I have pulled the plug on the Mystery Band and gone back to being a harmonica noodler, playing in the backyard to annoy the dog. I like to play, but lining up gigs, trying to get paid, organizing my wonderful fellow musicians - it starts to feel like work. I already have a full-time (plus) job (which, by the way, deserves more of my attention). I was subsidizing the gigs because club owners can't afford to pay a living wage to musicians in this era of iPods and downloads - it gets to be a burden to "pay to play" at every gig. My family also deserves my full engagement. Life is busy, and sometimes you have to pull back in order to go forward.
Maybe I will go back to it some day. Maybe not. The band was starting to feel like a form of self-indulgence, a stupid ego trip for an aging white man who has no business playing the blues. So I will start acting my age and living clean. No more late nights in dive bars for me. My favorite dive bar has closed, anyway.
If anyone wants a couple hundred copies of the Mystery Band CD, let me know.
2 comments:
Sorry to hear you are on hiatus (very temporary I hope). We always had a good time at your shows, especially at Bill's. Laine & I really miss your ever changing lineup - "who will be in the band tonite!?" We too truly miss Bill's. Sure there are other fine clubs down in the city, but we met at Bill's and it was sooooo close.
Skip
Thanks Skip - I appreciated the kind support the Mystery Band received from you and Laine. Take care, friend
G
Post a Comment