I was hired by the Center City Lehigh Valley folks for an afternoon event in a small park in downtown Allentown known as Arts Walk. It’s a beautiful renewal project of hip shops, upscale apartment buildings and this small piece of greenery (with an even smaller dog space that apartment dwellers relieved their pooches). A nice sound system, several rows of chairs and nobody around on a very chilly and windy day.

I launched into my good stuff in front of a handful of folks but it was brutally cold for them. After a while one mom and her three kids came by to decorate pumpkins and I invited them up to play instruments and gathered them into the situation. They made my day as well as the promoter’s.

As I finished up my two hours before the next act, a college vocal group, I struggled to play strong in spite of my frozen pick fingers. I closed my eyes and focused on the tune. When I opened my eyes, all of a sudden the empty seats in front of me were filled with college students. I commented that one should never close one’s eyes on stage. I finished with ‘Hey Now’ and the students became my back up singers for this last song. It was a cool finish to a very cold two hour performance.

Now off to Catasauqua for my 4 pm gig at George Taylor House.