But I Had Fun

Usually, when I expect a gig to be sub par, it exceeds all expectations. I've walked into dives; replete with the smell of urine...knowing I was going have a bad time of it, only to be very pleasantly surprised.

Last Friday I received a call to play the Annual Farmer's Market - the twist this year...as an opening act. The Market in LaVerne is a weekly event throughout the summer months.
(As Day Light Savings Time ended later than was usual and was begun four weeks early, the effect of everyone's clock has been noticeable)
Last year and the year before that, I had played during the height of activities. This year, would I like to be one of the five acts to help kick it off for the year?
Sure. A gig is a gig. And I have been here on a somewhat regular basis...might as well.

But this year, I had heard the coming weather report. A veritable deluge of Biblical proportions. This is SoCal...it doesn't rain, much. But I do remember that it was not a waiver concerning fire season that I had to sign when purchasing the house, it was that we live in a Flood Zone. I've not seen that much rain in the eight plus years we have lived here.

Friday was grey and rainy and nasty. And Saturday began with some of the heaviest rain I have ever experienced...ever. I grew up in N.J., I am used to rain.
I just knew the gig was going to be very cold and very wet. And that meant it would stink.

As I started to load my equipment, the sun came out. The rains stopped.
The eye of the storm? The lull until the onset of the second predicted storm?
Who cares?

Yeah, it WAS colder than comfortable. Mid fifties and very windy. We set up inside of a three sided tent that was to keep the rain off us and our electric equipment. However, these tents were not made to stop the wind.
I live at roughly one thousand feet of elevation. These are the foothills, there is wind more often than not. And at times - very strong winds.
But the sun shone, it did my heart good to be out and play in God's own venue. Huge pines, mountains in the background...it was beautiful.

The music wasn't bad either.