I had enough energy after the 4 hour gig in the morning, a jazz concert in the afternoon and dinner with Jesse Grim to play two songs for the packed OM on Sunday at Godfrey’s. Some really close friends were there but some weird ones, too, so I played and bugged out. Self protection after a long day of music.
I did Ireland, one that was fun to dig out and play, recently at the FM in Hellertown that morning, and invited the host Ed McEnry to sit in on and play the lead. Though we’ve never played together, I’ve heard him back up Bill Hall and trusted him to listen and play…. which he did most admirably.It has a false ending on it, when you pick up the beat as people applaud, and lay into another instrumental. I did it, and then quickly pulled out of it, saying it was a real ‘NO NO’ to do that at an OM. I though it was a particularly funny meta-moment.
I followed with Put the Frack Back, on the heels of my gig at the demonstration on Saturday, and had even more fun with it. The OM audience is ready to play along and did well. And, it is again so much fun to play with an audience, get them out of their shell and have them respond, and, importantly,to take over the lead. I gradually relinquished vocal parts to them, and Ed played lead guitar over them. I was out of the vocal sound track, except for my rhythm guitar. It was a studio experience at an open mike. I worked up a sweat in two songs.
Folk music is always a laboratory that I feel comfortable in.