of Rochester, NY.
I only got through the first couple days of this tour when I had to pack up and head out for a show in Buffalo.
On Thursday the 12th, I would return to The Map Room in Regent Square (Pittsburgh) - a venue that I have grown fond of since my first visit in early October. I always seem to forget that I need my mic stand here. And when I needed to go get it, it had started to pour outside (better than inside, right?). So I ran outside to get the stand, and by the time I got back, I was wet.
Around the same time, a group of guys on a softball team had arrived, and as luck would have it, sat at the table right in front of me. I think I've mentioned this before; it's the Musicians' Murphy's Law: The loudest group of people in the room will somehow wind up closest to the stage. They proceeded to drink and yell over each other as they talked about their softball exploits, among other "guy stuff". Aside from generally being distracting to me, it makes it very difficult to try to win over a crowd when one group is as loud as they were. The eldest member of their group seemed to feel bad about their volume, and gave me a five-dollar tip. I was surprised, because I'm pretty certain he wasn't paying attention. I unfortunately only sold one cd, to the bartender. The worst I had done there previously was 6... so this evening was a bit of a letdown, but some people had come out to catch the show, which is always an encouraging thing. You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both, and there you have the facts of life.
On Friday, I would perform for the first time in the town where my mom grew up: Monongahela, PA. My aunt, uncle, and cousins still live there, and one of my cousins gave me the info for a bar (called The Bar) that he thought would be up for hosting live music. I hadn't been out to Monongahela in quite a while, so it was good to go back. As we got to The Bar, I was a little concerned, as every song pumping through the digital juke box was a rap song, or some white equivalent of non-sung rhymed music. But I set up as usual, and got ready to start playing around 8 pm. The only lights they had in the stage area where I would be playing were LED dance light things. But it was pretty dark where I was, so I decided they would be better than nothing. I was told that I was the first live performer that they had; they had used DJs in the past on some nights, so this made some sense. Here's what it looked like:
I would later confirm that I am not epileptic. These lights were flashing and gyrating, I tell you.
To my relief, it all went over very well (I'm always nervous about first-time gigs at bars, because I do my best to stick to original material, and bar people aren't always happy about that - I usually don't return to the bars like that). I had several people who I didn't know (and some that I did, but hadn't seen in years) come up and talk to me about live looping and pick up some cds. And the pastor that officiated my wedding came out, as well - it was a 45-minute drive for him, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him. It was a great night, and hopefully I'll return there at some point in the future.
Okay... I am now about to go out for a run (I actually packed some clothes for running for this tour, so I'm glad to have the opportunity). It's been raining every stinkin' day, and now it's finally nice outside. Gotta seize the opportunity, right?
See you here again in a few days or so!
Miles Driven - 1444
Average Speed - 52 mph
Miles Per Gallon - 32
Today's blog entry comes to you from just outside of Rochester, NY.
I only got through the first couple days of this tour when I had to pack up and head out for a show in Buffalo.
On Thursday the 12th, I would return to The Map Room in Regent Square (Pittsburgh) - a venue that I have grown fond of since my first visit in early October. I always seem to forget that I need my mic stand here. And when I needed to go get it, it had started to pour outside (better than inside, right?). So I ran outside to get the stand, and by the time I got back, I was wet.
Around the same time, a group of guys on a softball team had arrived, and as luck would have it, sat at the table right in front of me. I think I've mentioned this before; it's the Musicians' Murphy's Law: The loudest group of people in the room will somehow wind up closest to the stage. They proceeded to drink and yell over each other as they talked about their softball exploits, among other "guy stuff". Aside from generally being distracting to me, it makes it very difficult to try to win over a crowd when one group is as loud as they were. The eldest member of their group seemed to feel bad about their volume, and gave me a five-dollar tip. I was surprised, because I'm pretty certain he wasn't paying attention. I unfortunately only sold one cd, to the bartender. The worst I had done there previously was 6... so this evening was a bit of a letdown, but some people had come out to catch the show, which is always an encouraging thing. You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both, and there you have the facts of life.
On Friday, I would perform for the first time in the town where my mom grew up: Monongahela, PA. My aunt, uncle, and cousins still live there, and one of my cousins gave me the info for a bar (called The Bar) that he thought would be up for hosting live music. I hadn't been out to Monongahela in quite a while, so it was good to go back. As we got to The Bar, I was a little concerned, as every song pumping through the digital juke box was a rap song, or some white equivalent of non-sung rhymed music. But I set up as usual, and got ready to start playing around 8 pm. The only lights they had in the stage area where I would be playing were LED dance light things. But it was pretty dark where I was, so I decided they would be better than nothing. I was told that I was the first live performer that they had; they had used DJs in the past on some nights, so this made some sense. Here's what it looked like:
I would later confirm that I am not epileptic. These lights were flashing and gyrating, I tell you.
To my relief, it all went over very well (I'm always nervous about first-time gigs at bars, because I do my best to stick to original material, and bar people aren't always happy about that - I usually don't return to the bars like that). I had several people who I didn't know (and some that I did, but hadn't seen in years) come up and talk to me about live looping and pick up some cds. And the pastor that officiated my wedding came out, as well - it was a 45-minute drive for him, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him. It was a great night, and hopefully I'll return there at some point in the future.
Okay... I am now about to go out for a run (I actually packed some clothes for running for this tour, so I'm glad to have the opportunity). It's been raining every stinkin' day, and now it's finally nice outside. Gotta seize the opportunity, right?
See you here again in a few days or so!
posted by Jeff Miller at 2:31 PM
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