Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta, GA)
w/ the Susi French Connection
Well, of course the show was rough for me, but you expected that by now. Just felt a little off, and my usual level of discomfort playing acoustic. Sometimes I’m able to get past it but last night wasn’t one of those times.
Rob Gal was there to play on one of Susi French’s songs, so he came up and played on the first three of mine. Having not actually rehearsed or ever played acoustic together, it was sloppy. I did one more song of mine solo. Then it was into the seventies hits (more or less). For the curious among you:
“Xanadu” by ELO/Olivia Newton John
“Alone Again, Naturally” by Gilbert O’Sullivan
“Another Day” by Paul McCartney
“The Ballad of El Goodo” by Big Star
“Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards.
The seventies hits seemed to fare better, not surprising since that was the point of the evening. It didn’t occur to me until a few days ago that it might be a good idea to skew my set that way, I could have used more time to get comfortable with them. But in the end it was a smart move, I think the show would have been worse for me had I stuck to my own material to a lot of polite applause (and the place was full, I was impressed).
The Susi French Connection played next. I could go on and on about what an amazing group of people Gentle Readers are (I’ve done it before, though, so I won’t). But they pull this seventies thing off amazingly well. I’ll never remember the entire set, but highlights:
“She’s a Lady” by Tom Jones
“The Logical Song” by Supertramp
“Here You Come Again” by Dolly Parton
“Lay Down Sally” by Eric Clapton (the one Rob played on)
“Behind Closed Doors” by Charley Pride
“You’re No Good” by Linda Rondstadt
“You’re Having My Baby” by Paul Anka
“More, More, More” by the Andrea true Connection
“Love Will Keep Us Together” by Captain and Tennille
“Waterloo” by ABBA
“The Air That I Breathe” by the Hollies
The latter being the one I sang. They had put it next to last in the set (before “Waterloo”) which I thought was very flattering. I thought I was getting a little rough on the choruses (I’m STILL getting over the cold) but apparently it didn’t come across. I didn’t sense a bigger reaction, but I kept getting told afterwards (without asking) that there was one. Which was good since I was busy beating myself up over it. After the show there was much hanging about with Gentle Readers, also Sue Witty’s manager Alayne, Sonia Tetlow, Becky Shaw (who was singing with Susi French all night), and the spoos. To the point that, though after I sang I was feeling somewhat disappointed about my performance, by the time I left I felt a nice little glow. Not because people had been convincing me my show was good, but because I like all of these people a lot, and just sitting around talking felt damn good.
I love those guys. You should go see them.