Keith in Dana Point -- Sunday, 12June2016

Saturday was rained (misted?) out, and Sunday started out the same, but finally seemed to be clear enough to give it a try. Indeed, a while after I started the sun burned through and it got downright hot. I had to take off my trademark vest! (But not the hat. Never the hat.)

My first song is always "Hotel California", and my second tends to be "The Boxer". As I was playing it, a guy saw me standing there alone doing Simon & Garfunkel, so he came over and started to sing harmony. I smiled in encouragement, but the harmony box is already singing the Garfunkel part, so he was confused at first. But then he seemed to figure it out, and jumped up a bit, inventing a "Nash", fifth-above, harmony. Then that got a little weird (and high!), so he jumped down and tried to fill in a third-below harmony instead. A noble effort.

When it was over, he complimented my "picking" and I asked him to choose the next song. He went for "Homeward Bound", and I offered to leave the harmony box off this time so he could take over. And he did a great job. It was hard to resist my now-instinctual left-foot reaching for the box buttons, but I managed to keep my foot on the ground. Turns out he's in several bands back home in Colorado, and this was quite a bit of fun for him on his vacation. Come by any time, Pete!

A family came by with a baby in a stroller and her music fan (and eyewear fashionista) big sister, so naturally I fired up "Twinkle Twinkle". That roped them in, and little Bentley pored over the picture menu and asked for "Under the Sea" and then "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". Where's the Downtown Disney booking guy when you need him?

Three grandmas came by and stood by the rail to listen for a while. I offered them the list, and one of them read through it and surprised me by asking for "The Weight". I said, "By 'The Band'?!?", and she said, "Yes, of course. I know my music!" No slight intended -- I was just expecting her to ask for something more like "Georgia On My Mind" or "The Way You Look Tonight".

The guy who I'm reasonably sure is the owner of the coffee/ice cream shop(s) and who hassled me to turn it down on my first outing was there again, but he didn't give me any trouble this time, again. I'm either quiet enough for his taste now, or he's catching on that I'm popular and probably good for business. Most places have to pay a guy to come in and do live music.

But anyway, I'm feeling less paranoid, and getting a little braver about being a little louder. It's so blissfully quiet down there that a little is plenty -- I just really need to know if the amp is still working. If it's too quiet, I can't tell when the wireless transmitter batteries have died and I'm "off the air".