I didn't have anything else to do so I thought I'd see what it was like in Laguna on a summer Tuesday night. Turns out, pretty poor.
Or at least, pretty poor on the Fingerhut Gallery side. The Tommies already had the ice cream corner staked out. There are some benches on the Fingerhut side, but to play towards them, you'd have to play directly towards the Tommies too, and that would be really rude. So it's impossible to build up much of an audience other than my own reflection and people who are willing to sit on the gallery's windowsill.
But the Fingerhut side has other disadvantages. It's mostly where the local homeless guys hang out. There's Disabled Veteran Guy, who's really nice and not scary, but still sitting there with a cardboard sign, which puts people off.
Also big-bearded Gordon, who's OK sometimes, but not when he's drunk. Which he was. He tends to babble stuff at me that I can't decipher, except the part where he hates James Taylor for some unclear personal reason.
And young Crazy Dancer Guy who stops at random spots in the sidewalk, throws his hat on the ground, and dances weirdly to the music that only he can hear through his headphones. Unfortunately, people encourage him by giving him money, though it's mostly on account of his ridiculousness, not his dancing.
And Hawaiian Buddha Guy (aka, Mark) in his weight-lifter leotard, whose Crazy Street Artist routine is, I think, entirely an act. I guess he's decided that paint dribbled onto a sheet of paper sells to tourists better as "art" if they go home with a "wild man" story to go with it.
None of these guys are actually dangerous, probably, but tourists from Poland or Argentina or wherever don't know that, and tend to just hustle by, just in case.
I did have one brave Norwegian lady stop and listen for a while, and then come up to tell me in her outrageous accent that she loved my voice, because "it's like... everything I like!" She wanted to know if I would be there tomorrow, because she wanted to buy a CD, but didn't have any cash with her. But after that compliment, I insisted that she just take one on the house.
Later on a guy came by who was very complimentary about my playing and my singing style, and asked me if I'd ever played on a cruise ship. I told him that I'd thought about it, after seeing a guy on our first cruise who, objectively, wasn't as good as me, but then I'd talked to another guy who told me that it's a terrible gig. This guy said that he'd done it and liked it, saw all these European countries, and since your room and board is covered, the money is mostly free and clear. He said I should re-think it. And, since I don't have a Real Job anymore, I think I will.
Around 9:00 the Tommies packed up, so I moved over to the ice cream corner and did way, way better until it went dead at 10:00, and more-than-tipsy Wendy showed up and stood way-too-close and demanded song after song. Sorry Wendy -- let's just say you're not my Target Audience...
We went down at 4:00 to get the ice cream corner, which worked. There was a slow section around dinnertime, but it was a pretty great night, overall -- lots of friendly tourists.
And not-so-friendly. A family came and sat on the bench to eat their ice cream, so I brought a list over to them. The mom curtly said, "No, thank you." Ouch, but OK. I put it back, and played a few songs anyway, as I do. After a while, they apparently noticed that I was really playing decent music, and not some kind of panhandler. The teenaged girl came shyly over and looked at the list, and picked "Time After Time", and put a dollar in the jar. By this time, I could tell they were Not From Around Here, and asked. Apparently, in Austria, us street musicians have a reputation of being shifty. Or something. But it was gratifying to earn their trust after such an awkward introduction...
The Tommies were playing on the opposite corner, and we had a short visit from little Tomi herself in her jaunty hat during their break.
Around 9:30, there was a vacationing family from Arizona on the bench, and a group of dressed-up young ladies appeared. They both were big Disney song fans, so I played "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid", and we had a huge sing-along. So I invited them to come up for the next one, and ended up with a "battle of the bands", with two girls from each group singing away on "Let It Go".
The Dress-up girls had somewhere to be, though. After they left, the Vacation cousins wanted to sing "I See the Light" from "Tangled". I had them stand in front of me, moved the music stand so they could follow the words, and let them hold my mic between them so they could be heard. I almost never let someone else sing on the mic, but they had proven themselves with the previous song, and it was great -- and probably a pretty good vacation memory for them.
It went dead at 10:00, so we packed up. The owner of the ice cream shop is always inviting us to have some free ice cream, but I can't eat it while I'm singing, so it never happens. But this time, we were done, and the shop was still open, and he was still there, so I finally had a scoop. Pretty good, too.
It's a long ugly story, but since Spectrum changed the way they book the gigs, this was very likely my last time ever. It started out pretty hot, but there were lots of people out. Not a very responsive crowd, but quietly appreciative, I think.
A lot of my family turned out for the occasion, my brother and his wife, and my wife and kids with the dogs. And my wife's best friend (with dog) who's been promising to come out for a while but could never seem to make it...
Lots of little kids in the beginning, and a girl (now young lady) that I know from the Trailmates program came by on a scavenger hunt. Her team needed to record a 90's love song, so I did "Whole New World" from Aladdin (1992) for them.
Anyway, I'm glad that it was a really good night for my last time. The sound was good, I always had people listening, and my voice was in fine form. I had lots of fun from 11 to midnight singing my best stuff (and the high stuff) for my older daughter, who stayed quite late with me, which was sweet of her.
This gig is kind of a pain, and they treat the musicians poorly, not to mention the $50 charge for the privilege of playing there, but I'm sure I'll miss it.
I didn't really intend to go down, but I wasn't doing anything else, and a girl who had bought a CD the night before but had mistakenly taken the Kids' one was wondering (by email) if she could trade it in, and I felt bad about that, so I told her I'd be there. I didn't really have a full charge in the batteries, so I didn't know how long I'd get to play. Turned out: four hours -- I played from 3:30 until everything just slammed off at 7:30, right in the middle of "Let It Go".
It was a pretty slow day, though. I should probably quit thinking that Sunday afternoons are a good time to go down. Of course, come wintertime, I'll be wishing it was as "bad" as a summer Sunday...
I did have some cute kids and a sweet couple on their first date (to the beach?!?). The girl was a big Disney song fan, so the guy wanted me to keep playing for her, 'cuz it was really making the date special.
I kinda turned into a circus, though. I was on the ice cream corner, and the Tommies came and set up on the Fingerhut side. Then, to our horror, Sanchez showed up and since the corners were taken, he set up in the alcove of the art school museum, just a few shops down the street. And of course, although he could have set up in the alcove corner facing *up* the street, he deliberately set up so he was aimed diagonally across the street straight toward the Tommies. What a jerk -- but at least the Tommies had prevented him from setting up across from me.
And then, when my amp shut down at 7:30, since my car was close and I still had lots of time in the meter, I put my stuff away and came back to listen to the Tommies, and chat with the big sister and little brother. Apparently there's been some drama between Sanchez and the homeless people (who hate him) and some other musicians (ditto). The guy does show some impressive determination, coming back again and again in the face of such animosity...
Anyway, right after I abandoned the ice cream corner, a guy came with his electric guitar and mic, and stood up on the side bench like it was a stage and started his screech-singing songs. He was way too loud (surprise!) and his amp was pointed straight at the Tommies, too. Fortunately, he just played 4 or 5 songs and left.
But about that time some teenage girls were hanging out on the Fingerhut corner, waiting for a table at the pizza place, and decided to do an impromptu "talk show", telling "jokes" to passersby, asking them when their birthdays are and then singing to them, regarless, and generally being obnoxious. The Tommies couldn't take it, so they packed up and moved over to the ice cream corner. The danger was that Sanchez would notice the Fingerhut corner being empty and move over, but I'd had enough craziness for one night, and went home.
They apparently love me at the Artisan's Faire, 'cuz I'm kind of the default band. I only didn't do last month because it was the same day as the Fete de la Musique in Laguna.
I asked for, and got placed closer to the other booths, 'cuz last time it was pretty lonely way out on the edge. Being closer also made it a little easier for people to come up and look through the list and/or buy a CD.
One lady came up and said that she'd seen me a few weeks earlier in Laguna. She had taken a card because she works for Ayres Hotels, and wants to call me the next time she's planning a party 'cuz, "You're great!" Sounds good to me.
But there were hardly any people there, again, although that makes it nice and quiet. Which makes it easy to hear what I'm doing, but puts a level of pressure on me that I'm not used to 'cuz it means I can't screw up...
So since I was done at the Sawdust Festival at 3:30, I packed up and drove down to see if The Corner was empty, and it miraculously was. *And* I found a parking space. Of course, having played for five hours the night before at Spectrum, and 5 half-hours at Sawdust, my fingers were already pretty sore, but I couldn't resist.
It was pretty hot, even still at 4:30, but there were lots of nice people out, and the ice cream shop was doing good business, and so, so was I. at least two groups of people who had seen me at the Sawdust Festival came by and said, "Hey, didn't we just see you..?"
The CD buying spree continues. I brought ten of each, and sold out of the grownups' CD, and seven of the kids'. I just don't have room in my bag to bring any more inventory than that -- I'll have to think of something.
Warren showed up awhile after I started, but he left at 6:00 or so to get down to the Full Moon Drum Circle. I carried on solo until my fingers couldn't take any more at 10:45.
I did take two breaks, which I never do. The first one was to eat half a gyro for dinner. And then I had two of the local beach bums show up and monopolize the bench along with an elderly guy who comes by once in a while to tell me that he used to be a folk singer. I needed a break anyway, because every time I played a barre chord, my index finger was seizing up and wouldn't bend anymore, so I sat down and talked with the folk guy until the beach bums got bored and wandered off.
He's 73, and has lost most of his short-term memory. He asks me the same questions, over and over: Where you from, originally? What's your name? Where do you live? He must have asked me if I know the old Harry Belafonte hit "Down the Way" (actually called "Jamaica Farewell") 10 times. I suppose I ought to learn it, just to have a different answer next time he comes by. Frankly, I don't know how he finds his way home.
I was kind of hoping to be able to stop earlier than usual, just to give my hand and fingers a break, but of course, as it gets later, the car traffic, Harleys, and sirens lessen, and my quiet stuff starts to really work. I don't get many "golden hours" like that (and the way my hand is getting, I may not get many more), so I gotta capitalize on them when I can.
The tip jar was a new record, and I know I'll be suffering all day tomorrow with my back, knees, feet, and fingers, but for now, it was totally worth it.
This year I only got two gigs at the Sawdust Festival (last year I got three), but one of them was a Saturday, which is pretty cool. It was at the Greek restaurant on the south corner, but the restaurant was closed due to "equipment failure" for most of the day. Which was OK -- it just made the seating area into a nice place for people to stop and rest, and listen to me.
I played from 11:00 until 3:30, but in their enforced half-hour-on, half-hour-off schedule. This is meant to prevent people from staying and listening to a band instead of looking at, and buying, art. And it works. And it's a bummer to get an audience established and then have to shut down so soon. Though it is flattering when everyone gets so loudly disappointed.
My brother, his wife, and their grandson came by for the last set. It clearly blew his little mind to see his (great?) uncle up on a stage playing music instead of at, say, a Christmas party.
There was a big "trumpet playin' band" up on the main stage. They were supposed to play the half hours that I wasn't, but they always cheated over their stopping point, and they were *really* loud. Much louder than I would have thought was allowed, since the contract you have to sign is 90% about not being loud. And if you are, they'll ask you to turn down. And if they have to ask twice you'll be sent home and not invited back. But I could hear these guys from out in the street in front of the Festival grounds when I'd go out to the van. But when my slot came around, I'd just start anyway -- I'm pretty used to playing over the top of a nearby rude band...
Other than that, it's a perfect little gig for me, perfect for the style of music I play, and for the kinds/ages of people that are there. And the sound was really good -- I guess I'm not used to not having either automobile or mall shopper traffic noise while I'm playing...
The cool part was, it seemed like almost every group that stopped to listen bought a CD. I had to go out to the van during my breaks, twice, to fetch more of them. I ended up selling 17 CDs. I think that, now that the $5 price is more obvious, people are buying a CD instead of just tipping -- if they were going to throw a couple of bucks in anyway, why not just up it to five and take a CD home?
So, I had a *terrific* time, and got paid, and more than doubled that with the tips and CD money. Sure wish I could do more of these!
Really nice weather, but not many people out, since it was a Friday. The people that were there seemed to be on their way to something, not just strolling, so most of them couldn't/didn't stop. I did have some young families, so of course, a lot of "Let It Go", including one on-stage sing-along.
But sometimes when there's only a few people, they get embarrassed to be clapping into the silence, so they don't, making the silence even worse. Then other people come up, and when the next song is over and nobody else claps, they don't either, and the cycle perpetuates. I hate to be an applause whore, but if I want to play to awkward silence, I can play at home for my cat.
So I did the unthinkable: I took a break. My wife was there with the dogs, so I just sat down and waited 15 minutes or so. And it worked -- by the time I started up again, the non-clapping people had wandered off, and the new crowd wasn't in that mode. It doesn't happen very often, but I'll have to remember this "fix".
I knew I had to play at the Sawdust Festival (for money!) the next day, so I tried to quit earlier than I usually do, but around ten o'clock, people started hanging out, asking for songs, and dancing (!), so I ended up playing until 11:30.
A few days earlier, I got an email that they're going to start using an agency to book the music, starting in August. That probably means the same agency that books the other Irvine Company mall, Fashion Island, and since I made that guy mad (for having the gall to expect him to return emails) a year ago when trying to get in there, I'm pretty sure I won't be playing at Spectrum any more, after one more later this month.
This is the only booked and scheduled gig I have, so I consider it my "best gig", but it is pretty awful, really. The $50 fee, the obnoxious house music that won't turn off and the fountain noise... I have a feeling that I'm the last band that puts up with it, so they had to find a new method. Of course, they'll have to radically improve the conditions to get any "real bands" to play. And pay them, instead of charging them. Doesn't seem fair that after 6 years and more than 150 performances there, I'm gonna be shut out.
The summer is really here -- the Sawdust Festival is open, and they've changed the rates and rules on the parking meters downtown. A few months ago it went from a dollar an hour to a dollar twenty-five; not so bad. But now it's jumped to two dollars. But what's worse is that you have to pay up until 9pm now, instead of 7pm. Cost of Doing Business, I suppose...
We thought (incorrectly, it turns out) that there was still a three hour maximum, so I arrived at 6:15, so my three hours would span the 9:00 end time. But since that was when all the Sawdust and Pageant of the Masters people were arriving, finding a spot was impossible. I circled, hoping to catch someone leaving, for 45 minutes. The upside was that when I finally found a spot, I only had to pay for two hours...
With so many people, locals and tourists, out, we were amazed to find The Corner open. But right off the bat I had an equipment failure -- my Old Faithful thumbpick cracked at the tight bend. I've been using that one for years, and frustratingly didn't have a spare. (There are some in the guitar case, but I leave it in the van). I had to bind it to my thumb with a rubber band, which worked quite well, except it precluded me from taking it off to play those few songs that I play without a pick.
We had lots of people there listening all day, and some familiar faces. The super-friendly HR lady from Linksys happened by, and my doctor with her husband. She asked for several songs, and then "Your Song" by Elton John, which she said that her husband had sung to her at their wedding. They slow danced to it, and when she turned around, she was crying.
Also our cute little Vietnamese super-fan came by. I'd been holding copies of the CDs that I don't normally bring, just for her. Now she has a complete set of four.
The good part about starting so late is that it's possible to play later. And there were people to play for until midnight, when it finally got slow enough that I could try some new songs out. But then a guy came by and wanted to "buy some songs" with a ten-dollar-bill. So I played a few for him, and then the bar traffic suddenly started up. So I tried to be a party band, playing upbeat songs for the party kids, until finally at 1:00 am, by battery just quit, forcing me to try to finish "Sweet Caroline" acoustically (which was a *big* fail).
So, big night, big fun, big tips, and I sold eight CDs. I need summer Saturdays to last all year long!
