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...
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