Keith in Dana Point -- Sat/Sun, 14/15May2106

I had time to play both Saturday and Sunday, from 1 until 5 each time. Saturday was a little better, of course, but it's just great to play there any time. Part of it is the novelty, I’m sure, but it’s really my favorite place to play these days. Laguna is more crazy, but that’s both good and bad -- it can be a blast, but sometimes the environmental factors make it feel like more of a fight than a gig.

Anyway, Dana Point is certainly a showcase for dogs. The rich people down there like to come down for a walk and to show off their fancy dogs. One free-spirited older lady had bright purple hair, and had dyed her little dog's flag-tail to match.

It tends to start off slow, and I start off quiet, but as people start to notice me and hang out on the benches, I get more confident that I'm not bothering anybody, and that the restaurant guy will have a mob on his hands if he tries to interfere. And once some people are listening, others get encouraged to join in.

For the last couple of hours on Sunday, a guy was there listening and talking to me about the music between songs. He finally asked, "Do you play anyplace in Laguna, like the Sawdust Festival?" So I told him my sob story about how I played there two years ago and the year before that, but that last year, and again this year, the booking lady has mysteriously overlooked me.

He was aghast, and said that I'm better than lots of the bands he sees there. Yup -- I don't get it either, buddy...

The weather was nice on Saturday - just a little overcast so it wasn't too hot. Sunday was sunny, so I had to forego my uniform vest, and kept my sleeves rolled up. When I got home, I noticed that I'd sunburned the underside of my left arm and the top of my right, corresponding to the way they're positioned when I'm playing guitar. Kinda funny, but I'll have to be careful from now on.