[Dixielandjazz] Fantastic Gig - "connecting"

[Nancy Giffin]

From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
[excerpt]
"... Sang w/o amplification as I thought the town was supplying sound and
they thought I was...Threw beads to all the girls, plus kids early in the
evening (6:30 PM start) By 8:30, only the sweet younger girls, couples and a
bunch of older people  so we went into high gear. Two lovelies, mid
twenties, were sitting and sipping on a second floor balcony opposite us. So
I sang, or rather shouted out "I Want A Little Girl" to them, walked across
the street and threw beads up to them. Played my solo up to them. Big hit to
them and the crowd. Returned to band stand through smiling crowd...
Started throwing beads in earnest. Lots of hugs and kisses. I give white
beads to girls with dates or husbands and tell them that these are for
chastity. No foolin around tonight. Girls love it, men grimace and berate
me, asking for red beads which I say are from the devil and mean
anything goes, all fantasies included. Demand increases for red beads. Band
member pulses quicken...
"Then several girls came up, at our beckoning and sat on our stools as we
played to them and they danced around us to the crowd's delight. So I
shouted out "The Million Dollar Secret"...
"... raucous jump blues solos and girls laughing, dancing and rubbing
against us. I have to tell you, the crowd went absolutely bonkers and we, of
course, did too. Again, I had to yell it out because,
no amplification. But that made it more fun. The whole street was jumping.
The end at 9:30 came much too soon."
"... The band got 2 more gigs from last night's performance, plus an invite
to the balconied apartment for a couple of drinks. But like true blue
conservative older musical artists, we chickened out."
[end of excerpt]


Hi all,

In the movie "Gladiator," the gladiator pimp said to his mightiest slave,
"Win the crowd, and you will win your freedom." In Steve's case: win the
crowd, and you will land lots of gigs (and perhaps other unmentionables, if
you're that kind of "player").

(To rehash an old thread...) Steve's gig is an example of "what it's all
about" in entertainment: "connecting," not with a microphone to an amp, but
with your heart and soul to an audience, opening yourself up and letting the
good vibes flow, connecting with people who let it flow back to you. It's a
rush, it's a charge, it's when you're flying, they're flying, time is
flying, too. Personally, I feel that connecting is what we're all here to do
in this world; it's when we feel some of our greatest joy. Some crowds
aren't as receptive as others (all jobs have their challenge), but one can
still connect with their band mates and just have a great time playing.

End of sermon (on a Saturday?). Love and hugs,
Nancy