Keith at Santa's Workshop -- 01Dec2010

This is my third year playing for the families waiting in line to see Santa Claus at the Mission Viejo Civic Center. This year it's a little different -- they took out the stage (which was too far away from the "audience" anyway) and replaced it with Other Activities: cookie decorating and a projected loop of animated Christmas specials (Charley Brown, Frosty, Chipmunks, etc.) with (fortunately), the sound quite low. This was pretty smart, but it turns the lawn behind me into a Destination. It's a little odd to have people milling around behind me while I'm trying to play.

But it wasn't a problem -- this time anyway. The turnout was very small, here on December 1st, and a Wednesday. In fact, I always set up to play to the "middle" of the line, but the line was so short all night that it never even reached back to where I was playing. Everyone could hear me, but nobody was "in front" to see me (and I, them).

So mostly I seemed to be playing for the middle-school girl volunteers that pass out the hot chocolate and wear the Rudolph and Frosty suits. And that's OK. It was almost like a dress rehearsal for the rest of the nights.

I am pretty thrilled to be on the bill with such eminences as Suzanne's Dance Factory and Brownie Troop 367. I'm definitely on my way to the big time now...

There was some email discussion about whether or not I could put out my card table with CDs and a hat. Someone on the Committee doesn't like that because this is supposed to be a "free event". I'm not actually forcing anyone to buy one, but whatever. I have more of a problem that they won't even allow a tip jar. I don't need the money (though it's nice to feel appreciated), but it turns out that if I don't put out a jar/hat, people walk up and try to hand me money. Even in the middle of a song.

So the (possible) stealth solution we came up with was to put a low basket on the card table, filled with mixed peppermint candy and my business cards (which they specifically said I was allowed to put out). We figure that if anyone decides to leave a dollar in the basket in exchange for a mint, I can't stop 'em.

But, since the line never came back that far, that scheme didn't get tested. We'll see how it goes next Sunday.