Oh, tis a sleepy morning. Heather comes back home tomorrow, though I probably won’t get to see her till Tuesday at our regular Brewers Alley show.
I’m glad she’s home. Java Mammas ends this week. Part of me can’t believe it’s over. It’s been a three year plus Love / hate relationship with a regular open mic centred around a community that I’ve only ever had nominal control over. I’ve seen relationships blossom and relationships falter. Harper is a child of the open mic and we’ve watched him develop from a little amorphous creature to a young child with distinct personality and even… charisma! Sometimes I’ve been the fun ringleader and often I’ve been the annoying old-guy exerting too much control. It’s been the wonderful thing that I Love coming home to, and it’s the weekly scheduled thing on the calendar that shows I’m not actually a touring artist anymore. There’s a lot of STUFF just mixed up in my head about it.
I will miss it though. Sometimes it’s my favourite night of the week. Often it makes me feel ancient. Sometimes it’s inspiring, often it’s tiring. What have I learned?
I will miss the people. I have no illusion about transferring many (if any!) of the regulars from Java Mammas to my new location in Catonsville. Convenience is a huge factor in these events and though I’d Love to think that many of the performers who Live local to Reisterstown will find our Thursday night gatherings important enough to drive themselves 20 minutes south, I’m already hearing a lot of complaints about how I’m simply asking too much.
Well, we shall see. I’m excited to start anew – but I’m not sure what I’ve learned, what I’ll change. Perhaps I’ll open that up for discussion. I’ve learned that two songs works, four songs is simply TOO long (because where three songs is bearable with someone uneasy on the ears, four songs is an eternity) – and three songs is truly the singer/songwriter / poet open mic ideal. I’ve learned that people CAN deal with a list! I’ve learned that a monthly songwriting assignment is difficult to stick to. VERY difficult. But incredibly
productive.
I’ve learned that I’m not nearly as careful with cables as I think of myself as being and that no matter how much I protest that it’s because people help me when breaking down on Thursday nights, I’ve learned that I’m completely capable of tying ¼” guitar cables into complex knots all on my lonesome.
This Thursday is the last Java Mammas open mic. Thursday April 7th is the first Six Mile Coffee open mic. I have about a month to think about what it is that I’ve done.
