Last night, I attended an open mic locally here in Pittsburgh. It's always bitchin to see the level of talent that comes out and shares their eclectic skill set with friends and strangers. I dig the vibe.
I got up on stage early and played a few originals. I also worked in a cover mash-up of Hungry Heart/Runaway Sue (they’re basically the same chord progression, and some other guys wanted to play along, so eff it). I'm getting a little more comfortable with playing acoustic live music, but I have a long way to go before I'm rad enough to feel like a boss.
Despite my insecurity, it's always a good time. I drank enough Pepsi to cause a diabetes crash. I had to cut off the bartender from re-filling me for the 6th time, which she found quite funny. I listened as the crowd drowned their sorrows, celebrated joys and bitched about problems. I can't say if anyone else stopped to just genuinely enjoy the vibe as I did, I certainly hope someone did. Beer was flowing in every direction but mine, and I felt the room get liquidly wiser. I almost regret leaving, but duty calls, and being a mess in the morning is not an option, even if it would be a sugar crash.
On my way out the door, the last guy I saw play was killing it with covers of Talking Heads, Dire Straits and Men at Work. I believe he pulled out a Wings cover also. Super cool stuff from a talented local guy.
Pittsburgh still has a '70's/80's vibe to it under the surface. A black drop ceiling with gold walls? Check. Pure Prairie League on rotation? Check. Donnie Iris? Check. It's a vibe I hope stays for a while longer. It's a city where they re-run nostalgic shows on PBS older than the local history covered in the documentary. A 35-year-old documentary on closing West View park? Do the math. I'm right.
So now I'm lying in my hotel (still camped out from the protein fire fiasco for at least another week) thinking about how good yesterday was. Great weather, work, friends and music. I want to bookmark it mentally. For a minute, I felt better than just existing. Ups and downs, good stuff.
Watching people do their thing tonight brought and old lyric back to the surface. It's a song about working, faith (or lack thereof), love and loss. It's a D, A, G song, and attempt at country from someone who knows nothing about country.
https://youtu.be/_xBg4IICNhY
Enjoy, or don't.
Nago
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