I’m setting up for open mic night, realizing I’ve not brought one little dangly cable because I’m a terribly unorganized human, then realize that that SIMPLY means we’re only webcasting with a single camera tonight and that’s bloody well better than MOST open mics.
The world will survive this.
The open mics have been going long enough at the Spark for me to be able to troubleshoot basic problems for the teachers and to be a little bit territorial about the space. To feel comfortable with getting here EXTREMELY early and making a mess. It’s my way.
My friend Ana is in from Sweden and actually, in a FIT of kindness, I’ve let her borrow my Saturn for a month so she can get back and forth to all her tasks and things – but it means that I’m somewhat beholden to other peoples’ schedules – e.g. getting to the Spark crazy early and being territorial about it. (not awfully so, just… always annoyed how not EVERYONE respects the space as well as we do!)
In any case… on with the night!
We do this every Tuesday in Takoma Park, MD and tonight’s no different! 2 songs / 10 minutes whichever’s shorter, and though earlier in the evening it felt kind of sparse, the night filled in nicely. Featured artist Elena de la Fulana brought a couple of HER musical circle and we got a decidedly more Latin flavour over the course of the night, including Laura Luv who we’d last seen as part of our IMT : LIVE series over the course of the HEART of the Pandemic. It was good to see her in person!
Great night of music, but a glitch in one of the speakers – that’s frankly showed up here and there in the past – became decidedly problematic tonight, to the point that during Eric Greene’s set I pulled one of the monitors off the stage and tilted it back into the room.
Though I THINK Dave and I have found a working rhythm with him running sound and me dealing with the cameras and general hosting duties, when it comes to problem-solving, we are DEFINITELY not on the same channel, and our approaches to things are decidedly different. Flipping the monitor in a small room is an easy fix, especially since we’ve got separate mixes, but you’ve then got to remember which (new) mix is the room, and that the OLD room mix DOES still matter because it effects the webstream!
Le sigh.
But the music is amazing. Be amazed by the MUSIC.
