I have deep roots at the Burnside Plantation, the site of the Blueberry Festival, and I was glad to be re-invited back to this year’s event. I was scheduled for a 12 noon set following my good friends, formerly the kids band No Pressure, now called Project 3 Squared. The kids are allright.
I got on stage with a guitar, my bag o’ toys and small audience. I encouraged one small boy, Pepe, to come up and grab some instruments. He slowly came up, and then, for the rest of the set, became enamored with the scarves. He got them all out. I asked him to give some out them out the audience, and he actually did. He spent the rest of the set making piles of instruments and scarves on various seats. He was on a mission.
Another young girl, with some learning differences, came up front and really got into shaking and dancing. When I asked her up for Giant and some Thundertubing, she really got into it, shaking the tube and herself. It was wonderful theater and the audience picked up on it. Again, there were some fine moments throughout the set, but the crowd wandered, ate their pie and ice cream and drifted off. A tough day on stage.
Keeping an audience for a full set is next to impossible these days. Attention spans are at a minimum and that makes for a big difference in the actual show and eventual CD sales. No one is around at the end of the set for any sales possibilities, let alone the opportunity to complete the performance circle of the show. I ended up doing some of my adult material at the end since there were few kids left. I was glad to collect my check and head out to see some of my jazz friends play near by.