Great, great gratitude!
February 10, 2016
I played a handful of shows this past weekend… (Thursday DUO @ Funk Brewery in Etown, Friday FULL BAND @ Tellus 360 and Saturday solo @ SUBA) and all 3 left me feeling the same way, GRATEFUL!
I feel I can confidently say that I speak for all performers in that one of the best feelings you can get from performing is a sense of “connection to your audience”. I know it’s the thing I long for each and every time I perform. Even if it’s one person outwardly enjoying what I do, I’m hooked!
There’s a simple exchange that goes on. I play music, you listen and HOPEFULLY enjoy it and show some sort of sign of enjoyment… a smile, clapping, dancing, crying out in a way that shows you are “moved” (this does not happen quite that much)… then I say “thank you”, my heart grows happier recognizing that you all are enjoying what I am sharing! Then… we repeat this process until the venue says it time for us to go home!
This weekend… it was a triple dose of feeling of these feelings! Thanks TO ALL who were a part of it.
Funk Brewery – Tara, Alicia and all your patrons… you all were so kind, truly to clap after EVERY song is somewhat unheard of for a gig such as yours. Glad no one spilled their tasty pints or got salsa on their shirts. Tellus 360 – all the dancing and grooving that was going on, I did not want it to stop. UNFORTUNATELY we ran out of songs! AND Suba… Suba… you held a unique experience for me this night.
While I was on break, a very friendly couple asked me IF I took requests… I said “I can try”. Their reply, “how about something from your album ‘Hear To Listen'”. It took me a second to register what they were asking… It turns out this very friendly duo, who I came to know as Natalie and Ed, caught me some years ago when I opened for Edwin McCain! I was flattered they’d come out to see me these years later. Thus per their request, I did my best to play as many songs off of that album as I could. (Sometimes even though they are my songs, the fingers, voice and brain don’t remember them…been a little bit.) Thanks Natalie and Ed for that first!!!
And thanks to all who came out to the shows this past weekend… I feel great, great gratitude for the gift of appreciation you’ve given to me and my mates.