Where's the most interesting place you've played?

spookelele

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Another hobby of mine is photography, and today, one of the groups I follow had this pic posted.

ukegirl.jpg

So... what's the craziest place you've noodled?
Got Pix?

Maybe we can all get inspired to get out there more.
 
Strictly on ukulele, there isn't any place out of the ordinary that I've played at, that I'd consider "interesting" per se.

On bass, one of my favorite places was a monastery that was built in the 1600s (I think?) in France (was touring Europe with a symphony) for two nights, where we recorded a live album. There is something very sacred about playing music in a place that is that old. I also got to be an artist-in-residence at the Telluride Jazz Festival. Telluride as a town is just AMAZING in terms of views and landscape.
 
Gigs?

School principal's conference in a big city hotel/convention centre. Totally lifeless audience.

Dance studio. Trained dancers, fun to watch.

Museum lecture halls. Studious audience.

Biker club. Attentive and appreciative audience, free food and drink, volunteer roadies.

Provincial Park. Early start and finish, all ages, discreet drinking.

Arts and crafts festival. Open air, weird questions like "Is that a banjo?" when it was a mandolin.

Non gigs?

National and provincial parks, forests, boats and canoes, campgrounds, cottages, beaches, back seat of a car on a road trip, etc.

I once had a non-music day job in school maintenance where I refused a transfer to a different building because there wasn't a good piano there. When the higher-ups expressed their disgust I exercised my union right to stay where I was...unpaid night shift meal breaks would be boring without a piano. On the whole they must have liked me as they rehired me twice, for decidedly non-musical reasons.
 
These are probably not really unusual places, but I played the Dennis Kamakahi song "Koke'e" at Koke'e State Park in Kaua'i. last summer, a group of us took the Ferry from San Francisco to Angel Island. We played on the ferry and on the island.
 
Playing guitar and ukulele at my stepdaughter's wedding.

On the beach, Ko Olina on Oahu. Then, after the reception, a few of us went up to Cholo's (Just down the street from HMS!) and drank margaritas and sang/played in the parking lot.

I guess that was more weird than interesting, but . . .

And we did have a lot of good response from the tourists.

bobibde
 
Nothing dramatic for me. I picked up a Kala KA-T for the UAB and was playing it in the store as we walked around and shopped. Got some strange looks and a lot of smiles.
 
I was thinking about it while I waited for that picture to come up, as I have a slow connection, but as soon as I saw it, I though, "I have nothing."
 
I was thinking about it while I waited for that picture to come up, as I have a slow connection, but as soon as I saw it, I though, "I have nothing."

It's ok. I have nothing as crazy as that pic either. But.. I'm thinking I might change that a bit. The idea of going places and playing in beautiful spots is incredibly appealing to me and I was hoping to get some ideas from the UU community.
 
on my toilet!
 
On the Golden Princess' Alaska Ukulele Cruise, in the Skywalker Club, waaay up on Deck 17, watching dolphins jump in the ship's wake. Wonderful.
 
Definitely the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center in downtown L.A. I feel classy being able to say I played there. Well, I had a few friends with me. :p

T27VV65.jpg
 
One of the dining rooms in the UK House of Commons. Though technically it was an after-dinner speech with (requested) uke additions. I took my Timms so that Ken could boast that his uke had been played in Parliament.
 
In the back of a pedal powered rickshaw/taxi in downtown Charleston. Got stopped by a train and played 3-4 songs for a large group of tourists also waiting on the train. Of course we played The Charleston. Did it on the way to and from the market to the aquarium and back.
 
Strawberry Fields in Central Park - played Imagine on my Silvertone.
 
While parasailing. The pic has been posted here a few times. Not sure where it is.
 
In a wonderful yarn shop called Purlesence, in Sunnyvale, CA with Dave and Mel (TCK & TCW), in front of Ukulele Source in San Jose, CA with TCK and Gary Yoshida, and for The Little White Uke around The World, playing "The E-RI-E Canal" in part of the old Erie Canal bed, just outside Schenectady.

I'll play wherever I don't get kicked out.


-Kurt​
 
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