Postcards from the Funny Farm

Playing small bars and coffee houses has been a hobby of mine with my guitar since I was a teenager. I love it and even though it can be a lot of torturous work getting up there (mostly the process before the show) it is worth it every time.

Last night I played Angels Roadhouse in Apple Valley. My time was for 9:30p so my wife and I went out and got Italian at Mama Carpinos. We actually met up with her parents to eat which was cool because with them talking and stuff I forget about any nerves that might try to creep in. Anyway, we ate and I was feeling that “after Italian” buzz you get when you eat raviolis from a great restaurant. We got our hands stamped at the door and walked in to get a table.

The first band were under 21. We knew this because of the large magic marker “X” on all their hands. If you haven’t been to a club before, it means they can’t buy drinks. They all had Pink Floyd shirts on which was cool. I thought they might sound like Pink Floyd but I was wrong. They were kind of a hybrid of Pearl Jam and Nine Inch Nails. Another thing I noticed were their MOPS of hair. I’ve gone bald and what I have left I shave every month. But when I was that age, I had the same mop thiing happening. They had a lot of passion. Unfortunately the lead singer’s guitar was way out of tune. I kept fighting the urge to hop onstage and tune it for him. I could even tell what strings were out. If you know these sorts of things and are watching, it is just awful to go through. Eventually, they did finish and I was asked to take the stage.

It was a great set. I felt good singing. I played a few REM songs which I haven’t done for a while. When I said they were my favorite band, a few people gave out a rave. What shocked me was when I successively announced band names that no one had heard of:

• The Goo Goo Dolls
• The JayHawks
• Toad the Wet Sprocket

I thought these were common bands/household names. Guess I am a bit obtuse there.  If it had been a band name game show, I’d have taken the grand prize.

Songs by all those bands brought huge applause. In a way then I suppose I had some influence. Keeping the good stuff alive is part of what I see myself as doing out there.

I like paying out because it gives me a chance to share the goodness i have found in music and spread it around the desert … and beyond.

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