July 21st, 2019.

A pool in Silver Spring, MD – hot, but breezy! Ish! We had a great show here last weekend.

Oh, venue owners, forsooth and verily, let’s work together on this.

Sky Stage was absolutely exquisite last weekend… once the sun went down!

Cause holy crap, it’s hot.

And it’s hit the weekends, which really has been painful. It’s maybe worse than snow – a little more like thunderstorms. With snow I can look out the window and say “nope, can’t get there from here”. Rain can be a little bit iffier, but thunderstorms will cancel the outdoor gigs. You look at the chances for rain and you make the call and everyone understands.

But holy crap, when it’s hot?

The venue owners are making all SORTS of calls. Do we bother with an outdoor server? Do we crank the AC and incur extra expense or do we hold to our median guns and risk our guests being a little uncomfortable?

Hence Rowan and I wore NO pants. I don’t know the provenance of Rowan’s colours, but my Utilikilt came to me when my friend Paul died. He was a member of the Pyrates Royale and happily passed it to me after a conversation about the trials and tribulations of working as a WORKING musician outdoors.

I wish SOMEWHERE in their minds was “call the musician and let them know what’s up!” – and maybe that’s on us? Snowstorm, I call in… thunderstorm in the forecast? I start asking about inclement weather clauses – but when it’s sun and humidity – well, it’s written into our contract but there are plenty of venues don’t use OUR contract, and we’re the last things on their minds I’m sure.

Heather playing at a pool party in Silver Spring, MD where soon, the sun was nowhere to be found….

Last weekend ilyAIMY played three outdoor shows. The temperatures on the low side were the high eighties, and on the high side climbed swiftly through the nineties – and with humidity added in gathered in an extra ten degrees to boot. We prepped. We chatted about shade, we powered up the fan, we chugged ice water, we applied sun screen, we brought an extra tent.

The morning after Sky Stage we played in the courtyard for a brunch show in Ellicott City. Well-designed shelter made the whole thing bearable, plus we brought some extra gear, PLUS they kept bringing us PITCHERS of water!

Heather Lloyd prepped to play in the sweltering summer heat. Her Taylor (unlike her Martin) seems to LOVE this stuff and sounds best when it’s hot and humid. Plus, once it’s adjusted, as long as it’s not IN the sun, it keeps its tuning pretty well to boot. My CA of course – is not an issue.

Friday night was great! A pool party in Silver Spring that was such a better event than “pool party” implies. It was a genuine music gathering… the pool was closed and people gathered the deck chairs and it was wonderful to let my PA system really let it do its thing, throwing our voices to the masses. I’d been worried about the sun and temperatures, but only because I hadn’t been clear on the WHEN of our performances. The sun was setting behind the building behind us while we were setting up, and though we sweated, it was absolutely manageable and we had a great time.

Saturday night was great! Sky Stage! We sweated, but we had a great time! I sweated my nails off. Again and again and again. Though we played for half an hour longer than expected, we ended up playing FEWER songs than initially planned and I think that’s specifically because it took me extra time to swap finger picks over and over and over again. Still, an evening show is an evening show and NOT being exposed to direct sunlight… well, it makes a difference.

Rowan was my featured artist at Teavolve on Monday night. The sunshine has become an issue at Teavolve too – for three years our direct sunshine quotient has been dropped by construction in the area – but last week or so we discovered that it was being blocked by temporary scaffolding – and now the room is struck by the full force of the sun every evening – but the shades we used to have are long gone.

So Sunday was brutal. The “feels like” temperature hit a hundred by noon and our gig was from 11-2. We took slightly longer breaks and Heather brought a tent so along with the two sunbrellas already on stage, we had complete coverage. It was brutal, but we did it. We drank a lot of water, I strapped the nails on EXTRA good, we made sure our speakers were covered and… huzzah!

Teavolve on Monday, July 15th. Sooo many blended drinks…

And people were there. The courtyard has coverage and is attached to a venue that sells cold drinks (our sponsors – thank you Little Market Café) and an ice cream shop. The glade is kind of a welcome oasis right on the way to the major parking lot for Ellicott City. It wasn’t as packed as it has been, but our fans came out and plenty of people were there.

Playing D&D on Wednesday night – between the heat and the storms, power was out at the DM’s house, but we played by candle light and consoled the cats till the lights came back on. Frankly – it was better this way!

Thursday afternoon driving into the demons that hovered over Wilmington, DE for the Ladybug Festival.

THIS weekend… was a different animal. It was another ten degrees hotter and everyone was sick of it. Most of my friends’ out-door gigs, art walks, regular outdoor events – most were canceled. Thursday night’s show at the Ladybug Festival – at first I was feeling pretty shafted by our location, but after sweating my ass off to catch Joy Ike on the main (outdoor) stage, I was very, very grateful to be indoors.

This little corner of Wilmington has some fascinating abandoned buildings.
Enjoyed just wandering some abandoned lots on the outskirts of the festival.
Ladybug Fest’s main stage is getting sound checked.
The other outdoor stage… great sound but it’s just gross outside!
One of my favourite finds of the day, Tanqueray Hayward.
There was a tiny edge of SXSWishness to the day, just wandering down the street, poking our heads in to see a bunch of different musicians.
Joy and Peace Ike on the Main Stage.
A new favourite – Hot Breakfast is frighteningly charming.
Though we already Internet Knew one another, catching Amanda Duncan Live was the perfect was to cap off the evening at Ladybug Fest in Wilmington, DE.

Friday, Rowan and I drove up to play a gig in Lancaster. When we rolled in they mention the thing they should’ve mentioned three months ago : draw is mainly reliant on the artist… and then mentioned the thing they should’ve mentioned earlier today : what local draw we DO get is from the Third Friday Art Walk, but because of the heat ALL the events were canceled… and then we discovered the thing that even the venue didn’t know : except the ONE central event which is literally within eyeshot of our glass-fronted venue – and EARSHOT during our quiet songs.

So…. We didn’t play to a lot of people.

Jimmy Stewart and Kam Hassan performing at Germano’s in Baltimore, MD.

Last night I ran sound for Jimmy Stewart in Baltimore. We guerillaed the thermostat and the room was pretty reasonable till about half way through the night when the venue spotted what we’d done and switched it back. The room was sweltering by halfway through the second set and between that and Jimmy’s very beautiful, but chill, sound – the audience visibly wilted and lost steam.

Ah, Little Italy…

Meanwhile Heather : Heather’s been playing the wine and bar and farmer’s market gigs that I just don’t enjoy. Sounds like Friday was populated, but not interested. I’ve heard muchly about her making 1/7 the normal amount of money in tips. Last night she got moved inside (a very tight fit) and… well, this was something they could’ve told her in advance so she could’ve planned around it. And today – almost none of the food vendors have shown up…. And again, I’m assuming Farmers Markets are organized enough that they could’ve mentioned this? Because people ARE staying away. SOMEONE knew it was going to be dead… either the vendors knew people weren’t coming and decided not to come (and someone should’ve told Heather) or people knew the vendors weren’t coming, and decided not to come (and someone should’ve told Heather).

Ugh. I feel for her. But really, venue owners? Let us in on the knowledge if you have half the number of reservations from normal, or if vendors are canceling, or… whatever. It’d be great to know a little more because you paying us to play to an empty space? It doesn’t make ANYONE happy.

Last weekend it took all the rest of Sunday and into Monday to feel “normal” again. I’m frankly worried about Heather THIS weekend. We’ve got band practice this evening. If she’s red and roasted, we’ll know more.