Live But Never Learn

Sunday night at Sammy's Pizza, London Road, Eau Claire, Robert Johnson, Larry Heagle, and Mike Quick (the poster heralded him as "Mick Quick") took the stage to an almost filled room. The two sets went by Mick Quickly with one break at approximately 7:30.

It was "old home week". Lots of familiar faces from all three performers' past. Robert and Mike had some brand new songs to present, while I had trouble just remembering the lyrics to already written songs. since the motorcycle accident of two summers ago -- and I think I have mentioned this a couple times already in this forum -- I have been abandoned by the "muse". She is a fickle bitch and has left me in the lurch to face the world barren minded, uncreative.

As a matter of fact, if it weren't for this creative writing escape, not much would be going on in this otherwise dormant mind.

Tonight we gathered for steaks on the grill at my place and hashed over last night's concert, preparing to run it again tomorrow night at Jake's supper Club out on Highway D, north of Menomonie.

I broached the subject of audience attentiveness. Twenty years ago when we did the same sort of evening, it was in an almost dead quiet concert situation even though there was alcohol present.

Oh what a difference twenty years makes! Last night, throughout the evening there was a constant audience hum while the performance was in progress. In discussing it tonight after dinner, I guess I am the only one who was somethwat offended by what I considered a lack of focus on the audience's part.

At the risk of sounding like a "prima donna", I don't understand why anyone would come out to something that was clearly advertised as a songwriter's symposium, and then not really listen to the lyrics throughout the two sets.

Both Robert and Mike agreed with me that it was pretty noisy, but they stated that this is the way things are this days and that if you come out to work with higher expectations, you are certain to be disappointed. Robert said that in this kind of situation he concentrates on those he can see are listening and blocks out those who are not.

I guess I have never been good at that. Don't misunderstand. I just came off of working for two years with a band and you expect people to talk when a band is playing, or yell, depending on how loud the band is. I just felt that last night was a totally different situation and consequently, with the noise, I didn't find it as enjoyable as the other two players. My bad.

I will go into tomorrow night's experience with lowered expectations and try to concentrate on the music and the people (if there are any) that are really listening.