Saturday Benefit Gig

Bands do benefits primarily because they aren't booked elsewhere, and to see if a crowd who is otherwise occupied will receive them well. Then there is the matter of actually wanting to contribute to whatever effort the event is promoting. The motivation is generally ranked in that order.

All those acts you see in various high profile benefits are primarily there for the recognition. That is not bad, but it is fun to watch them pretend altruism. I'm not positive there actually is such a thing as altruism. You may feel it is the right thing, and the right thing satisfies a desire which is based on some form of reward; eternal life, parental approval, self esteem, something positive that involves the individual.

I play whatever the band wants to play. I'd be hesitant to play a political rally and unlikely to play a particular candidate's picnic, although if the person was as radically inclined as I am, I would consider it.

The gig Saturday is a benefit for a type of cancer and specifically to raise money to help a young person afflicted in that town. These are horse people and the festivities include an equestrian event. I'm predisposed to a fondness for horse people and ranchers. My great uncles were ranchers and I've found something in that culture to be uplifting and honorable. It feels like a lost part of me even though I don't care to eat cows and I have rarely ridden horses.

I just hope that by the time we play the horses are secured where the harmonica won't freak them out. I'd hate to be responsible for a thrown rider, stallions and mares all of a sudden finding themselves driven to mate in uncontrollable frenzy, or other inconvenient behavior. Then again, maybe some of that would be cool. If the humans were so affected, I'd have done my job quite well.
'
Perhaps I can get some of it on video. The trouble is I have yet to find anyone who doesn't get bored or confused to the point of poor result when filming. Either the visual is primarily of the sky or the ground, or the sound is bad because they park themselves off to the side or behind the speakers so all you hear is them talking on the phone or conversing with passers by.

This little group has become better, I think. We are sort of countryish folkish. I used to not like folk at all but I've found some is good and allows for interesting back up playing. It has been quite a challenge to adjust and not go the wrong way when anticipating chord changes. It is a diferent way of playing than rock/blues, and I am sure it has expanded my scope.

The fun thing for me is that we are now doing a song I wrote for the Memphis band, but we do it as an instrumental. Mostly I just play a long and unusual solo with guitars trying to manage the rhythm. They've been doing well with it and I appreciate how they have found good parts to put in. They wanted to come up with something that allowed me to get as crazy as I want. Finally, I have a chance to let go in a minor key and play whatever I want. I'm never overly happy with what I do but it seems to go over well.

Otherwise the group is vocally oriented. The other three have good voices and make interesting harmony. The singing is rather good. I also like their guitar work and the girl's use of shakers and tambourine to create good rhythm help. I'm too erratic to make a shaker sound right. She's got it down. I get to play background and accent--my preferred role. Being a front man has not been my goal unless I was the guy doing the crowd chatter between songs. That has rarely happened, but it should have.

Another satisfying thing about that song is that I heard the old band is still doing it. In their case I doubt it is much of a harmonica based lead situation. No doubt the guitar carries it and now that they have a keyboard, he probably rocks it. I'd like to hear their current take on it. The bass player filled me in on the info that they have done it lately to great crowd response. If they were making any real money from it I'd be demanding a cut.

The picture up top is off of an equestrian place in Ramona. Maybe that is where we'll play. It will be something similar. It has to be because Ramona is not a huge place.

I'll bet they have had some snow the past couple of days. I'm hoping the weather service is right that it will be sunny by Saturday.