Keith at Uncorked -- Friday, 12Feb2016

Apparently the owner likes my stuff 'cuz when she had a cancellation, she called me to fill in. That's a good sign, right?

This was my third time here, and it went even better than before. With familiarity, the sound setup was much better (less feedback). And with increased confidence, I can let my guard down a little and actually play.

They've apparently embraced my Song List passout idea now -- I heard one of the guys telling some customers that I was a "human jukebox" and for them to request some songs from the list (along with making lame jokes about Black Sabbath songs, etc.). And the owner was encouraging people at the far-away bar to make requests, and shuttling them up to me by coming over and pointing at a song on the list while I was still in the middle of the previous song. She apparently doesn't realize how hard it is to read, process, and remember the name of a next song while continuing to sing the words of the current one, but I managed. And it's so cute that she's helping out like that.

My neighbors from up the hill evidently had fun last time 'cuz they came by again. And my brother came too, so I introduced them so he wouldn't have to sit there by himself.

Anyway, it went really well -- knowing that the owner and staff like my stuff and my methods made me able to be more bold about asking people to make requests, which causes more involvement, and gets the party going. Having my neighbors and brother there helped, too.

So I was getting requests several deep from all corners, including notes carried over from the bar. A lot of couples there were on pre-Valentine's dates, and at one point a lady was looking for something appropriate. I recommended "Wonderful Tonight", which she immediately approved and she and her husband, and the couple that were with them, both got up and danced in the tiny space between tables. Added fun: toward the end, the twenty-something staff guy started making "out of the box" requests -- "Watching the Detectives", "Whiter Shade of Pale" and such.

I already had one more gig booked there, but since it's going so well, I went ahead and asked the owner if she wanted to schedule some more, and she set me up for two more gigs beyond that, so I'll be there every other Friday for the next six weeks. And she asked if she could call if/when she gets any cancellations, too. Absolutely!