This week: Sound Stage (radio) and Dobbs (open mic)

I recently had the chance to appear on Sound Stage (facebook page) (webpage)! Sound Stage is a radio show that airs on 1520 AM WCHE out of West Chester, PA, from 4-5 pm on Thursdays. They feature local musicians. I managed to meet Bryn at an open mic at the Queen, who hooked me up with this snazzy opportunity.

It was laid-back and totally awesome. Mike (of Rivers Monroe) runs a good show! AND, there's a podcast up! So you can go listen to that.

I brought my dulcimer on the air and played "Sweet Life," a fairly recent little song of mine that gets rave reviews from the small pool of people who have heard it. :) It's slated to appear on the album. It's close to the end, if you want to search it out. I love introducing people to the dulcimer this way.

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Oh, and Dobbs. I finally made it to Dobbs. Or, Legendary Dobbs. Or whatevah. Actually, this was the day before the aforementioned radio appearance. I'm a little out of sequence. And I'm not going to apologize.

Anyway.

Dobbs is in Philly. Philly is not... that... close. I know, I know, I know - everyone else drives way more than me for their art. Or the things they love. Or even work. (Which may or may not be something they love, but that's another topic for another day.) Most people I know that *do* things, they just drive a lot. I am still getting used to the fact that I am one of these people. Frankly, I don't mind the driving or the solitude, I'm just that much more aware that my life can be ended by someone sending a text message. And the emissions, and the gas consumption. My brain is occupied by too many things.

So, now that I've tried to talk about PHILLY and DOBBS for a whole two PARAGRAPHS now, let's do it.

I drove up to Philly. After a six-hour shift, I threw on some normal-people clothes and bam. Philly. Met up with a friend for the afternoon, then passed some time scribbling in a journal in a coffeeshop before heading over to Jacopo's for dinner. Time very well spent. I am generally appreciative of cities (moreso when I don't have to worry about parking in them), and it's a very different thing to meet up with excellent acquaintances and collaborate on memory-making versus exploring on your own.

Apart from being a great singer-songwriter and performer, Jacopo is a great chef. You need to know this. For some reason. Again, a very different thing, going to an open mic with a Philly native instead of toughing it out on my own (which is what I'm inclined to do most of the time). We were joined at Dobbs by Brene Wilson, another Delawarean singer-songwriter.

The funny thing about this open mic is that it virtually does not exist on the internet. Either that, or my search skills are beginning to degenerate. I couldn't find very much on a sign-up time or start time. As I said, knowing someone who goes to the thing more than I do helps a lot. Signup's at 8, performances at 9. Two-song format, which I like, and which other local open mics seem to be trending toward. It's run very professionally by John Faye (of John & Brittany as well as IKE). It's got my seal of approval. I gave my FAWM pitch, but I don't think I piqued anyone's interest.

However, I will not be deterred. The FAWM rolls on.

Neither did the ice on 95 deter me from driving home in twice the time it would have ordinarily took. It ended up being a 12-hour day in Philly with 3 hours of driving.

WORTH IT.

:D