I’m home.
I went to the Wednesday open mic night at the Lucky Star Brewery.
It is just down the street from me and it attracts some excellent players, most of us have paying gigs and the quality and variety is through the roof. The crowd started slow but there were more people arriving as I departed.
I played Elton John’s Madman Across the Water and got a respectable crowd reaction. I did a duet with the host on the Eagles’ Peaceful Easy Feeling. I mainly sang harmony. Next up was Charlie Daniels’ Call up Trudi on the Telephone. Glen Campbell’s Gentle on my Mind was well-received and I had a great set. I also included two of my originals: the popular Freddy Krueger’s Nightmare and High Time I Left a Lowlife Like You.
After I stopped and as they prepared for the next player, I was approached by this big, good-looking guy who happened to be an ex-cop.
He said he had a request. I thought OK, Tony would probably let me play this guy’s song at some point in the night.
He didn’t want me to play a song.
Different kind of request.
Instead, he asked me (literally) for the veritable shirt off my back. He actually had me take it off in the bathroom and put on a Brewery T-shirt that he purchased for me. It ends up his wife (or girlfriend, I didn’t ask) wanted one. I said to her very apologetically, that I did have some brand-new ones at home in different sizes, and I was really hesitant to give her a shirt that had seen three hours of practice and thirty minutes of performing.
She was the coolest. Her name was Jamie and she was insistent.
She wanted maddogg’s shirt.
I am now HER number one fan.
How freaking cool is that? I also am starting to pile up dates for May, despite being turned down for a gig in Dayton, but turns out they are an indie and metal place. The owner of the Lucky Star brewery is considering me for one of their Saturday night slots.
I am still thinking about getting a Jacuzzi for the back yard. We also need a BBQ grill and soon all the food will get cooked on it.
I really hope my prosthetist fixes my leg Friday so I can at least get a few putts in and maybe hit a bucket.
In the meantime, I will be practicing my ass off and throwing a few recordings in my blog and I will continue to flail away line by line and I WILL learn the entire lyrics to I’ve Been Everywhere.
Two verses down and two to go.
Glen Campbell once cussed me out and threw a golf ball at my head.
Missed it by thaaat much! He screamed at me to “take some lessons.”
He had a house on the Biltmore in Phoenix (can’t remember which hole) and I had launched a three-wood about as hard and as far as my abilities allow.
Ended up in his backyard.
Loved his music.
Of course just to irritate the hell out of my wife, I will be sending another email inviting Robin Meade to my second nursing home gig.
I’ll keep you posted.
Stay Well.
Mark's Playhouse 