When I do a gig,  I expect that most of the audience will like what I do.  I don't mean that to sound conceited.   The owners of the places I play wouldn't hire me if they didn't believe their audience would like me,  or anyone they hire to play for that matter.  Playing in front of a roomful of musicians is a different matter, however.  We're always watching and listening to each other just a little differently than the average person.  It makes me nervous, to be honest.

This week I went to an open mic in Rochester for the first time in quite a while.   This isn't your average amateur hour.   Some seriously good musicians like to come to this particular open mic and jam with one another.   A couple of players sat in on my set and it was just fantastic.   When I was done,  I got a lot of nice attaboys  from some people that I really admire as musicians.   It made me glad I went,  and at the same time it inspires me to keep trying to get better.   When someone you think is miles ahead of you gives you a nice pat on the back,  you want to make sure you don't let them down the next time they see you.

This is when Upstate New York really starts coming alive.  The festival season starts this week with The Lilac Festival in Rochester,  and it seems that just about every week from now till Labor Day there's something going on.  If you're a music fan,  there are tons of options.   Many of them include outdoor venues.  Some  big names come through the area,  but they're often supported by local acts.   I always say you have to support live, local music.  As you're walking by at one of the many great festivals this season,  take an extra minute or two to listen to some of the local talent.   You never know.  In a few years from now,  you may be able to tell your friends you saw someone really famous when they were playing for free at the Corn Hill Festival or the Hemlock Fair.    Then won't you feel smart?

By the way,  unless you're blind,  please LEAVE YOUR DOG AT HOME!

There are moments when you can actually feel yourself getting older.   Two such moments hit me this week when I went to my nephew's high school baseball game. 

The first was between innings.  They play music during the change over,  and I thought to myself,  "why don't they turn that crap down"

The second moment was at the same game.  A couple of boys walked by,  and I had to fight myself not to shout at them, "PULL UP YOUR DAMN PANTS!"

I think I'll listen to a few of my cassettes on my walkman,  or maybe watch some video tapes on the VCR  to calm myself down.

The next three days should be fun for me.    On Thursday,  I play solo.  On Friday,  I'm playing with Pete Collin.  On Saturday,  W.B. Blues has a show.   (See the upcoming gigs page for details)

While there is some overlap of material,   the three shows are substantially different.   I make it a point to try to avoid doing a lot of the same songs with different acts.    That way,  I stay interested.   It's also more interesting for people who have seen me in one act to see what else I can do.

I hope you'll join me for one, two, or all three performances this week.

Last night I played at The Brown Hound Bistro in Naples. It's been a couple of months since I've played there,  but it seems like much longer.   I've missed it.   It really is one of my favorite places to play.  It's very intimate,  and the people who work there are fantastic.  There were even a few customers that I've seen there more than once.

The Hound is the kind of place where I tend to play softly,  and I don't really expect people to applaud,  or even pay much attention.   They're eating their dinner and having conversations at their tables.   I'm background music there,  and I'm fine with that because I know it going in.   But every so often at the end of a song,  one of the staff would start to clap.  The customers would notice it then they'd start to clap.   It was really cracking me up because it was like a chain reaction.   The looks on the customers faces when they realized somone was clapping for something so they better join in was hilarious.

This is supposed to be my music website, but we're quickly approaching April 15.   If you're an American,  you know what that means:  tax day.   I finished figuring my taxes last night,  and I'm not happy about it. 

I have a proposal:  At every level of government,  any proposal for an expense must be accompanied by a figure of what it will cost the individual taxpayer.   The numbers that we get now are so huge that they don't mean anything to the average guy,  and we tend to tune them out.  "Two billion for a transportation bill?   Sure,  go ahead."     But if they came to you and said, "Hey Joe, we need $85 from you to put up a sign announcing that this highway is named after your congressman," you'd start to question the necessity of things a little more.

OK,  give me a day or two to stew about it,  then I'll post something a little cheerier.

Compliments have always been difficult for me.  Not giving them, but receiving them.  I used to discount them until someone once called me on it.  "Take a compliment, you jerk!"    So I learned to say a gracious thank you instead of pointing out to the complimenter what was wrong with their statement.  

Well,  "thank you"  just replaced some self depricating remark,  but I didn't always really consider what was in the compliment.   Then the other night,  someone whom I respect considerably paid me a compliment that really blew me away.   It was more than just the basic, "hey you sound good"    He really took the time to consider what he was saying,  and I have to tell you,  I was touched.

I'm not going to write what was said, or who said it.   But if you're reading this,  I hope you'll consider what it could mean to someone to pay them a genuine, considered compliment from the heart.