Fifth Sunday brings out the Vintage Open Mike at Godfrey’s. So’s I host the OM just like the old day’s. ….which is what ever I think it was.
Two songs tonight, cause I have to leave at 5:30 the next morning for CT. I have to emcee, do sound, and play, so it’s a gig. I opened with songs I wasn’t going to play for the toddlers the next morning. I reprised (after 20 years) one of my favorite and heaviest Bruce Cockburn songs If I had a Rocket Launcher. A brutally frank, and musically intense song I did in my Cannon’s Bar day’s. I did ramble on a bit about Bruce’s introduction for me to radical music/politics, and how this song about US/CIA/Central America relations changed my perspective. It’s also a very cool guitar song.
I followed with Smokin’ Babies, another song I wouldn’t be playing the next day. I invited Ansel up, and now, not doing sound at the same time, asked him to play sans mike. I’ve actually done this before, in a way, calling on my friend Ron Anthony to play a lead from the audience. There’s a very neat dynamic involved. I had to pull back from my PA sound down to the acoustic level, and he has to step up to the room with his unamplified harp. communication…..
A wonderful open mike followed with wonderful moments from everyone, from a first-open mike lady, to old pros, surprises, a guy from France, and everyone stepping up their show. Tom Walz, Mance, Ansel, Jason, Binomial Bill and several new faces.