Keith at Holly Trolley -- 12&13Dec2014

Like years past, I signed up to play the "receptions" for the Mission Viejo Activities Committee's "Holly Trolley" event, where they take people around to see the winners of the Christmas lighting contest in three sightseeing buses.

There are two departure times each of the two nights, and each is preceded by an hour reception, where there's cookies, finger food, hot cider and chocolate, and music: me.

Usually, it's in the garden party space out behind City Hall, but this year, with the forecast of rain for Friday, they moved it into the big lobby. This was fine with me, 'cuz indoors is (A) better acoustics, and (B) warmer. And once they got it all set up, they kept it in the lobby for Saturday, too. There was some discussion about whether it was better there anyway, and they may keep it there for next year, too. Got my vote.

But the whole event is a little awkward, because the worst part of playing a party is getting started, and for all four of these, just as me and the guests are starting to get warmed up, somebody comes in, shouts "All aboard!" and steals my audience.

And, when I play a party, I get there early and get all set up, and then when the first guests arrive, I start playing. Of course, they're all alone in a big open room, so they're shy, and it's awkward that they're getting a personal concert, so after that first song, they don't/can't clap. Then more people show up, and when the next song is over, they follow the lead and precedent of the first set, so they don't clap, either. And so on until there's a big party going on, but the "no clapping" behavior has become the standard. But I don't let it bother me. Anymore.

It's meant to be volunteer work -- everybody else there is on the Activities Committee -- along with the Santa's Workshops that I play. Between these two (four?) gigs, and the nine Workshop nights, I'm playing for them, for "free", a lot of nights. It's big fun playing for the kids so I'm OK with that, but last year they unexpectedly sent me an honorarium, which I hope they'll do again.

The Saturday Holly Trolley overlaps with, and trumps, a Santa's Workshop night, and is the only Santa night that I missed. One of the Santa's Helpers ladies told me that I really add a lot to the Workshop event, and that when I wasn't there, I was "really missed". Well, shucks...