2011 Fall East Coast Tour - blog #5 (day 29)
Driving Stats (approximate):
Miles Driven - 2950
Average Speed - 41 mph
Miles Per Gallon - 32.5
So I wasn't able to post as soon as I expected, because my netbook crapped out on me early this week. The keyboard decided to stop working (or perhaps more accurately, most of the keys don't do what they used to do, and it's impossible to type with it). Anyone with knowledge of the Linux Ubuntu OS is welcome to comment here to help me out. :) I may just have to reinstall the OS once I get home if I can't find another solution before then. It's been kind of frustrating being computerless, though. I am typing this entry from the home of the 4th House Concert of this tour, near Annapolis, MD.
We left off in Buffalo, NY, after my 5th and final (I think) open mic appearance of the tour. On Saturday the 1st of October, I would return to the North East campus of Mercyhurst College. This time, I knew exactly where to go, and, being in a different venue, I didn't have to maneuver my equipment through verious hallways or onto any elevators. Also, this venue being a theatre, it had its own sound system (and lighting system) which I was able to figure out how to work. It was a nice room, great for an intimate show. Unfortunately, the show was much more intimate than what we were hoping for. Throughout the evening, only 4 people came out. I think I mentioned this earlier, but I was the first musical artist they've had come do a show, so I guess they are working out the kinks, and figuring out the best way to get the word out to students. One of the 4 people was the new student activities assistant, and he said that the students there just aren't used to having events on campus, and need to get exposed to it more. I still managed to sell 3 CDs, which makes for a good CD to audience member ratio. And one of the listeners drove 75 miles to come out to the show, which was cool.
Here I am with Kate:
She happens to work at another PA college, and I might be making a visit there sometime next year.
I stayed in Erie, PA that evening. The next afternoon, I would perform at my favorite PA bar: North Country Brewing Company in Slippery Rock, PA. I went there early, to grab lunch while watching the Steelers lose to the Houston Texans. Ah well. I promised to perform better than the Steelers did during the first half of that game. I always see familiar faces at North Country, and have gotten to know a lot of music-lovers out that way. Kate even came out again, and brought a couple of friends out. I drove to my parents' house after the show, and ate a rather late dinner.
Over the next three days, I would have 6 shows. On Monday morning, my dad backed into my car again. He had originally done so back in May. I think he might have straightened out one of the dents from the previous incident this time. At any rate, I really didn't care, because nothing performance-related was affected. I headed out to my lunchtime show at a community college campus that morning. I have commented on community college gigs before. They are a great option to have, especially when I am staying in the same area for several days, because they give me the opportunity to make some more money and still do a night show on the same day. But the crowds are usually less than ideal from a performer's perspective: it's lunch time at a school, so students are often occupied with eating or schoolwork, and don't really pay much attention. And, though I hate to perpetuate the stereotype, community college students just seem to care less than students at other schools. This first community college lunch show had the least resposive audience of the entire tour. I think one staff person clapped his hands together 3 or 4 times at the very end of my performance, after I had played for over an hour and a half. Two students came up to me to ask me about what I did (with the looping), and one said she would come out to another show during the week, but she didn't. Eh.
On Monday night, I had the honor of hosting Pittsburgh's best-supported open stage, at the city's premier singer/songwriter venue, Club Cafe. It was a pretty interesting evening. I have hosted an open mic before, but not one where so many people are clamoring for a chance to play. I met a lot of people, got to hear some great music (if you're in Pittsburgh and are looking for a chance to hear a lot of different songwriters in one night, you can't go wrong there), and played a little bit myself. It was more stressful than I expected, though. All the artists who get there late still want to be able to play somehow, and you need to figure out how to make things work out. I arrived at Club Cafe around 6:15, and didn't leave until after 11 that night.
And I had to wake up again for another lunchtime community college show on Tuesday. This campus is set up a little better. It has a stage and sound system, so I have less gear lugging to do, and set up is much quicker. However, the shows here are often received in similar fashion. But Tuesday's show was a much-welcomed exception. I think people clapped after every song. I sold three CDs, and had numerous people come up to comment on the music. And one of the people at the open stage the previous night was on staff at the college, and took his lunch break by the stage to hear me play. It was a good show.
I ate lunch at the college after I performed, and decided to head out to the location of my next show, as I would have only had about an hour of downtime at my parents' house before needing to leave (not to mention wasting gas), had I driven back there. That evening's show was a regular Tuesday series, run by a local church, at a coffee shop in the small town of Blairsville, PA. From what I understood, I'd be playing for dinner, tips, and merch sales, which was okay, since Tuesdays are difficult to book, and I figured that a regular series would have a good chance of bringing out some regular music listeners. The show wound up being very well-attended. However, about 8 of the people there were from a church youth group, and they walked in carrying board games. Unfortunately, they proceded to be kind of loud, removing the possibility of maintaining the listening environment of the room. The other people still paid attention, though, and I wound up selling 6 CDs (including one to the leader of the youth group, who I think bought one to basically say "sorry", which was a nice gesture. I hope he liked the album, though). But 6 cds on a Tuesday is great in my book, and it was still an enjoyable show. I hope to return there soon. And, much to my surprise, the wife of the pastor of the church that sponsors the series handed me a check at the end of the night as a payment for the evening's show. I was pretty shocked, and told them that I really wasn't expecting it, but the pastor just said, "That's what we do." It was a great Tuesday.
Well, I've got to finish doing laundry, and am running a little late for dinner before another house concert, so I must end here. Who knows when I'll get to post again, what with the whole non-operating keyboard and all.
Miles Driven - 2950
Average Speed - 41 mph
Miles Per Gallon - 32.5
So I wasn't able to post as soon as I expected, because my netbook crapped out on me early this week. The keyboard decided to stop working (or perhaps more accurately, most of the keys don't do what they used to do, and it's impossible to type with it). Anyone with knowledge of the Linux Ubuntu OS is welcome to comment here to help me out. :) I may just have to reinstall the OS once I get home if I can't find another solution before then. It's been kind of frustrating being computerless, though. I am typing this entry from the home of the 4th House Concert of this tour, near Annapolis, MD.
We left off in Buffalo, NY, after my 5th and final (I think) open mic appearance of the tour. On Saturday the 1st of October, I would return to the North East campus of Mercyhurst College. This time, I knew exactly where to go, and, being in a different venue, I didn't have to maneuver my equipment through verious hallways or onto any elevators. Also, this venue being a theatre, it had its own sound system (and lighting system) which I was able to figure out how to work. It was a nice room, great for an intimate show. Unfortunately, the show was much more intimate than what we were hoping for. Throughout the evening, only 4 people came out. I think I mentioned this earlier, but I was the first musical artist they've had come do a show, so I guess they are working out the kinks, and figuring out the best way to get the word out to students. One of the 4 people was the new student activities assistant, and he said that the students there just aren't used to having events on campus, and need to get exposed to it more. I still managed to sell 3 CDs, which makes for a good CD to audience member ratio. And one of the listeners drove 75 miles to come out to the show, which was cool.
Here I am with Kate:
She happens to work at another PA college, and I might be making a visit there sometime next year.
I stayed in Erie, PA that evening. The next afternoon, I would perform at my favorite PA bar: North Country Brewing Company in Slippery Rock, PA. I went there early, to grab lunch while watching the Steelers lose to the Houston Texans. Ah well. I promised to perform better than the Steelers did during the first half of that game. I always see familiar faces at North Country, and have gotten to know a lot of music-lovers out that way. Kate even came out again, and brought a couple of friends out. I drove to my parents' house after the show, and ate a rather late dinner.
Over the next three days, I would have 6 shows. On Monday morning, my dad backed into my car again. He had originally done so back in May. I think he might have straightened out one of the dents from the previous incident this time. At any rate, I really didn't care, because nothing performance-related was affected. I headed out to my lunchtime show at a community college campus that morning. I have commented on community college gigs before. They are a great option to have, especially when I am staying in the same area for several days, because they give me the opportunity to make some more money and still do a night show on the same day. But the crowds are usually less than ideal from a performer's perspective: it's lunch time at a school, so students are often occupied with eating or schoolwork, and don't really pay much attention. And, though I hate to perpetuate the stereotype, community college students just seem to care less than students at other schools. This first community college lunch show had the least resposive audience of the entire tour. I think one staff person clapped his hands together 3 or 4 times at the very end of my performance, after I had played for over an hour and a half. Two students came up to me to ask me about what I did (with the looping), and one said she would come out to another show during the week, but she didn't. Eh.
On Monday night, I had the honor of hosting Pittsburgh's best-supported open stage, at the city's premier singer/songwriter venue, Club Cafe. It was a pretty interesting evening. I have hosted an open mic before, but not one where so many people are clamoring for a chance to play. I met a lot of people, got to hear some great music (if you're in Pittsburgh and are looking for a chance to hear a lot of different songwriters in one night, you can't go wrong there), and played a little bit myself. It was more stressful than I expected, though. All the artists who get there late still want to be able to play somehow, and you need to figure out how to make things work out. I arrived at Club Cafe around 6:15, and didn't leave until after 11 that night.
And I had to wake up again for another lunchtime community college show on Tuesday. This campus is set up a little better. It has a stage and sound system, so I have less gear lugging to do, and set up is much quicker. However, the shows here are often received in similar fashion. But Tuesday's show was a much-welcomed exception. I think people clapped after every song. I sold three CDs, and had numerous people come up to comment on the music. And one of the people at the open stage the previous night was on staff at the college, and took his lunch break by the stage to hear me play. It was a good show.
I ate lunch at the college after I performed, and decided to head out to the location of my next show, as I would have only had about an hour of downtime at my parents' house before needing to leave (not to mention wasting gas), had I driven back there. That evening's show was a regular Tuesday series, run by a local church, at a coffee shop in the small town of Blairsville, PA. From what I understood, I'd be playing for dinner, tips, and merch sales, which was okay, since Tuesdays are difficult to book, and I figured that a regular series would have a good chance of bringing out some regular music listeners. The show wound up being very well-attended. However, about 8 of the people there were from a church youth group, and they walked in carrying board games. Unfortunately, they proceded to be kind of loud, removing the possibility of maintaining the listening environment of the room. The other people still paid attention, though, and I wound up selling 6 CDs (including one to the leader of the youth group, who I think bought one to basically say "sorry", which was a nice gesture. I hope he liked the album, though). But 6 cds on a Tuesday is great in my book, and it was still an enjoyable show. I hope to return there soon. And, much to my surprise, the wife of the pastor of the church that sponsors the series handed me a check at the end of the night as a payment for the evening's show. I was pretty shocked, and told them that I really wasn't expecting it, but the pastor just said, "That's what we do." It was a great Tuesday.
Well, I've got to finish doing laundry, and am running a little late for dinner before another house concert, so I must end here. Who knows when I'll get to post again, what with the whole non-operating keyboard and all.
posted by Jeff Miller at 4:04 PM
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