Home Town Gig

I'm so ready for Saturday night. Sure, it's only Wednesday but Saturday can't come soon enough for me. The fact is, I've been ready for a while now. Oh yeah, there's still is plenty of prep work necessary to make Saturday night the impeccable musical performance I envision. Because that will be a collaborative effort and a major part of the collaboration hasn't exactly happened yet.

So here's the deal. On Saturday, January 31 at 7:30, the curtain rises for my show at The Shedd Performing Arts Institute. And in Eugene, Oregon, that's a big deal. Lots of print advertising featuring my picture, extra airplay on local radio, fancy oversized photographic full-color mailings about my show to several thousand local households and a palpable buzz in our community.

So what's the problem? Nothing really. Except that the 7 musicians that will back me up have never played with one another. Never even met. That will happen on Friday night.

I've played with clusters of them. For example, my two old friends who are LA musicians, Gary and Brent. We played together incessantly growing up in Salem, Oregon, and we've played together a number of times when I've visited LA. These guys have performed with dozens of acts that have achieved worldwide fame. Then there are the local guys, Matt and Pete, both consummate professionals who can and have cut the mustard with numerous other musicians, including Chuck Berry, Andy Summers and many more. And then there's Greg from Portland and Stan from Atlanta, terrific musicians with impressive musical resumes.

The thing is, our first opportunity to play my songs together arrives on Friday night. Then the show is on Saturday. Am I worried? No. Why not? Because they have learned my tunes and they are pros.

I'm excited. I know my audience will include dozens of friends and family members. And it will include many members of my home town who haven't heard me yet. If I merely avoid the indignity of disappointing them, my personal level of satisfaction will be low. Is it wrong to hope for more? I don't think so. When performing my songs, I put my entire being on the line. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so ready for Saturday night.