I asked if they had entertainment and got back a description of some sitar player due to perform for the Dalai Lama. I may give the place a try, but I’m the sort who seeks a cold drink on its own merits, not because I intend to change religions or get all dad-burned mystical. From what I’ve seen, I wish them well if only as an alternative place to go downtown without drinking or paying $30 for a sandwich. Like Mega-byte, the place seems to have an unlimited source of money.The guitarist from five years back, now dubbed Pat-B (well, if Dave-O is a fine handle, why not?) has been in contact. I’d correctly surmised he has moved forward with his music and I am certain about his abilities to put on a good show. He even looked more confident when talking music. Like all (yes, all) local musicians, he is leery of forming combinations but unlike most, he is open-minded enough to give it a try. I don’t think he’s seen hundred dollar bills in the tip jar in the past two years. I have.
I comprehend every musician in this town knows the only person to trust is themselves, giving strong momentum to soloists. I am the first to admit the fragility of combos, but at the same time I am convinced the right two people could take this town by storm. The market is choked with monotonous single acts using the same backing tracks. I place the chances of a single act working steady until New Year’s at around 15%. But the right duo will grab 90% of the market at the height of tourist season. Easily.
Today’s laugh has to be the photo I saw to the annual convention of Romance novel writers. All dumpy over 40 housewives, I suppose the ones who might only find romance at the bookrack. Not one babe in the lot. I could easily see them as the crowd to put down men’s second childhood while they themselves, you know, never grew out of their teens. I wonder which one was Danielle Steele?
Nearby was an item on the Ooma phone. This requires an Internet connection but is apparently a one-time purchase, and once set up, works from any access point. I’ll look at it, but as par usual, I will never get a home phone until that can be done anonymously. Statistically, seventy million people in America agree the phone company has abused private information, sold it to telemarketers, and allowed too many warrantless searches ever to be trusted again. That is based on the drop in the number of land lines from its maximum of 140 million in 2000 to around half that today.
I bumped into Jack, the database guy, at the library. I have a beta copy of his new system that lists all federal assistance agencies by location. The first impression is that Jack is a computer person, strictly. His system requires a fairly knowledgeable user, but if they were, they likely would not be needing his system. Still, it is a winner because it actually works. I found out later the purpose of his database was to assist people trying to get onto government support programs. Welfare, disability, food stamps.
Last, Jag was over with his guitar, and I report complete success. He patiently learned the theory I piled on him and by the end of the second hour had played six tunes he’d never heard before. This is the identical technique I taught to the 505 last year when we performed at Jimbo’s, the ten minute grad party that turned into a two hour mini-concert. I take full credit for that event, but Jag is different. He already knew all the basics and was able to move directly to the performance level.
I can report that he did better than all the guitarists I’ve tried in the past year put together. Not one of them got past the one or two minimal tunes. Even better, Jag quickly figured out he is far better off in this duo than striking out on his own. He’ll likely be a quiet stage personality. He also concluded what he was learning had as much to do with stage performance technique than music itself, a revelation others try so hard to avoid. No, no. On my stage, you put on a good show. If he is able to keep up this pace, we will be doing pro gigs within the month.
By late afternoon, I have Pat-B’s song list, I sent along mine in return. We could probably do a light show right now. Like many guitarists, he tends toward the slow and meaningful (I’m told) ballad material, but collaborating would be fun. I don’t recall ever hearing him sing, meaning I’m making the assumption he can, as I only know the words to his single Jimmy Buffet tune, “A Pirate Looks at Forty”. I’ll suggest we learn around 30 minutes of material together and see how it telegraphs. (Telegraph is an old expression meaning to play for tips only.)
When you play tips only, you split up the tips from that set, not the whole gig. One targets open mics and jam sessions. The trick or ulterior motive is over-impressing the audience, hit and run. I play differently in this mode. If I'm only playing a few tunes, you'd discover my bass style is highly conformed to the psychological part of each tune where the tip/no tip decision is made in each listener’s mind.
Does this work? My share, doing this, was once $170 (Hawaii, 1985.)
Return Home
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
