On Wednesday, I served as M.C. for the fifth anniversary party of Daily Perks Coffee House in Rochester. There were about a dozen performances during the night. Styles ranged from independent rock to jazz to blues to country to classic pop, to poetry. There were performers in their teens and performers in their sixties. Some were professional musicians and some were simply open mic regulars. The variety was impressive.
While everyplace has its own unique groove to it, I don't think the amount of talent in Rochester is a unique phenomenon. Pick up any city's newspaper and you'll see all kinds of entertainment listed. There's lots to see and hear out there.
I recently bought two tickets for a concert by a big time star who is coming to town in a couple of weeks. I ended up spending over $100 for the tickets. The show at Daily Perks got me thinking about how foolish it is to spend that kind of money when there is so much entertainment available in the local community for a tiny fraction of the price. Don't get me wrong. If I could charge $50 a ticket to one of my shows and get anyone to show up, I'd sure do it. Until then, I think I'll make an effort to support some of the local talent that's out there struggling just like I am to make a buck or two doing what we love. I hope you'll do the same.
Posted by westguitar
at 8:41 PM EST