Yesterday was a not-very-funny comedy of errors. I was NOT ready to go back to my open mic mentally, and I think that that translated into the physical. I’d been chatting with a friend and my mind had been going back to all the negatives of running the open mic because – we hadn’t had it for three weeks and apparently my mind was dwelling on the darkness – altercations and moments when I couldn’t be having a good time at my open mic because I was busy being the law… the bullshit side of being a host.
And I think I got caught up in that and didn’t go down my little mental checklist. I got to the open mic and was missing : two power cables and my hard drive. Teavolve had the extra power cables, no problem, but after ransacking my gear, I could only turn up my backup hard drive – which is USB 3.0 not USB C. I ransack my gear some more and can NOT turn up the appropriate cable – so I turn to my friends, most of which have no idea what a USB 3.0 cable IS.
Heather’s mom knows what it is, but she doesn’t have one AND she’s in VA. Heather’s fiancé ransacks the kids rooms. None have one. Dave Benham doesn’t know what it is and is already on his way. Teavolve doesn’t have one. I know Paul has one but he’s not coming. JUST as Heather’s beau says “welllll we can stop at the Best Buy” with a sly text that implies “cause I’d really like to go to Best Buy!” one of the open mikers HAPPENS to have a 3.0. Five minutes later, while going through my gear looking for an eighth inch cable, I run across MY 3.0 cable… bah!
And of course, during all of this people are filing in. It’s Martin Luther King Day at a Black Owned Business – the place is PACKED. And beyond that, it’s a DAY OFF for lots of people who can’t usually make it, it’s the first week we’re back after being out for three weeks, and my featured artist is AWESOME… so yeah, even as the dinner rush files out, the open mic rush is filing IN and it’s MASSIVE.
Now I’m sweating – because I plug in the drive and the TouchMix can’t see it. I try to format it and then remember the QSC can’t format drives bigger than 2gb. This is like… a TB. Bah!
So – “Heather, can you bring your laptop?!” I catch her just in time and then we kick into gear with the open mic and we’re OFF!
It’s an AMAZING night, and in between getting artists set up, me and Kristen are trying to get Heather’s dying laptop to the point where it can recognize this FUCKING DRIVE. Windows 7 conspires with a machine on its last legs AND a Windows update, crash, reboot, and chaos to mean even getting the thing started takes over half an hour. I write what I’m looking for on a napkin and Kristen downloads the software to format the drive… and Windows 7.0 can’t find it. I don’t know where to find the Disk Manager. Device Manager can SEE the drive but Windows Explorer CAN’T see the drive so it can’t be formatted.
Eventually, I have to give up and just enjoy the night – but regret that I’m not archiving like I like to do.
Especially because it truly is a kick-ass night. All the talent is top-notch, a lot of old friends came out, and the couple of newbies that came must’ve left with a pretty stunning impression if I do say so myself.
Heather and Kristen and I were awesome, I was pretty ON with my host-game DESPITE also dealing with all of the above… they had ALL the toppings for the chicken and waffles and the chicken was perfectly done.
And holy shit, Chuck’s feature set, backed by Dave Benham and Kristen + the talents of a very phenomenal dancer – it was stunning. It was goosebumpily powerful and then hilarious.
I regret not having the hard drive. The recording off the camera does NOT satisfy – and it makes me wonder if it’s worth it working on the footage (though I’m gonna work on some of the footage). I’d set up my SLR to take video for most of the night and was experimenting with an old lens that I hadn’t used in a year or so… even when the SLR wasn’t tied up taking video, it took me about half the night before I was taking decent photos with that lens. I’m just out of practice… I found my game eventually, and I think outside – the audience never knew anything was amiss – but damn, my tech game falters.
Incredible night. No better way to rekindle Teavolve for 2018, and though it wasn’t blatantly stated, kind of the best way to do a Martin Luther King day as well.
If only I’d had the damned hard drive.
