The Delaware Water Gap, PA
The water is high and there’s snow dusting down from the black sky. We just passed a sign that said “ramp flooded” and I’m hoping that there are no such barriers betwixt us and our beds tonight.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The day has been spectacularly intense. NACA is like nothing we’ve ever done before, but our 4 minute and 32 second long montage of rob song, Heather song, Usher song and Pitbull rap did it’s job and we at least have the interest of over a dozen colleges. We don’t have any contracts in our hands, but we’ve made some great connections and out of Friday we look to be the 3rd or 4th most popular act. No small feat when many of the other acts have accolades such as television writing credits and American Idol performances under their belts. No small feat when I think about how this is possibly one of the only performances in YEARS that has had me literally shaking on stage.
Our booth looks good, the video is great, but the 4.5 minutes of US is what’s really done it. No-one’s really watching the video much, and I don’t think any more than 5 people have listened through our carefully crafted headphone station – we’ve been completely sold on that 270 some seconds of stage time. Imagine what we could’ve done if I’d been feeling snazzy!
Talking to all these people has been tense and difficult. Post-stage I’m shy and suddenly not good at this game. I need to be ready with stories for Saturday’s Market Places because it’ll be our last chance to collect names and contact information – and hopefully contracts.
Even without solid bookings I think this would’ve been a profitable experience. We’ve met a lot of cool people and the showcases have basically been equivalent to the best juried open mic I’ve ever seen. Several amazing poets, FUNNY COMEDIANS!!! It’s been a very cool sampler of talent. Kind of makes me wish I had a college budget to book some of these people.
An interesting comment went by while I was talking to another performer: basically he was saying that he’d had friends just DROP OFF THE SCENE for a year or two, no gigs that he knew of, etc – only to find out later that the friend had immersed themselves in the college booking scene and forsaken other bookings. If we can realize enough shows, the money is VERY good and I can very much see why. It sure beats struggling in bars and coffeehouses…. Still, I don’t think I could trade some of our favourites for college shows….
Okay, so we’d been being mistaken for one another all day. Finally we met up and cleared up the confusion…. I think Alex and Janel (above) are the only other acoustic duo to have showcased at NACA so far during the Mid-Atlantic Festival. They’re a lot sweeter than we are. One of the more interesting acts showcasing at NACA – Gedeon Luke and his four-piece funk-ish act. It can’t REALLY be funk because there’s no bass player, but he does have a lady cajon player!
After the showcases there is the market buying sessions of CAMP. Perhaps 200 talent-buyers from a ton of colleges descend upon us and talk about booking possibilities, pick up CDs, talk to us about what and who we are… absolutely exhausting! We last saw Levi Stephens at the Old Bowie Town Grille in Maryland! We both seemed absolutely releived to find a familiar face in all the tumult of NACA – he’d landed one of the ultimate slots – he hosted one of the showcases, allowing him to perform for 5 minutes before every other act! Then he got to go home. Cause he’s got representation. Sigh.
