Keith at Irvine Spectrum -- 27March2010

Had a pretty slow start, but it wound up being a great time later on. And lots of friends turned up. Right as I played my first tune (badly - not warmed or limbered up yet), friends Doug and Melody came by, on their way to see the musical at OCSHA. Not sure how that makes a logical plan, but I'm not complaining. But they had to go after only three songs, and after the initial dinner rush, the place was pretty empty except for a few very bored husbands looking for a place to sit and wait. They're usually far too grumpy by that time to join in at all.

So I played for myself for quite a while (which was probably OK, since my voice was really unwieldy), but then an old high school friend and her mom came by, all the way down from Washington. Having someone to play for makes all the difference, so suddenly it was big fun (and my voice finally kicked in, too). A couple of songs later, along came Daleen and Geneva, getting some dinner before going shopping for a while. And a while after that, Princess friend Jim and his daughter Emily showed up. Wow -- it's been months since any friends have come out.

And, coincidentally (or maybe related?) there were suddenly lots of other groups of people tuned in -- clapping (and hooting!), and actually competing to get their requests into the queue! It don't rain, but it pours. It was Really Happening for a while there. But Sheri and her mom had to go, and since I haven't seen them in 15 or 20 years, I took a break (!) to chat for a while before they were gone for another 20.

Unfortunately, but naturally, that broke the spell, and the best audience I've had in weeks dissipated, but that's OK -- I had a nice half-hour chat with Sheri and her mom, reminiscing about the old Mariner days.

After they were gone, I played a bit more for Jim and Emily, but it was getting late, so they left, too. It was almost ten, and I was about to pack it in, but suddenly some "my age" ladies were there, clapping appreciatively, so I played some more. And then some couples came by (possibly people who have heard me before -- some folks were specifically asking for James Taylor songs), and it was going far too well, again, to quit -- even though it was past time for me to be off the stage. But the maintenance guys have been coming later and later, so I went ahead and risked it, and ended up playing until about 10:40 -- I'm just a sucker for people who are actually listening. And the fifty bucks...

Just before I finally quit, one of the ladies who had been listening came up to put a buck in the jar and tell me, "You haff a fairy nize voize" in her cartoon Swedish accent. That was fun.