Tuesday, January 21, 2014

  • Thursday: Zero To 30
  • 76 Dollar Saturday
  • 20 Dollar Sunday
  • Monday: Sell Me Some Cells

Thursday night, I had actually spent all my money and was starting out at the Lilly spot with nothing in my case.
A guy soon offered me 10 dollars, if he could play my guitar.
I handed it to him, but forgot to caution him to not take the capo off.
The super tight capo on the second fret is actually keeping pressure on the neck at the spot where it is splitting and separating from the fret board; and the A flat harmonica, which I have been playing almost exclusively is at home with that arrangement, allowing me to play all of the songs in G and E minor, A major and even C.
The 20 Dollar Song
"...and maybe; you're gonna be the one that saves me..."
After I had re-attached the capo and re-tuned a bit, the guy played "Wonderwall," by Oasis for a group of about 10 of his companions.
The companions threw at least another 10 dollars in my case as he was playing and they were singing; all of them apparently very familiar with that particular song.
(I met another group from Great Britain in Mobile, Alabama -some kind of underwater welders; in town to work on something related to The Oil Spill of '09)- who had requested that same song.)
When "Rain" Comes
Friday, I pretty much broke even.
Saturday night, I noticed that the Beatles tribute band called "Rain" were scheduled to play at the Saenger Theater starting at 8 p.m.
I plopped myself down at the corner of the building and was not run off by security and managed to play from out of my Beatles repertoire and had a bunch of singles and a few 5 dollar bills, equal to about 35 dollars in the span of about an hour.
Then, I went to the Lilly spot, rather than wait around for the show to let out -something vaguely promising to be more lucrative than the Lilly spot- but I planned upon possibly returning.
The 20 Dollar Challenge
For almost the 5th consecutive night, The Guy Who Comes Along And Sits Beside You As You Play came along and sat next to me.
Admittedly, these are not all skeezers.
One was an artist and musician, who played along with me for a while and was shy about taking half of the 6 bucks or so which were thrown to "You guys have a good night"  us.
He later rendered a very good sketch of me playing, which I might have been able to post here had my phone been charged.
Saturday night, another guy came and sat and listened.
He threw a few dollars in my case.
He asked me, at one point what my "best tip song" was.
I had to think.
I related a few stories based upon the memories which I have of getting good tips.
"Comfortably Numb," by Pink Floyd spawned a woman running across the street in Saint Augustine with a 20 dollar bill.
"Wild World," by Cat Stevens did the same thing once...
Then, I thought of the time (2009?) that I was in Jacksonville Beach, Florida during Spring Break and I was learning "Tears In Heaven," by Eric Clapton by playing it over and over and over for college kids who mostly only caught a few seconds of it and who threw me about 80 dollars through a couple hours.
That, along with what the song went on to garner for me after that; probably earns it the status of "my best tip song," I told the guy.
Then, a couple guys came along and listened to what I was playing and then one of them requested a Neil Young song; but before I could embark upon it; his friend said (honest to God):
"Hey, do you know and Clapton...I'll give you 20 dollars if you can play 'heaven'!"
I guessed that he was referring to the song that I had just deemed my best tip song 10 minutes prior; and was able to play it to the guys satisfaction and get the 20 dollar bill thrown in on top of what was about 40 dollars, bringing my total for the day to about 77 dollars.
He almost had the attitude that his bluff had been called as he shrugged and said "Well, I did say that I'd give you 20 bucks if you played it...."
How serendipitous was that.
Batteries Included
Monday, I went to Walgreens, where I broke down and spent almost 16 dollars on batteries for my AM/FM radio and my spotlight.
My anguish was halved when the cashier told me that they were "buy one, get one free."
I now own 48 double A batteries and should be under a bright spotlight at the Lilly spot for some time to come.
It is Tuesday now; and a little cooler outside (50's) and I woke up with 27 dollars less than I had Monday morning.....
But, I have 48 AA batteries; a new set of strings; weed and vodka; a bright light to play under; and my throat seems to be getting better; after I have gargled with salt water following the suggestions of Dorise and Alex from California....
I might go and get a new harmonica this afternoon; a12 dollar (Hohner Ol' Standby), perhaps in the key of G.
Singing everything a half step up started out being so weird that it was hard for me to recognize the pitches of  songs which I had done hundreds of times in the lower key; but it eventually helped my ear and my voice, also.
"Powering through " the throat ailment seems to have helped me also, in the "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" sense of the word...
Maybe the key of G, or C or F sharp....

1 comment:

  1. Man you keep mentioning songs that would sound kickass on trumpet, and which I'll play on my cornet once I'm up at the level to play them well.

    I'm essentially right now at the level of that teenage dude everyone knows - or was - who spends time along messing around on guitar alone in their room, and through sheer stubbornness actually gets good. I don't sound too hot right now, but there are moments of musicality ...

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