K&W in Laguna Beach -- Thursday, 06Jul2017

Our "every other Saturday" arrangement with the Tommies is fracturing, so we decided to at least try some weekend nights here in the summer. But it turned out that this particular Thursday was the "first Thursday" which makes it "Art Walk", where the galleries and shops stay open late and people come down for the free wine and cheese on offer there.

Which has usually proven to make it a terrible night for busking, 'cuz who can compete with free wine? But we actually did pretty well this time, and had fun.

Since I mostly play in Dana Point during the daytime these days, I'd completely forgotten about the fingerlights that I used to give out to the kids when it's an outdoor night gig. I brought a bag full this time and gave out a handful. It's fun to "make their night" with those.

So we started around 6:00 and by 10:30 we were down to just two people so I figured I'd do my usual Last Song, "Let It Be", but as I was singing it, a big family from Mexico City showed up and was all thrilled and singing along and dancing. And when it was over they wanted "more Beatles!", so I did "In My Life", followed by "Something".

While (and because) they were getting into it, more people showed up out of the empty night, including a young couple. The girl clearly wanted to ask me (for?) something, and finally found an opening and the nerve to march up and ask for "Hotel California" in her strange accent. I said I'd be happy to play it, but first, where was she from? She was reluctant to 'fess up, but finally with the encouragement of my new Mexican friends, said that they were from Azerbaijan. That's a first for me. Not sure why it's embarrassing, though.

When that song was over, she jumped up again and wondered if I knew a song, and she started singing pieces of "San Francisco", the "flowers in your hair" one. Warren and I were both surprised that a 20-somethig girl from Azerbaijan would want or even *know* a song like that, but she and her boyfriend assured us that it played on the radio back there. Gonna have to take their word on that.

I do happen to know it, so I happily played it. Partway through, though, two heavily armored Laguna cops came by and took up a post over to the side. I was sure they were going to call us on the 9:00pm curfew that we were almost two hours over, but it felt like, if they were being polite enough to at least wait for the end of the song, they'd probably only give us a warning.

But, instead, they clapped and told us "Sounding great, guys!", and walked on. That was a surprise and relief.