Watch the video. Then, if you care to read on...!
Thursday: Open mic at Steel City in Phoenixville. Driving up 202/other PA routes in the rain at night was the most awful idea I've had in awhile. I really actually don't do well driving at night, which I made fun of in a (mostly) improvised thank-you song for Cara. Steel City is real snazzy. Unfortunately, we got mixed up on the sign-up time. Lesson learned: websites lie/get outdated. Call a human being. If you can. We still got to do one song each right at the very end, which is better than nothing for the 1.5 hour drive we made.
Michael said it first, and I agree: the place was full of talent. There was not a single "meh" performer up there. I'd definitely be interested in going again if I can get a good handle on when sign-up starts and get on the road sooner. I really love coffeehouse open mics. Bars are fine, but I feel more pressured to cater to the raucous bar audience with covers when I really want to be doing quieter originals.
Head for the Hills was really fantastic. I'm not wanting to post a play-by-play, as it was really a jam-packed weekend. My favorite bits:
- Learning hambo! Hambo's a Swedish dance that's very tricky and can't be picked up like some dances. The workshop was well-done and it's not easy to teach, so it really speaks to the level of expertise of the instructors.
- Joining the pickup band in the middle of the dance floor, and onstage for three sets. It's incredible to be seated with 20-30 other talented musicians on one stage and just play dance music. I left my iPod in the cabin for most of Saturday, which I really regretted when I was playing in the pickup band. I would have liked to show a little of that.
- Campfires, impromptu communal singing, and late-night shenanigans. I regarded them as equal to any other workshop I participated in. :) 3 AM on Sunday found us 20-30somethings sitting on the floor in our dorm eating from a small cornucopia of variously contributed foods. By the end of the weekend, my sleep total was seven hours but my happiness percentage was seven thousand percent.
I think if I had to sum it up in one word, it'd be camaraderie. Sometime Saturday, people began to realize that I came by myself. They all assumed I had come up with this group or that group, and I think that just speaks to the true nature of it all. Just as you ask someone to dance, or as you would accept that invitation, you step into the community and take hands four and smile. This is a bunch of people who come together to dance, play music, eat food, try new things, teach old things. The give and take of the dance itself is echoed tenfold in everyone's collective heart. Give and take songs, new dance flourishes, encouragement, joy.
