K&W at Borders SCP -- 20Feb2009

Not a lot of people, but several who were tuned in, and that's all we ask. We had one couple who we've seen there several times before, and who were waiting in the comfy chairs when we got there. They apparently deliberately seek us out. And there was another elderly couple who were really into our stuff, and stayed most of the night. Later on, a young family with a cute little toddler listened for a while, even with having to intercept the baby every few minutes when she'd break free and beeline toward my tuner or music stand. And a nice college girl snapped a few pictures with her nice camera, and sent them to me. (Click them for bigger versions.)

I got to trot out several new songs I've been working on. I've been working on Hal Ketchum's "Past the Point of Rescue" for several years, and it's not hard to play, but it's got some high notes that I'm stretching for. With as much as I've been singing, though, my voice is more limber and I can hit 'em, mostly anyway. I've also been playing "The Letter", and tried it last week on the electric, but, as predicted, it works much better on the acoustic. I also assembled the nerve to play "Hey Jude", which I've been playing for myself for a few weeks, but thought it was too silly, and/or firmly entrenched with Paul's iconic rendition to "cover". My version is a bit "lighter", and fun to play with my imitation-piano strumming pattern. It actually seemed to work pretty well, though. Unfortunately, it turned out to be lower in range than it seems when I sing it to myself, but I can capo up a few and it'll be OK.

This was our first time at South Coast Plaza since I've had the new pickup in my guitar. For some reason, the room has the best acoustics of anywhere we play (or have *ever* played), and my guitar sounded *terrific*. Impossible to describe, but just way "fuller" than before. Nice.

The funny part was that Dave was there. He hasn't come out to see me in about 3 years, but old-buddy Bobby is coming out and gonna sit in for a gig next weekend. Dave heard about that, and bam, he's coming. I'm trying not to be insulted by the fact that Dave won't come see me, but he'll drop everything to see Bobby -- but hey, no problem, at least he's coming.

Now Dave calls me several times a week, just to talk, and he usually asks if/where I'll be playing the coming weekend. Not that he's coming -- he's just being sociable. On Thursday he calls, and suddenly apologizes for the appearance of it, that he's committed to coming out to see Bobby, but hasn't come out to see me in so long. He doesn't want it to look like he's only coming out to see Bob -- which is, of course, *exactly* what it looks like, but whatever.

Then on Friday, he calls and we chat for a while, and he asks where I'm playing, like always, but says that he'll try to come out. I'm thinking he's trying to make up for the whole Bobby thing by coming out this weekend (no Bob), and also next (with Bob). Nice effort, at least.

So we're playing for a while, and sure enough, in walks Dave. I'm thinking, "Wow", "Cool"... and "Finally! He really is trying to make it up." So I play some songs I know he likes, and he listens for a while, and takes pictures with his iPhone, and posts one on Facebook, and seems to be having fun. He even brought along a little "field recorder" to capture the night, but its batteries were dead.

But after a while, he holds up his phone and asks, "Hey, you want me to call Bobby?" I'm like, "Why? He's still in Minnesota." He's confused/surprised by this, and I realize that he thought that this was the weekend (and gig) that Bobby was gonna be here. I thought he was trying to make up for the appearance of only wanting to see me if/when Bobby was here, but he was really just (inadvertently) tricked into coming out a week too early. Sorry, Dave.

But, for whatever reason, he was there, and to his credit, he hung out for a long time even after figuring out that Bobby wasn't gonna be there. And I think he had fun. I actually wish (and continuously ask) he'd learn a couple of songs' harmony parts, and come up and sing with me, but he always feels like he has to be playing an instrument, which he doesn't, but he's hung up about it. Someday...

Anyway, it was a great gig. Several, if not lots, of people listening, and Dave there to show off to.

And I guess the final punch line is that Dave can't make it to the gig next Friday, when Bobby really will be there...

Keith at Irvine Spectrum -- 14Feb2009

When I got there, the stage was covered with a big plastic sheet, which was covered with water (though it hadn't really rained for a while). There was no table, and no "stage lights", but there was an umbrella heater -- unlit. I just dragged one of the patio tables over to use for the tip jar, sign, and CDs, but I couldn't seem to get the heater lit. It wasn't *too* cold (yet) at 6:30, so I decided to just go for it without the heater.

I had *lots* of people right at the beginning, including super-friendly Melissa (and friends), who asked for several songs right off the bat to get me started. Then a group of 14-year-old Beatle-fangirls materialized off behind me, and we had a bit of a bidding war, trying to get their respective requests played. Nice to be wanted!

But the dinner rush tapered off, and it was pretty darn cold, not to mention being Valentine's Day. I guess that worked both ways, though -- lots of people stay home, but I did have several couples wandering through. I played a lot of love songs.

Since Warren wasn't there, I brought the electric guitar again, but didn't get to it much. I played it for my new "If I Fell", for which it sounds great. But it sounded awful for "The Letter", which I learned recently after hearing "Billy Hill & the Hillbillies" play it Bluegrass-style at the Golden Horseshoe in Disneyland. I meant to try it again on the acoustic, which I think will work, but never got around to it. It also didn't really work for "Oh Very Young", which I've been working on getting "down" so I can play it more regularly by being able to play it more rightly. It's a tricky devil, and I've been reticent to play it much for fear of messing it up too badly, but now I think I can get through it pretty clean. But it'll have to be on the acoustic.

I play the electric all the time while I'm walking around the block at work, and it sounds OK (to me) on lots of songs, but out "live", through an amp (instead of just headphones), it sounds different, especially in that it rings (way) longer. I do want to figure out a mini-set of songs that work on it, so I can bring in some variety. I'll keep on it.

Anyway, it was pretty empty through the middle section, but I always had at least a few people to play for. I eventually got so cold that my stiff fingers were making me play badly, so I took another swing at the heater's startup controls, and got it working this time. That helped a lot.

Towards the end, I had a 60-something couple from the Middle East who were, inexplicably, huge James Taylor fans. They were really appreciative, and I deliberately held them up from wherever they were clearly trying to get to, by playing more JT songs that they couldn't walk out on.

And then at 9:40 or so I had another couple come in and sit down right up front. I played a few songs, including "Old Man" (by request of a mohawked kid (?)), which the lady apparently really liked. After a few more songs, she asked for "more Neil Young", but "Old Man" is the only one I know. She asked for "After the Gold Rush", which, again, I don't know, but she wanted me to just play it anyway. Um, don't know the chords, and don't know the words. "Play it anyway." So I finally gave up trying to explain that it doesn't work that way, and just played something else, which was apparently OK, 'cuz when I played my last song at 10:00, she wanted me to keep playing. I was reticent, 'cuz usually the maintenance guys come around right at 10 to take down the stuff, but they weren't there, so I played some more. And more. And more. She finally let me quit at 10:20 (with a $5 tip).

It seemed like a higher-than-usual percentage of listeners were tossing something into the jar this time, overall, so I made $63 -- pretty good for a sparsely-attended night. That includes $7 in change, which was surprising -- usually the change is under a buck. Lots of teenagers kind of emptied their pockets as they went by, which was actually quite nice of them. It's the thought that counts.

This could certainly turn into a terrific place to play, when it warms up. Problem is -- when it gets warmer, they're gonna start charging $50 to play there. Puts a pretty big ding in my take.

Duffy, Apparently Cured!

The results came back from the lab, and they're pretty sure they got all of the cancer when they cut out the big tumor from Duffy's neck a couple of weeks ago. The 4-inch long cut up his chest and throat (17 stitches) is healing up really well, and the fur is growing back to cover it up. He's happy and doing just great. He still doesn't want to go crazy-romping through the house with the younger girl dogs, but he's too dignified for that kind of nonsense anyway...

I'm "For Sale" again!

It's time for the annual auction to support the art programs at Geneva's high school, and since it worked out OK last year, we donated "An evening of music" (i.e., me, playing at your party) again. Last year, the minimum bid was $75, and one lady bid on me, and won. I guess the only thing more embarrassing than only getting one bid is not getting any bids.

Oddly though, this year they combined my donation with two others, a 12-pack of Cabernet, and a $100 gift card at an Italian restaurant. They're calling it "Insta-party... just add guests!" The Opening Bid is $150, which may or may not be the minimum ("reserve") winning bid -- experts disagree. If somebody can actually win the prize with a $150 bid, though... Seems like the $100 gift card is worth, say, about $100. And the wine's gotta be worth at least $50. That means that the guitar guy is worth exactly zip. Thrown in for free. Thanks for playing, here's your parting gift.

To illustrate the "item", they captured some pictures from the Keith & Warren webpage (including the partial image of Warren's guitar), and pasted on pictures of some lasagna and a wine bottle. Classy stuff.

It's been "open" for a little over 48 hours now, and they sent an email to everyone they know. So far, no bids. Seems to me like they priced the "package" out of range, and there won't be any bids. Suits me -- playing parties is always kind of weird (last year was a backyard pool party, kind of awkward really). If it doesn't sell at all, it's no loss for me -- I fulfilled my obligation to donate something -- but what are they gonna do with the other stuff?