I needed some time in front of a real (bar room) audience so I trucked down to one of my favorite jams in this wonderful Delaware River community. Andy has constructed a warm community of acoustic music-appreciation folks on a steady Wednesday night in PA. Great respect to a friend who is trying to make a difference in his own local. And he has friends with chops. too.
This venue has recently changed hands and has made an effort to link food sales with profitability on a Wednesday night. Several weeks ago I was told to drink my coffee at the bar instead of the performance room. That really pissed me off. I thought I was adding to the general good with my performance. Nope. I considered leaving.
But my respect for Andy and what he is trying to do here in his neighborhood, and for the joy of playing with him and Mitch on bass brought me back tonight. Also the irrepressible Nadine.
I settled in with my ginger ale, laying low and enjoyed some seta with some new friends and then plugged in for my set. I decided to do some songs with Andy that we might do for our Godfreys’ MF set in August. Don’t Call Me Early in the Morning, Barrelhouse Blues and Rosie is a Friend of Mine, tunes that we will do down the line, but also great tunes to play in a bar in a listening situation. We nailed them in a loose way, established some nice musical connections and made some very fine music in a quiet river town along the Delaware on a Wednesday night in June.
That’s a good night for me. Small town, big time.