K&W at South Coast Plaza -- 02Feb2008

Despite an entirely tepid audience, we had a pretty good time. Since I couldn't seem to raise a reaction at all from anybody, I decided that I might as well make it fun for me (and hopefully, Warren) so I played through a lot of the "still working on these" songs, and the songs that are the most fun for me to sing and/or play.

I watched a guy pick up and buy one of my "Dad's Songs" CDs, so I figured I ought to sing a few of them, despite Warren never having played some of them. So we did "Lemon Tree" (which I've been doing quite often lately, and am thinking of moving onto The List, 'cuz it really "works"), but also "I Have Been a Rover", "Try to Remember" and lastly "Four Strong Winds". They all went really well, even though I hadn't played most of them for a long, long time.

I was "in good voice" again, and was playing pretty well, too. I may just be getting better, so even "the hard ones" aren't that hard anymore. Must be the two half-hour walks that I take everyday at work, with my electric guitar and headphone amp. I'm getting a *lot* of practice. Anyway, since hardly anyone was really listening, I also "pulled out all the stops", vocally, and had fun just wailing on the songs.

As we were packing up, though, the presumed store manager (or night/assistant manager) came over and informed us that the policy was changing (again), and not only would we have to sell CDs "through the store" (handing over 40% in the process), but we wouldn't be allowed to even have a tip jar anymore. This is getting pretty ridiculous -- they almost seem to be actively trying to get all the musicians to walk away. What's next? All gigs must be preformed standing on one foot? We have to pay them? "Gee, that's a real pretty little guitar you got there, pal. It'd be a shame if something was to happen to it..."

Anyway, I didn't hear anything about this policy-change the night before in Tustin, so this may be applicable only to this one store's over-zealous manager (shame, since it's our favorite store to play in). But even if it's real, permanent, and county-wide, I'll still keep playing there. It's degrading to be treated so badly by the management, but just to have a place to play for people makes it worth it. I'm not there for the 6 or 12 or 20 dollars -- I'm there to play, and I'd do it even with no tips and no CD sales. I may have to think twice about the further away of the stores, though. It costs me 10 bucks just to drive out to Yorba Linda or Brea and back, and it's nice to at least have a chance to break even if the tips come in. We'll have to see how it goes at Yorba Linda next week...