Thursday was a rare evening gig for the band. We usually do morning or afternoon assemblies but sometimes do a family night. Actually, the parents enjoy the show as much as the kids, so it’s all right for us. They just aren’t well attended events, though, due to busy family schedules and routines.
There were only 40 folks for the 6:30 show and after a two hour drive, there wasn’t much energy to feed off of, unlike 300 kids in an assembly situation. So my job is to supply that zest, engage the parents, kids and toddlers. The show involves a bit of historical exposition so I have to balance the edu-speak with the music.
The band does a good job on their part and those in the audience get to see a professional band playing a variety of styles of music well. That in itself makes for an interesting evening, and the kids do get up and dance.
I left at 4 pm and got back at 9:30 so it was a long trip for a 50 minute set of music. Beats not playing, though.