Wouldn’t it be great if I could meet the person in South Korea who reads my blog? No, wait – it’s probably Robert. Good old Robert who I worked with in the 2010 census, who now lives in South Korea. [I can’t tell you about the Census because there’s a federal law – we signed something when we took the job – essentially, we weren’t to disclose anything we did to anyone, ever. (Yes, it was only boring stuff.) But I do think I can say I knew Robert.] So what the hell – Hi Robert! Thanks for reading my blorg. You young genius, you.
(Maybe he’ll read this one too.) Now who were all those Ukrainians…I guess if this blog ever gained a large audience they’d be all over the place. (That’s obvious, eh? They couldn’t all stand in one spot.)
Quite a gig last night! Yes, “First Mondays at the Monkey House” happened on 5/5, just as predicted and proposed. Trevor Ayer and Chris True, two singer-songwriters (a few covers also) who were good, Dennis Willmott (and I helped him play the blues!), and a young trio, The Trackside Incident, playing modernist country. And me, on acoustic and totally fuzzed-out acoustic (can you still call it acoustic after it goes through a pedal that makes it sound like a Marshall amp?). Every one of those acts wanted to go on earlier rather than later, so I had to go last – but – I knew the audience would be smaller by then (it being a Monday), so I did one song before Trevor, before Dennis, before Chris, and before the Incident. Thus, I got to be heard at my own gig by more folks stopping in and wandering out. More than would have heard me if I just played last, you dig? I was glad to have a way to do that.
As for attendance - I’d say that some possible attendees were folks who’d just heard, seen, and drank their way through dozens of bands over the course of three days or so. (I could never blame them for being home, on their faces, as I plan to be myself tonight. Early to bed, so that I can early rise.) Because the weekend preceding, Thursday through Sunday, contained Winooski’s “Waking Windows Festival”. Yes, the waking windows festival, and I’m sure it meant something when they named it that. It may have been right under my nose, who knows? I only saw a bit of it on Saturday afternoon – I didn’t want to pay $20 to see 108 bands (good luck) playing at 7 different venues in town (a small town, too!) over the course of four days. I had to get ready for my gig on Monday.
I did see a few bands, and say hello to friends (Hi Bill) and meet new ones who had usually just played when I met them…I got to hang out on a lot of sidewalks. I heard a lot of music – it was like a radio dial, going from venue to venue – the music carried way into the street. One stage was on the street itself (a side-street, thank goodness). I talked with people, didn’t really say much, wasn’t very close to the bands (or inside the clubs, as I said) but my voice was shot the whole next day! Amazing. Talking over those bands…can’t handle it anymore.
We had a few dozen people, some in at times and out at other times (those dang cigarettes!) I can remember so clearly the time before cigarettes were demonized and exiled. I hope people are healthier or something now – it was nicer when people could smoke inside bars. Especially if the club or bar had a high ceiling!
The lake is so beautiful now – it’s a sunny day. Wouldst I were not blasted and jet-lagged from last night, so I could have seen even more of it. I got almost six hours of sleep afterward, but most of my day has been partly out of focus. I got to take a nice walk on the waterfront after a surprise brunch with my brothers, niece and grand-nephew. That was a few blocks from here, in a pastry shop I rarely go. (I just happen to prefer a few other pastry shops in the neighborhood. Best one closed last year though, darn.) Didn’t have to drive anywhere – a definite plus. Took some lovely pictures, tried new settings on my new (used) camera. All is well.
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