I was lucky to pick up a relatively recent gig at a gathering in Shimerville, PA. A very nice woman, patron of the arts (her husband is a sculptor) and a lady who’s bank hired me for a gig in May hired me for a private party – three hours on a late afternoon in September. Chilly, but a gathering of interesting friends and family on the back lawn of an old PA house along Rt. 100. Heaven – a stone’s throw from the highway.
I set up my chair and before I even started folks came up and connected with me in so many warm, wonderful and amazing ways. Little Feat fanatic, Tom Rush fan, and many other sparks amongst the folks.
The really unique moment happened when I spoke to a young women who was music teacher at a Germantown Friends school. …that’s immediate ‘hip-edu-cred’ in my book, on several levels. Someone relayed to the gathering ensemble that I was from CT. The usual feelers went out and we played “narrow-it-down”. CT. Madison. North Madison. (this was getting REAL close) Princess Drive. Bang.
“I grew up on Princess Drive!” Damn. That’s local.
Even though it seems she lived there before I moved there, we shared quite a few neural connections, disconnected only by time. Cosmic “whodathunk?”
I also figured out, performance-wise, that’s its okay for me to not play, and conncect with the folks at the party. It’s part of the gig, and an enjoyable part as well. We recall old times when I played somewhere with some band in some situation. Or we share common family experiences.We just connect.
The breaks in the music also add to the diversity of the general sound of the party (‘turn off the jukebox!), and increase the intellectual intercourse of the evening. I spent the night trying to find my various acoustic zones amongst the different areas – cook fire, dining under the trees, camp fire. Interesting performance choices.
I like these gigs. and it was artistic work.