I returned to Das Awkscht Fescht in Macungie for midday kids show in the grove. It was raining on and off, so I was not sure I’d be able to do the show. As it turns out, it was, again, one of those intimate gatherings (when’s the last time I did a big show, come to think of it?) that I seem to excel in.
We figured that we couldn’t use a sound system, so we found some dry spots under some nice park trees in the grove. We moved some benches around and set up a space.
So, I did a rain-shortened set in one place for some fan/family kids, with nice interaction, but not SHOW TIME stuff. That’s okay. It’s the communication that will hopefully be the lasting memory. I broke a string, show it broken and then got to change it, explain what I was doing, tune it up and play again. When does that ever happen it SHOW TIME? These moments inform my art.
After a slight delay – I found myself wanting to play and not wanting to just pack it up – I did another set under a slightly drier tree. Again, there were a few families, a grandma and grand kid, folks listening at picnic tables behind me. And we played together.
I had a youngster show up with his very patient parents. He’s a fan. He was at the PYT camp, and several recent gigs and is totally in tune with what I’m doing. I found out from his mom, a former teacher who has seen me several times in school, and now many times as a mom, that he’s been coming to see me forever. I inquired as to if he’s taking music lessons and I was glad to hear that it’s piano.