17 Dec – Borders (Atlanta, GA)
w/ Indigo Girls, Tift Merritt, Josh Joplin
First of all, the open mic shootout at Eddie’s Attic was Sat, Dec 14. The format of the event is like a college basketball tourney, you’re paired against another act, you each play a song and then the judges choose one of the two to go to the next round, until there’s only one left.
I didn’t make it out of the first round. I played my one song and that was that. I can’t even say it was terribly surprising as I have never fared well at these open mics and this was the first time I had even gotten to the shootout in two years. Still, it can’t help but bruise your ego just a little.
But I had a good week for getting over it.
Tuesday was the in-store at Borders. I expected it would probably be crowded since the Indigo Girls were playing as well and I was right. Thankfully the format was a writers-in-the-round so the people who had come out didn’t come just the see the Girls and then leave. They were all sitting around us in the middle of the store, others standing behind that large circle and scattered between low bookshelves. Easily over a hundred, I really couldn’t say what the count actually was. I talked a little with Josh beforehand, who I haven’t seen in a few months, about the possibility of trying to book some shows together soon. I also met Tift Merritt for the first time.
We all played two songs, the response for all of us was very enthusiastic. I did “Sherman” and “Hey, California,” and the latter seemed to go over particularly well. Then we all headed over to a table to sign CDs and talk to a line of people. It’s no surprise that they were mainly there to see the Girls, but I singed more than a few of my own CDs, along with a number of flyers and the like, and talked with people as I could. It was a strange little experience, though less strange post-tour than it would have been just a couple of months ago, I guess. Emily said a few really nice things about my songs while we were sitting there. Actually, every time I see her now she complains that she has a song of mine stuck in her head.
Finally the line ended and we wrapped it up. The store gave us all little gift packs and in general were really very nice. I also ran into the person who used to book me into the first club I ever played at, back in 1993, when I was playing out solo under ‘Radiant City.’ It’s hard to see it when you’re in the middle, it’s still too easy to feel as if things aren’t really changing much. But in talking with him I could see what was going on through his eyes in a way and really realized for the first time how much has happened since I first started. I used to play the Good Ol’ Days in Little Five Points here in Atlanta every 6 weeks or so, just me and my little Kramer Ferrington. It’s such a cliché to think that if I had been told then that I’d be where I am now I wouldn’t have believed it. But it’s a cliché for a reason, I suppose.
Then again, if someone had told me about the Internet then I wouldn’t have really believed it, either.
More tomorrow… Right now I have a nasty cold and I feel awful.