We are our own worst critics. Yeah, it's trite, but very - very true. I think I stink, I can hear every mistake, lack of soul, missed opportunity when I play. We all can.
'Characters' is a bar in Pomona - featuring...darts. I was somewhat taken aback. Darts? In a town like this?
Not that there is a bar featuring such but that it thrives doing so.
Sunday a barbecue was set up in front of the bar.
Chicken, beef, peppers,onions and all the standard taco trimmings.
An open call to jam, to entertain while the barbecue took place. Shotgun and I decided to go. We are determined to play anywhere, anytime.
We had met the day before at Pomona's Farmer's Market with Jerry, the fellow organizing the jam for the following day.
There were perhaps, fourteen or fifteen people on the patio when we had set up and started to play.
Mostly men, mostly bikers, mostly weathered, hard looking people with bandanas made from Confederate flags.
A jam session, by definition, is a loose thing. You have to be prepared to take abrupt endings, fouled up changes, et cetera in stride. Our cross to bear was faulty wiring.
Jerry's mic kept going off at the most inopportune times...such as when the singer opened his mouth.
Being a keyboard player, Jerry fixes a mic in a position on a boomed mic stand and leaves it there.
The singer, being a diva, takes & throws the mic and himself around the small stage we occupied.
Ah well.
Shotgun offers another mic, but this vocalist has had his fill. He has to leave.
Okay.
The vocalist that had accompanied Jerry on Saturday at the Farmer's Market, Lewis, also showed.
Time for you, Lewis.
Lewis struggles through three tunes with us. Jerry is both playing the keyboard and his synthesizer is the bass and drums. Some of it is not pretty. He normally doesn't have to handle all three points alone. But at this point, it is the four of us. So Jerry braves it and we play on.
We take a break, partake of the food and then return to the stage.
There are more than thirty people now.
Jerry sings number, at the end of which there is applause. I mean a lot of it. This is from a crowd that had asked for AD/DC when we first setup.
We have found the music they want to hear.
Jerry sings another tune...Tejano, in fact. Aiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!!
The calls and applause at the end of this one are much louder.
There are women out on the patio. People are dancing. Calls of, "More!"
Jerry sings his heart out.
And it didn't matter if it was Bill Withers or Hot Tuna, he brought it up from deep within him.
I'm playing like a dervish.
I play rhythm for Shotgun most of the time. I can shine when asked.
"Man...who are these people cheering for?"
"Thank you all for coming, we had a blast. Drive home safely & goodnight!"
Jerry closed and we stepped off.
Four hours after we got up to play.
Four hours?!
And now it happens. Back slapping, people buying for us..."You guys were great!"
So why do I know I suck?
My Horoscope today was telling - GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Stop criticizing yourself! Get on your own side. Once you're on your own team, it will all work out. If you are having a hard time with this, make a list of 10 great things about you. It will turn your whole day around.
(Thank you, Holiday Mathis)
As Jerry hands me his card he says to me, "You want to play with me at Laverne's Farmer's Market on Thursday?"
Another gig.
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