Dispatch from the First Show
ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, Stage 1, NYC, April 19, 2017: We had such a great turnout -- many friends from the present and the past -- and the distant past. Even fellow jurors from the crazy long civil case I was on for months showed up.
Fifteen minutes to squeeze past the departing band and set up, and no sound check. But the staff at Rockwood have done this thousands of times and get a great sound quickly. I was nervous and spacey but tried to stay focused.
We charged out of the gate with Run Run, then I had a crackling and failing sound from my guitar -- a pesky input jack connection from my ancient Gibson ES-335 (for those who care about gear). I tried to stay cool, the crowd were patient, and I figured out the right tension on the cord to get the sound back. And so we pressed on....
It was great finally to play live. The band was tight and together. I used to be paralyzed with fear when it came to singing solo in front of people, so I think I've made a lot of progress :-). I forgot the occasional lyric, but overall I think it went well. I got the feeling I was playing a lot of guitar solos, but I tried to make each one work for the song. The crowd seemed to like the show. I welcome any feedback from folks who were there.
I'll be posting videos of the songs over the next few weeks. In the meantime, here's the set list:
- Run Run
- Caramel and Fleur de Sel
- Birthday Suit
- It Was True
- I Am More Than This
- Let'em Roll
- How the Other Half Live
- The Jake Shuffle
- Back to Loving
Sadly we dropped Three Girls due to time - partly the time spent getting my guitar to work. Next time!
Now I just want to do it again and make it better. Watch this space for news of a next gig. And BIG thanks to everyone who came out.