Jitters
This is probably going to a quick, and--quite possibly--unintelligible, post as I am quite tired and am looking forward to re-introducing my head to my pillow. However, I wanted to get something down about the show last night (Saturday 5/5) before I get caught up in the week and forget about everything that happened.
I played at Jitters Cafe in Saratoga/Ballston Spa (it's like right on the line, I guess--no one is quite sure which city it is in). Jitters is awesome. They truly have the best cafe style food that I have ever tasted--and I have tasted a lot of cafe food. If I didn't live so far away, I would definitely visit Jitters more often. I had a chicken quesadilla. They put black olives and onions and green peppers on it; it's delicious!
I played fairly well. I did mess up some songs. I actually destroyed Crayons and was momentarily--and mostly introspectively--frustrated with myself for doing so. The other mess ups weren't as obvious and I was able to recover with out any blatant disruptions in the general flow of the song.
Jennifer Holmes opened for me, which was cool because I had not really seen her play in a long time. It was also cool because I got to see another side of her performance; one that you don't get to see in a 10 minute open mic slot. She played quite well--even though she admitted to being nervous after having being away from playing for so long.
The crowd was sparce, but quite appreciative--which is better than a large unappreciative crowd any day. I enjoy playing to small groups because you get to make that connection with the individuals; you notice them noticing you, which is pretty cool. I can honestly say that my audience enjoyed my playing for them.
I'd like to post my set list (like I have done in the past), but I didn't write one down and I can't remember the exact order of what I played. I decided at the last minute not to write a set list and try pulling songs off of my master list. I must say, though, that my first 45 minutes to an hour of song choices were quite solid. As I was playing I felt a certain flow that I can't really explain. The songs just flowed into each other so well that it seemed almost like they belonged in that order. It's too bad I can't remember the order, though... I would like to use it again.
So, my set was two hours. I didn't take a break. I am paying for it today. It's tough playing for such a long time... especially if you aren't used to it. I certainly need to keep doing it to get my endurance up. Towards the end of my set, I was definitely feeling tired and my voice was worn out. The worst part, though, was that my fingers were hurting. Though, it was my own fault, I guess; I hadn't replaced my strings like I normally do before a show.
Even so, I had a lot of fun. I felt good about it overall. I can't wait to do it again! This coming Saturday @ Slow Jed's.
I just have to rest my voice this week.
I played at Jitters Cafe in Saratoga/Ballston Spa (it's like right on the line, I guess--no one is quite sure which city it is in). Jitters is awesome. They truly have the best cafe style food that I have ever tasted--and I have tasted a lot of cafe food. If I didn't live so far away, I would definitely visit Jitters more often. I had a chicken quesadilla. They put black olives and onions and green peppers on it; it's delicious!
I played fairly well. I did mess up some songs. I actually destroyed Crayons and was momentarily--and mostly introspectively--frustrated with myself for doing so. The other mess ups weren't as obvious and I was able to recover with out any blatant disruptions in the general flow of the song.
Jennifer Holmes opened for me, which was cool because I had not really seen her play in a long time. It was also cool because I got to see another side of her performance; one that you don't get to see in a 10 minute open mic slot. She played quite well--even though she admitted to being nervous after having being away from playing for so long.
The crowd was sparce, but quite appreciative--which is better than a large unappreciative crowd any day. I enjoy playing to small groups because you get to make that connection with the individuals; you notice them noticing you, which is pretty cool. I can honestly say that my audience enjoyed my playing for them.
I'd like to post my set list (like I have done in the past), but I didn't write one down and I can't remember the exact order of what I played. I decided at the last minute not to write a set list and try pulling songs off of my master list. I must say, though, that my first 45 minutes to an hour of song choices were quite solid. As I was playing I felt a certain flow that I can't really explain. The songs just flowed into each other so well that it seemed almost like they belonged in that order. It's too bad I can't remember the order, though... I would like to use it again.
So, my set was two hours. I didn't take a break. I am paying for it today. It's tough playing for such a long time... especially if you aren't used to it. I certainly need to keep doing it to get my endurance up. Towards the end of my set, I was definitely feeling tired and my voice was worn out. The worst part, though, was that my fingers were hurting. Though, it was my own fault, I guess; I hadn't replaced my strings like I normally do before a show.
Even so, I had a lot of fun. I felt good about it overall. I can't wait to do it again! This coming Saturday @ Slow Jed's.
I just have to rest my voice this week.