Profound Thought

[pdub]

You folks are all just too kind, making such a big deal out of it.

Dan, do a MapQuest or a GPS entry or something. It's a dadgum long way from Wilmington to Athens TN on the highway, and we live in Cleveland, a town town 25+ miles farther away than that.

And before any of us get too carried away about it, I still need confirmation. I sent the restaurant owner some of the links to the videos that Gail enjoyed, and I don't know if he's had a chance to see them yet. I called there this afternoon to see if he wanted me to play there or not, and he wasn't available. I talked with his Oriental wife, who barely speakee de Englee. It was a struggle, the phone conversation.

So if/when I hear back from him I'll know if we're on or off. He's The Man, after all.

This place is on the town square in Athens, and decades ago it used to be a whore house. It's a piece of history. Very fancy and very ornate. Huge polished oak columns holding up the bottom floor where the reataurant is, fancy. The old motel/whorehouse was on the upper floors of the building. A beautiful piece of history in the great South.

I'm afraid the BangShift T-shirt is not dressy enough for that setting.

But again, let's not get overbaked getting geared up over it. The oriental lady wants me to make and bring my own flyers (photos to put in the windows by the street, announcing my upcoming performance), but we's still waiting on Mr. Big to say come on.

Just the idea is thrilling, and that will/would be so much fun, but we're not officially there yet. Remain calm. We'll see.

[Pumpkin]

pdub, try looking into Chattanooga for places to play also. Lots of coffee shops, etc..

[DanStokes]

Like a vulture, I'm in a holding pattern waiting to feast. If the timing works out we (ME and I) may be on our way from Wilmington to Up North for Grandkid spoiling so we might be able to detour thru Athens. And a chance to hang out in a "House of Ill Repute" - priceless!

Dan

[pdub]

Dan, I'm sorry, there's still no confirmation.

I've called the restaurant three times this evening. Twice the owner was on the road to there from somewhere, phone answered by young-sounding guys who really didn't know what the heck about anything.

Third time, the owner was there but he's now busy cooking. I can understand that.

Dan, what's it like dealing with bar/restaurant owners tryng to get booked? I've played out maybe a hundred times in the past but it was never me who actually communicated with the owner to get the gig booked.

Unit's getting pissed, the guy doesn't call me back or respond in any way. I for one don't know how to play the game. He doesn't know my name or what I even do, and I guess there's hungry "musicians" on him all the time, wanting to play for money...don't want to irritate him and call him so many times till he doesn't want to deal with me at all....

Dang. He was so loose, yeah, sure come on and play. But it was ME who said, watch the videos and see what you're gonna get. I delayed the process that way. I just need to hear it's a "go," and I haven't heard that yet.

This sucks. At this point, anyway. It won't suck if it happens. I need some final word, go or no, and I have more questions. I talked with the guy's wife and she says we need flyers. Who sets the price for admission at the door? I have no idea what I'm doing.

And I played so hard this evening my fingers are beat to shreds. I'm remembering, remembering how to play. At my age the words to the songs are harder to remember.

Won't know anything tonight. Dadgummit. Dan, the minute we know anything I'll let you know so you can set your plans. On another note, I've offered practically anybody on BangShift a room at our house if passing through. And you and your wife would surely be on the top of that list.

If this goes off, I'm going to ask my brother if he'd like to play half of the show and offer him the extra bedroom that we have at the house. He'd be coming from South Carolina. If he was interested in doing it. He's a player, too. A danged good one. Got no idea if he'd do it. More limbo, can't ask until I know what if anything we're gonna do.

But it's all so much in the air....this type of limbo drives me crazy. It reminds me of a day at work, only this is all about havng fun. Supposed to be. Driving me crazy, the limbo.

[pdub]

Okay, I have news. It's been a great a bit of excitement here and there but..

Dan, throw your calendar away and go north. The peewee gig in Athens is not going to happen. I've re-learned my lesson about counting your chickens before they hatch, and I'm really good with it. A lesson, re-learned. Dang, that was was a pisser trying to finally get in touch with him.

I finally got the bar restaurant/bar owner on the phone and he acknowledged that he'd been running all around and real busy and did in fact view the videos I sent him.

And he straightforwardly said that my act was something he would not be at all interested in booking there. And he was very nice about saying it. That's why I sent him the videos, I wanted him to see what he was going to get.

He was less than interested.

In retrospect, maybe I should have just walked in and played at it and just seen what happened, without letting him see what he was going to get. I dunno, I don't know how to play the game

I dunno. It's not all that disappointing, not all that big of a surprise. My buddy and I when we were playing out in South Carolina, we got the same treatment when we were playing out, but we got it more from the crowd than from the bar owner - "I've never heard that song before.....can you do Free Bird?"

Oh well.

Dang. Now I'm not sure what's next. I sure don't HAVE to play music. And that's a good thing. Maybe I should really genuinely offer somebody money to let me play. I was only kidding about doing that in this case, by the way. Maybe I should try that.

It's not the first time in my life I've been excited excited excited about something, and then it's a trip down a dirt road after all. Not the first time, and I'm sure that's true for all of us on earth. And I did it to myself. I'm always doing it to myself, it seems.

[JOES66FURY]

Pee-Wee, my grandpa was an old picker from way back, self taught. He used to play for me and my cousins when I was a pup. Anyway, he and his twin brother used to play for some local churches....used to pick some old timey country gospel stuff and some religious based country and they would float him a few bucks....He also played at a place who had an open mic night of sorts. It was some folks who met at a Sons of Columbus hall and a group of good ol' boys and girls would show up and pick and sing all sorts of different stuff...It was a pot luck too...I find it hard to believe that in your neck of the woods you cant find a place to play....even if the bars don't want to book you...there has got to be somewhere you can set up and play for folks.....

[milner351]

if at first you don't succeed - try try again.

[pdub]

This whole thing...Dan, thanks so much for your interest, I'm sure you were sincere. I'm sorry it's not gonna happen.

Sue Unit and I are talking about it, and I was strangley reminded of a thing that happened at work last week, during a formal training session.

This is where on the first morning of the session everybody has to say something personal about themself? They call it an icebreaker, but in fact it makes more ice than anything around the table, like, "What will I tell?" It's a bad tool with good outcomes, I guess.

This one guy was reolcated here from Minnesota. He said, "I play an accordian."

The instructors had a great time with that, the Minnesota connection etc, and how hard that thing is to play to begin with, all that stuff going on at one time while you're playng it, etc.

The guy said, "Yeah, I've got lots of girlfriends now from doing it. But they're all over 80 years old."

[DanStokes]

Bummer, P-dub! I think the bar owner is missing out on a good deal. I'd even dug out a shirt with a collar to wear for the event. Like Joe said, there's GOT to be some kind of venue. I'd just show up and wow 'em with your talents. Remember, even the folks on the Gong Show got a chance, and you're WAY better than that.

Dan

[pdub]

Well, when I got that news I felt like I was alright. I'll be glad to get the month of June behind me. That's twice I've tried to come out of my turtle shell and acutally DO something. The race in Bowling Green got rained out, and now this. June, go away. It must be the month that's assaulting me.

But when you step back, the stuff I play, nobody's ever heard before. From the covers of the old blues songs to the originals. Especially the originals. When people go out to hear music they expect things they've heard before and maybe even able to sing along with.

That's where I get off the bus. My affliction is that I only want to play stuff that I like, damn the audience. That's my downfall.

Plus, I'm not all that very good at it, and I know it. But is sure is fun to do. That's the thing, it's fun to do.

And thanks Joe for the push, but I only play what I can play (or more exactly, what I LIKE to play).

It was a nice experiment. I'm a fool for getting so excited about it before it was confirmed. It proved what I already knew. I just had to learn it again.