Pcad's Open Mic Night Chronicles: Plugged In

So I go down to the blues jam tonight at a local bar (as local as it gets here, maybe 20 miles away). The short version: I sucked, I couldn't hear my guitar, the host wasn't all that cooperative about helping me get my guitar to sound good through his Fender Blues amp. But I didn't care. It was friggin GREAT.

Why? A few reasons. I was 10x less self conscious up there with another guitar player, a drummer and a bassist than alone @ the acoustic open mic night. And I really enjoyed having a rhythm section and playing with other musicians. I don't think I've ever done that before, or in a very long time. After a few bars I realized that the audience wasn't my concern, anybody who comes to an open mic night deserves what they get : ).

Anyway, yeah, the host was a bit silly. Right before I start, he actually says to me 'I want some pro playing up here tonight, no pointless jams', I just looked at him and said 'it's open mic blues jam at the Airport Inn, good luck with that' to which he had no retort, it was really one of the dumbest things anyone has ever said to me, my guitar teacher Dan (who I was up there) looked at each other and almost cracked up.

At any rate, I don't have a lot of experience with this, but apparently this host is a bit persnickety (that's what a few people there were saying), he doesn't want you setting up your own amp (apparently other open mic hosts will help you and don't mind, what do I know), but the sound I had happening tonight was thin and useless, I couldn't hear my own guitar on the friggin stage playing leads so the audience couldn't hear it so well either, which is not all bad all things considered. I told the host before we started, he did nothing. When I told the host this again afterwards, he told me the band was too 'loud'. Uh-huh. Oh well. So it goes.

I came away feeling like I can play with these dudes, I just have to get more comfortable in a jam setting, be able to hear myself, etc. I sang and played rhythm too, the vocals sounded fine (good stage monitor), and the rhythm guitar was louder. It really was a blast playing with the impromptu band. New for me.

Hey, I went there so petrified I wanted to turn around and go home. I finished the night not giving a flying fark what anybody thought and wanting to come back and play again. I'm going to a different open mic blues jam with Dan (my teacher) tomorrow night. And that's how I'll get better. That's the plan. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

It really was Big Fun. Totally less nerve shattering than solo acoustic open mic. But it will make me be less fearful of playing there too. That's my problem. I generally don't give a flying fark what people think, but I have too much ego tied up in what others think of my playing/singing. Which is stupid because I'm not exactly Mr. Talent, and I realize this.

It's complicated. But it's not. All I want to do is have fun playing and get a little better, so getting over this fear of playing in front of people is something I want to get over, and tonight was a huge step towards that.

It's a hobby for me for crissake. I know I'll never be great. Yet here I am worried that I'm not good enough. I mean, go figure.

 

Thanks. We just did a few A blues numbers: Thrill is Gone, Stormy Monday, a straight A blues jam, then he wanted to play 'Higher Ground' in E, I don't know the chords (there are a few) and I just tried to play lead over that, but since I couldn't hear my own guitar that was a challenge : ).

Hey, we'll work up a bunch of songs in other keys now, I just wanted to get my feet wet. Now I'm not so traumatized, I'm actually looking forward to going again tomorrow night @ a different bar.

I know I can get there, this is a start. When I listen to the other players at these blues jams, I really don't think I hear anybody so far who really blows me off the stage, they're just all more comfortable playing up there. So as awful as it was tonight, it really was rather encouraging. I don't look at it competitively at all, I just feel more confident that I can get up there make a decent showing eventually. I know I can get to the sound I have in my head, every now and then @ home I reach it for 30 second stretches. I've only been back playing for a couple of months. It's coming along.

I really like playing rhythm and singing, that's a blast.

But this is how I'll improve: working on different songs/lead/rhythm, different keys, knowing I have to play out in front of people and with other musicians, that's a HUGE motivator to practice hard and get on top of the material.

 

Depends.

 

I know, he really was out there. Hey, I'm grateful if they let me get up there and play at all. I figure dealing with some adversity is part of playing in front of people in the first place, so it didn't rattle me. But it would be nice to be able to hear your own guitar on stage. That was pretty dumb. And he should have heard that from across the room the minute I started playing and helped me with it. I figure that's his job as the m/c of open mic night, particularly since he said I couldn't plug in my own combo amp. But everybody has their own idea of how that's supposed to work I suppose.

I took the PRS SC-58. That has become my favorite guitar. And I already chipped the headstock, so it's perfect.



It's an amazing axe. Looks great, plays better, sounds killer.

 

The guitar volume problem was all because of this Blues Junior. Again, could have just been adjusted wrong, the host didn't help me at all. I was trying to turn it up while I was playing but nothing worked. I also asked him if I could get a high gain sound out of it, so he points at his pedals on the floor. First he punches one button, sounds the same to me. Then he punches the second, sounds a TINY bit dirty. I ask him if we can get more gain on the tone and he says to me 'what are you playing Anthrax?'. I immediately thought of the 27 8x10" glossy color photos of the litter in Alice's Restaurant the blind judge and told him it was fine.

Anyway, when I get my Egnater out at the blues jam tomorrow night there won't be any mustard cutting issues. But it may melt some sheetrock if I crank it.

 

I'm in Chester NY (southern Orange County), so we're only 30 mins from Mahwah. In fact we are seriously contemplating a move back to Bergen County this year (we're house hunting in Mahwah/Montvale now).

 

I figure it's the host's gig, so it's his rules. If I don't like it I'll find another open mic. This guy played a Telecaster with no gain and he sounded good through his amp, but I prefer a completely different tone.

 

I do appreciate all the encouraging words. I find music to be a great hobby, it's good for the world in general, and the more people are involved in listening and creating it, the better off we all are. How much better is it for people to be at a local open mic listening to local amateur musicians (and supporting them) than home watching Jersey Shore? Better socially, economically, etc.