Another opportunity

Rllink

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Interesting afternoon. Several days ago I got a message from someone who I did not recognize, telling me that there was an open mic at this old grain storage elevator out on the edge of town that a bunch has been converting into an art commune of sorts. So open mic was between 1:00 and 3:00. Then they were going to have a band after the open mic. The person suggested it might be a good fit for me. So this afternoon was 57 degrees and raining, but I packed up my ukulele, my set book, and I brought along a 20’ guitar chord too, just in case. I got there a little after 1:00 and the whole place struck me as strange, Lots of animal bones hanging from the ceiling, and an alter of sorts right in front of the stage, with animal bones, strange drawings, candles, and what looked like some offerings. It was a huge room with concrete walls that were decorated with graffiti, old traffic signs, just eclectic stuff scattered around. Maybe not so strange though when one realizes that one of their group walked out on the tracks a few months ago and waited for the train to come. So maybe the alter was for him. I don't know.

So there was a young lady singing and playing the guitar when I got there, and she did three or four songs while I was there, and I think they were her own songs. But that is half a set. Then a fellow got up there and did three or four songs, and about half way through his songs, a drummer and a bass player went up and joined him. So then when it was my turn the bass player helped me get plugged in and she acted as a sound person, getting me balanced out pretty well I thought. There was a train going right by outside, so after it got passed I decided that I would start out with “City of New Orleans”, a good train song in a minor key on a rainy cold day. Then I did “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,” and followed that up with “House of Gold”. And then I was going to quit, but they encouraged me to do another, as I think that I was it. Not a big showing. So I did “Don’t Think Twice,” by Bob Dylan. By then another fellow had shown up while I was playing that last song, with a guitar and he did two songs. They tried to get him to do more, but that is all he had.

So that was all done by two, and the band that was going to follow it up was the house band and they made up half the audience for the open mic, and in fact, the woman who was playing when I got there was also a band member, so they just started early. I sat around for the first set, and they were pretty good. I liked them. The drummer told me during the break that they were working on building a sound studio for practice and recording in the old building. I thought that would be a nice thing to have access to. He said that they were going to try to keep it free, or at the most just charge cost for using it. They seem to have nice equipment, so if that is any indication of what this studio is going to have, it is looking good. They are hoping to get it done this winter. I offered to help, thinking I might learn something. So that was my afternoon. You know, I almost didn’t go out there, what with the rain and cold, but I did, and I’m glad that I did. These people are very nice people, very supportive, and I think that they are going to create something out there.

My newest goal is to go busking, or do a gig or an open mic, that is so common place in my life that I don't run home and post it on UU because I'm so excited by it.
 
An altar with bones, etc. Yes Clarisse, come on in. :rolleyes:
Yep, that is the feeling I got too. I thought that I might have been at the crossroads, but no such luck. I tried to fingerpick two of the songs and for some reason my fingers didn't want to do it. I had to switch to strumming right in the middle of the first verse of both songs. Dang, it went so well that last time. That's okay, I'm a pretty good strummer. It was seamless, no one noticed. I keep telling myself that. Adventures in performing.:D
 
Good for you Rolli, congrats for putting yourself out there.
We had open mic this morning at our local uke group. A few of us got up to perform. I thought I was doing alright till I listened to a recording later. I sang one verse off key. I did get back in key later and my uke playing was alright.

One of these days I work up enough nerve to try open mic at a local dive

Right now your efforts are my inspiration. So keep reporting on your adventures. I am sure others are getting value from your stories as well.
 
That's a really cool story Rolli! I am proud of you for getting up and going there, as well as seeing it through even though the place seemed weird.

Maybe they are trying to make it into a 'voodoo lounge'.

I dont know if I would have stayed if I got a strange vibe, but morbid curiosity might have dominated my sense of self-preservation, you know, just to see how weird it was (thinking it would make a good story :)).

I cant get out much lately for these kinds of performances and jams, so I am sort of vicariously living through your experience, and wanted to thank you for letting me be a passenger on your journey. :music:
 
All I could think of was "True Detectives" with Mathew McConnaugh and Woody Harlson........that was one intense creepy TV series.

Thanks for sharing Rooli, it really is inspiring. It is so great that you keep putting yourself out there and pusshing the envelope. I enjoyed the full description of interior of the building, you shoulda done, Witchy Woman or Voodoo Child.:mad:
 
Thanks for all the support. I really appreciate it. I'm just trying to put myself out there where I can share my music with people, so I'm looking for every opportunity. I'm not being picky about it, and I'm getting quite the education. I really like the feel that one gets from performing live. It seems that each time I perform it generates another, so it has taken on a life of it's own. This morning somebody from yesterday sent me a message on Facebook about a vintage record store downtown that is looking for performers for Sunday evenings. I'm going to check it out tonight and see what is going on there. I'm also meeting a lot of other musicians, which is fun as well.
 
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