I do a very, very good job… if I do say so myself.
Monday had the potential for disaster. I was getting really ramped up, fearing Monday’s Laurelpalooza event. I had booked some wonderous groups, I had a schedule, a back up schedule, sound, back up sound… I’d advertised I was prepped and stoked and ready. I’d played the local open mic four weeks ago (at which there was a fair number of people, none of which began the night knowing anything about Laurelpalooza, all of which left with a flier), two weeks ago (at which there were a few people, none of which began the night knowing anything about Laurelpalooza, all of which left with a flier) and this past Sunday night (at which there were about 6 people, none of which began the night knowing anything about Laurelpalooza, all of which left with a flier). I was getting pretty nervous because the owner kept talking about how much he’d been talking up the event, but no-one seemed to know about it. Hell, even his other managers seemed to be in the dark till the week before… Hell, people calling DAY OF were being told “no, we don’t have Live music tonight, tonight’s karaoke”.
Yeah… I was VERY worried. I had someone coming in from NASHVILLE and I might not have an audience for her.
This distracted the audience for a while, but frankly I don’t at all blame them.
Frankly, we should’ve all run outside and watched this spectacular rather once-in-a-Lifetime event.
But it went well. The rain came in and forced me to reduce to one stage, which downed my stress level considerably. A was a bit worried about the two bands that the owner had asked me to book, but the one was pretty good and the other didn’t show up, so my night was actually a little shorter. A beautiful double rainbow formed up outside, the performers out-performed themselves (including ilyAIMY, if I do say so myself) and a great turn-out… turned-out.
However, since I’m arrogant as Hell let me tell you what I liked BEST about the night. I was incredibly flattered that Jason (the owner) was blown away by my friends and my band. I was incredibly flattered by Adam Day repeatedly going on about how ilyAIMY does SO much for the local music community… and Orna followed that up with some flattering comments of her own that just felt good on the ears…
I can’t wait to do another one. ilyAIMY Productions? Doesn’t sound TOO bad… ilyPROD. Hehehehehe.
Courtney Hargrove playing Laurelpalooza at Crickett’s Fat Daddy Saloon in Laurel, MD.
John Thayer of NOMAD, Ashraf Dawod of Aowtar and Heather Lloyd of ilyAIMY all playing pool and being bad-ass together. Exactly as I’d hoped, even before the regular audience came piling in, we’d sort of packed Laurelpalooza with friends and musical family so’s that we were going to have a good time with one another come Hell, high water, low-attendance, or grumpy pool-leaguers and put-out karaoke-ers!
Sigh, the Lovely Kelly Zullo fighting her cold with a cheesesteak and napkins at Crickett’s Fat Daddy Saloon in Laurel, MD.
Adam Day playing Laurelpalooza at Crickett’s Fat Daddy Saloon in Laurel, MD.
ilyAIMY taking a breath after a song at Laurelpalooza in Laurel, MD. I was so pround of my band – and by “proud” I mean “hot and sweaty”.
