Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 161

Day 160 - August 19th 2009

Day 4 of the 7 day stretch and I’m already losing track of things

The Khyber is tonight, with the forecast of rain I’m pretty sure black folk ain’t comin out to see me tonight. I got some words of encouragement from Alex, I still have to ask him how they fit Bang Camaro on that stage. It would be my first show there in…ages. Not to mention I forgot I have to shake it over to the Tritone tonight to meet with the Jefferson Square Music Festival people about finalizing the show schedule. I’ve been so consumed with the business end I haven’t even figured out what I’m gonna do personally during the show. Small steps. I still have to get tickets for the September 4th show at World Café Live and promote the Cellar Sessions Podcast and get in contact with Gap people about Thursdays show and figure out who’s playing besides me. it’s enough to drive a man mad.

My voice feels a lot stronger than it did yesterday so the gig should be fine. I spent a lot of the day working
on a new song. It’s crap but I need to finish it.

My mom was kind enough to drop me off at Lickety Split as we discussed what to do about some of the other nights there after I left I walked over to the Khyber. Waiting there were some of the Soulfatronic guys. I was looking forward as always to playing a show with them, what a great band. I shot the shit with them as usual as we talked about the future. Which doesn’t look so bad these days.

I played a pretty long acoustic set, I’m always a tad nervous without my band. Playing alone is almost like being naked in public. I’m not covered by the pomp and circumstance of my persona, it’s the closest you’ll ever get to seeing Andre on stage. With virtually no one in the crowd there to see me I’m even more nervous. I present the songs pretty much they way they are born, me playing alone on an acoustic guitar. If they can’t be performed that way you’ll rarely ever hear them recorded or performed. Sort of the test they have to pass. Once I sound checked the lights were up and there I was.

Set List
Ain’t No Sunshine
(Oh) I Wish I Loved You
How Can This Be Love
Baby One More Time
Feels So Good
Get Me To California
Hangover
(I Think We Should) Breakup
Leavin

By the middle of the set I had eyes on me, I may not have brought a significant crowd but it seemed like I had the people that were there as they headed from the bar into the stage area. Once I get into a groove I can almost sort of imagine the bands there.

I ended the set with Leavin, the last song on Superego, which usually has me, bass, drums, horns, strings, and a choir. A song I’ve done in (what we call) the Epic format so many time I wasn’t even sure it would work otherwise. We’ve been playing it as a trio and have effectively cut out a lot of the room left by the other instruments. Now by myself I have to make less room. Oddly enough it worked. The emotion of the song is still there surprisingly enough and I still had an out of body experience.

My anxieties were laid to rest as the end of performance was met with a roaring applause. An older gentlemen said that he had never seen one guy fill the stage like I did tonight, one of my fellow musicians remarked that although my bands great, he likes me playing by myself with my acoustic guitar, years ago I wouldn’t have taken that as a knock on my band, but I know what we can do and how good we are, today I look at it this way; there aren‘t many people that can play with a full band and play by themselves that can elicit the same response and if people think I‘m just as good on my own than I am with backing musicians then I must be doing something right. The general consensus was that people liked it. I may attempt to incorporate that more into my live performances.

After that I ran to the Tritone to play a short set at the open mic

Set List
Bed’s Too Big Without You
(Oh) I Wish I Loved You
Baby One More Time

After I was finished I met with the Jefferson Square People as we try to nail all aspects of this festival down.

After a ride home I hit the hay. Hopefully my ankle will feel strong enough to run soon.