I started at 5:00 this time, instead of my usual 4:00, which worked out quite well, since it really starts to be "evening" at 6:00. That's when the shadows from the buildings make it possible to survive in more than just the few seats under the shade umbrellas.
The stage was back against the big round planter box by the turtle fountain again, but literally every time I've come since they started putting it there, it's been further around the circle. This time it was so far around that I decided to just set up "diagonally", since the corner was pointing exactly at the main group of furniture that folks camp out in to hear me. It was a little odd, but actually worked out quite well.
Early on, a pair of Asian girls came by and tried to talk to me, though only one of them was brave enough to try her English on me. They stared at the list for a while, but couldn't find (or read?) any songs they knew, so I fired up "Let It Be", which *everybody* knows, and saw some definite sparks of recognition.
I had lots of really nice people all night long (and made $84). I'm supposed to shut down at 8:00 on Sundays, and the guy came and took the lights about then, but I kept playing. About 10:15 or so, a nice 50-ish woman came and listened for a long time, and kept commening to anyone else around that I'm "amazing". She asked me if I'd ever played any of the Folk Music festivals, which, um, I don't really play any "folk music", so, um, no. But, I guess I don't know much about them -- maybe James Taylor qualifies these days?
She went to fetch her two friends -- "They just gotta hear this" -- and after a few songs one of them asked me when I'm supposed to stop playing. I told her the truth, 8:00, which had them all baffled for a while since it was almost 10:30 by then. I told them that I wasn't getting paid, and was there for the joy of it, so why would I "knock off early"?
1 comment:
James Taylor... wasn't he the tall one with the banjo in The Weavers?
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