Tonight was a LOT of fun. Stunning weather, decent sound if I DO say so myself, a great stage courtesy of Jimmy Stewart, and incredible talent thanks to rob’s Open Mic alumni, or at least the local contingent thereof. I worry that I’ve lost a little bit of my grace, my banterificness, and apparently I didn’t laugh much – but I THINK I kept all the plates spinning, and only one person caught fire and it was just a little bit.
The night was not about me. It shouldn’t have been and it wasn’t. The open mics never are. They are very much my way of saying “open mics built me and what I can do and how I’m ‘allowed’ to Live”. I learned my first chords at open mics, I learned how to use a microphone, how to run a PA. I met everyone in my band at open mics (except my wife, Kristen). It’s allowed me to exist the way I exist.
But now I’m beginning to realize that a lot of MY regulars are hitting that point that I reached years ago, saying “thank you to this thing that taught me how to use a microphone, how to run a PA, how to Live stream” and… that thanks really poured out tonight. I’m not going to take credit for anyone’s talent, or the spectacular stage that Jimmy built, or anyone’s chops – but tonight wouldn’t have happened without what we’ve all come together to do, and I’m so grateful to Jimmy, Dave Benham, and others who really pushed me to keep the open mics going in a virtual format, and to Rowan who helped me figure out a way to do it. It may have literally saved Lives.
But damn it, ilyAIMY’s overdriven. Le sigh. It’s ALMOST like I still need someone to run sound when I’m on stage.
Jimmy did an amazing job – felt KIND of bad because I kept threatening to go over and help, but it turned into me just coming over to see what he’d built! I’d popped by a ways in advance and was impressed with the stage. Below – popping by on the 18th to be impressed by the LIGHTS he’d added to the impressive stage…
And then I dropped by on the 22nd because he’d added a projector and lasers…
SoooOOOOooo the night of the show all *I* had to do was add a dozen or so performers, sound and cameras and more lights!!!
