Played a "gig". In "public". It was fun.

After playing the Midway (what is it with dive bars in Boston putting "cafe" after their names?) with my brother's band a couple of years ago, I knew I'd found my calling. The listening-room nature of folk venues is nervewracking - it's like you're supposed to have fun, in front of cross-legged people watching you do so. Rather than the group-fun being had by all at the Can Tab on Tuesday nights where I'd go home hoarse from all my hollering from the back of the crowd. So my annual see-how-this-goes foray back into performing has been at Passim, my first "home" in Boston, where the people who supported me since hearing me play the open mics there still come out to clap and say my voice sounds fine. Even though my mind has less and less a hold on me with every passing year, my body doesn't seem to get the memo, and in those silent moments, my hands begin to shake, throat closes up, and I wish everyone were high or drunk, cause for some reason I'd be able to relax more in that case. But back at the Midway, people who didn't give a shit were talking, people who did give a shit were half listening half talking or singing along or yelling at me. It was great. Plus, I really love being on stage with other people. Matt at Passim has graciously seen to it that I not be on stage without a close buddy within reaching distance (see pics from last campfire).
So, even though no major changes, that I know of, have gone down with my voice, and whispering sleepytime songs at my computer nightly is still the most I assume I can muster vocally, I found it undeniably synchronistic when a coworker asked out of the blue if i'd like to open for his band at some bar downtown - in 6 days. "Sure."
It just seemed like it was time. I built an image in my head of what this would be like (based on Yelp, in part) and dug for non-folk songs that would be upbeat and rowdy enough as an opener for the 3:27's, who play infectiously jumping Police-type music that I imagined would attract a crowd that would truly hate some girl-with-guitar-folk-singer-songwriter bullshit.
Of course, it was 8 degrees outside, most stayed home, and so it just ended up being my cluster of highly-committed friends sitting there, for whom I could've played anything. Not the point. I needed to spend this week remembering how much I love to Sing Out, if you will.
 In the car, for like the last 4 months or more, I've become obsessed with drums. After some time spent with Cape Verdian drummer Tony Fonseca last summer, I thought hand drumming would cover it. Because I don't know anyone with a drumset. (I dated a drummer for a short time years ago and took about 3 lessons, before his 8 year old son moved in on the action and surpassed my skills immediately while I childishly stomped away in a constant fight for said boyfriend's attention. There's a losing battle I learned nothing from - next partner had 3 genius sons. Glutton for punishment). Anyhow, I am now the Air-Drummer In The Orange Car, with the Polar Bear. I even taught the preschoolers my limited air drumming skills - they slam the imaginary symbol to the right "when they feel it". It's awesome.

So I pretty much need to rock, and this was my baby step towards that end. Sweetwater "cafe", in THE ALLEY. With frozen fingers I half-assedly played some songs I don't quite know for my buddies, got a bit reacquainted with the whole monitor/pickup/PA system crap, failed to stay focused while a basketball game played in front of me, etc. The 3:27 boys joined me on kazoo solos for Careless Whisper, which was pretty much the highlight of my winter. Check it: TWIN, DANCING BACKUP BOYS!
I joined them for So Lonely, delightfully out of my range, couldn't be happier, jumping around and yelling into a mic with a great band and beer drinkers, girls dressed like Jersey hookers stumbling down from the club upstairs and past us for the bathroom. It was great!! Let's hope for a replay, same venue, lots and lots of peeps come out, and I play more with the band! I'll do this till I completely lose my voice again, then - DRUMS!

PS - the Popcornballs at Midnight piece was accepted for The Yellow Show at BCM! woo!