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Lately I've been doing a lot of gigs that I call "wallpaper gigs" My job is to provide some atmosphere. Sit in the corner and play softly while people are having dinner and enjoying their own conversations. I always try to do my best, but I'll be honest, on some nights when nobody is paying any attention, it can be tempting to phone it in.
I kind of thought last night was going to be one of those nights. I was playing at The Brown Hound - one of my favorite places to play. For a Friday night, it wasn't as busy as it could have been. A few tables early in the night seemed indifferent to whether I was there or not. Then, about fifteen mintues before my normal quitting time, a couple of tables came in and seemed very interested in what I was playing. They made a few requests, and I did my best to play what they wanted to hear. Then something interesting happened. The power went out. Not just at the restaurant, but the whole area went dark and silent. I happened to have my acoustic guitar last night, so I said I could still play. The people at the Hound brought out extra candles, and the customers really seemed to enjoy the intimacy. They actually drew a little closer and really enjoyed the music without any amplification. Suddenly, I went from wallpaper to the center of attention.
I ended up playing almost an hour longer than I was booked for. Although it is my job to play, I left at the end of the night feeling like I just got a reminder of why I do what I do. It is fun. I work hard at improving my skills and giving people the best I have, but at the end of it all, I'm doing what I love to do.
11:52 AM
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