I headed up to New Tripoli for my second gig at Hackett Winery. It’s nice to see what a month of rain has done to the vines and look forward to the monthly progression of the growing season. Unfortunately, there was no growth in my audience. I played for about eight people during my three hours and the food truck that was supposed to be here had major engine problems and couldn’t make it.
The weather was cloudy and there was a slight chance of sprinkles. I started with one couple but was tickled when old friends Pat and Cher Ashcroft showed up early on. Pat and Cher performed in Godfrey’s early days and were quit professional – Cher’s great voice and Pat’s deft guitar picking. So I was glad that they were there and gave me the challenge to play for them. Pat no longer performs in public but plays in their basement every day and continues lessons with some fine jazz guitarists in the Valley.
I asked Pat to come up and play some tunes. He really nailed Killing Me Softly, a Spanish piece and a Beatles instrumental. As I was listening with Cher, she said she’s the only one who hears him and cherishes those moments. It was also cool to hear someone else play my guitar and appreciate its sound from afar.
As things wound down, I chatted with the woman who was left running the evening and connected with her about taking wedding vows with Elvis in Las Vegas, something she wants to do on her 5th anniversary. I got paid and slunk back to Bethlehem, once again questioning my ability to attract an audience in the Lehigh Valley. Still, I got to hammer on my repertoire for close to three hours and that’s a good thing.