Wonderful debacle @ the Homegrown Cafe tonight. I showed up super early, which never happens. Great start. I ordered a bottle of wine, an appetizer, and a sandwich (free!) and set to get started. The plan was: set up the PA while my food was prepared, eat food, poor soundcheck, begin. When I went in the office to pull out the PA, it was not there. They no longer have it! So now I gotta get in like panic mode, and I calmly state I'll be back in a half hour with a PA.
I rush my way to Todd's and back, where I grab all requisite additional equipment (I'd already been there once in the evening, for: one chord.) It takes 45 minutes, and now I am late. My food is still ok when I return, but I have to eat it in spurts as I set up the equipment. (I actually didn't touch the sandwich at all, though I am contemplating eating it right now, if I determine that its trajectory of two hours on a plate sitting next to me, into a box and home, then in the fridge is safe in terms of healthiness.)
So I plug in the guitar (thanks, still, MC Ben) and it don't work. I quickly figure this problem out and turn to the microphone, which, despite repeated attempts, does not work at all!
So now it is after 11pm, and I have yet to start. My options, as I saw them, were to either play sans amp Pastabilities/700/Todd's tomorrow-style, or, more logically, to skip the vox and simply play some guitar for these fine people.
So that is what I did, and it was kinda fun. Not being able to say anything to the crowd was strange (due to my affinity for cracking unintelligible or incredibly inside jokes) and the lack of vox made me feel a bit of a hack, in that the songs are designed and learned to be played along with vocals. Just cause I'm not singing and able to concentrate fully on the guitar, that doesn't mean I can all of a sudden change what I play, off the cuff, up there all by myself. It did free me up to do whatever I wanted, generally, since there was no context for song structure. I just meandered through my planned set, mixing things up and for the most part NOT STOPPING. I just played and played, taking only one break for like an hour and forty five minutes. It was definitely silly, but ironically, I received probably the kindest ovation I ever have when I finished my set. I joked that I should probably not sing ever.
My voice may struggle, but I feel it provides context.
Still, maybe perhaps I have learned something about the Homegrown, where I should maybe cut the HUGE # of actual songs I play (35-50) in half, and replace the time with a meandering of other songs I know, played sans vox.
My schedule now consistently includes:
Monday nights (3 songs & bartending) @ Mojo 13's Open Mic Night
Wednesday nights (start 9/10) Open Mic @ Pastabilities
Friday nights: "Intimate Evenings" @ Pastabilities
much moar
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