I had a couple of back to back gigs in Bethlehem on Saturday, in front of tens of people, and I was glad to make it work. My friend Bill Medei asked me to do a freebie at Illicks Mill for Earth Day at noon and then I got a paying gig at the Chili Fest on the SouthSide at 1 pm, so I was a bit cramped for time. Luckily, thanks to the rain, I moved indoors into the Mill for my set, started at early with an informal acoustic set. My good friend Sam Steffen was to follow me, so I played a couple of songs and asked if he could come up and swap songs with me. Indeed, it’s more fun to play than sit, so he obliged. It made for a really nice set. A fellow musician Paul Thiessen was there with his kids, so we brought out the bag and engaged his son and daughter as well. It was so fine to share some time with Sam. I packed up and headed for the SouthSide.
The “Spring on Fourth” Chili Festival was in gear when I made it to the Godfreys stage along the Greenway for my set with Ed McKendry at 1 pm. Thanks to Mike Duck, I didn’t have to run sound the whole day, and we set up for our set. The Chili contest was happening up and down 4th Street but not much happening on the Greenway, and, with the spotty rain, practically no audience. Nonetheless, it was a treat to play with Ed. We did a nice set of acoustic tunes, including a spontaneous, unrehearsed version of Here Comes the Sun. Thank god for our collective DNA.
Since I was responsible for the PA, I hung out for the duration and the final Chili Pepper Contest. It ended in a tie. Too hot for me!
Holy Infancy Dinner later tonight, a half block away.