Keith at Sababa Bar -- Tuesday, 04Nov2014

At the previous week's Open Mic Night, I'd wowed 'em, and the organizer asked me to come back and be the "Featured Performer" this week. Which meant that I'd get to play a half hour, not just four songs. I'm always up for playing more, and hoped that there would be more "civilians" (i.e., people who were not there waiting their turn to play), and especially, that the owner would get a more complete "audition" from me.

There were a lot of ladies in the patio area, but they were there for a birthday, not to listen to the music, so, oh well. But I did play better, and got to do more of a variety of my stuff. And the owner, who can hear the music from anywhere in the place, actually came out from the kitchen area to watch and listen when I fired up "Over the Rainbow", which I took as a good sign.

As the Featured Performer, I went first again, but I stayed to listen to the other guys, too. It went about the same as before -- nice people, earnest, and trying their best. I guess we all have to start somewhere. George, the ukulele guy, sang some more of his songs. I keep wondering why, as he's writing the melody, he doesn't make it fit his vocal range. But he writes 'em so low, he can't even sing 'em. And then, of course, we can't understand the lyrics, so whatever the point of the song was, is lost.

"Buck Fifty" brought his crazy guitar-thing this time. It's a 6-string bass that he's restrung the top three strings with guitar strings, so it sounds like both a bass and guitar at the same time. Or more accurately, neither...

There were two new women there this time. Somebody told me that the first one was "really good" (she wasn't) and Schneider told me that the autoharp lady who went last was "like us: heart of the musician". Maybe so, but she didn't yet have the skills or voice of one.

Anyway, I had a chance to talk to Eddie for a while, and he told me the names of several Long Beach bars and their owners that I should go apply at, though he really thinks that I should just go into any more-local bar that has music and apply there. I guess I'm still working on getting up the nerve to do that...