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On the Occasion of My First Time Playing to an Uknown Audience

I play mostly on the back porch of my house. My neighbors can hear me, but at least I'm spared the sight of their laughter as I teach myself to play. For the record, the birds don't seem to mind.

Recently, I started playing out in front of friendly audiences. I took my CBG to the lake cottage this last weekend and played sitting out on the dock at sunset. The audience is family and close friends, so they sort of have to be nice, and they were.

This post serves as some self-induced peer pressure to ensure I don't back out on a committment. I've decided to take my guitar to the streets tonight for the first time. I want to buy a couple packs of strings from the Guitar Shop in town and since the track is open in Saratoga Springs, the streets are full of tourists. Why not give it a go? I just wish I had an extra guitar to sell while I'm playing.

I decided to write some lyrics and I hope they don't foreshadow an actual event, but here goes. . .

BTW, no offense intended to any non-tourist types or otherwise decent people from that state just south of NY. . .

Saratoga Springs Street Performer Blues

I took my guitar to the streets
Got robbed a dollar fifty cents
I took my guitar to the streets now baby
Got robbed a dollar fifty cents
That little punk from New Jersey took my money
And jumped over the fence

He was twelve years old

Fifty dollar haircut

hundred dollar shoes on his feet

He looked about twelve years old

Fifty dollar haircut

and hundred dollar shoes on his feet

He didnt' want the need my money

He stole it just to be mean

I'm playing for our dinner
Now we got no chance
I'm playing for our dinner now baby
But we got no chance
I've been playing my guitar all night
The tourists keep walk on by their money in their pants

My hands are tired
And my throat is gettin' dry
My hands are tired now baby
And my throat is gettin' dry
Hope I get another dollar
'for I will surely die cry

I took my guitar to the streets
Got robbed a dollar fifty cents
I took my guitar to the streets now baby
Got robbed a dollar fifty cents
That little punk from New Jersey took my money
And jumped over the fence

Wish me luck. If I don't come back, tell my wife I love her.

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Comment by Sharecropper on August 12, 2011 at 4:38am: Congratulations , Ed ! I'm glad things went well for you . Playing in public for me the first time was like breaking on through to the other side . A nice wall to be broken down ! My main problem seems to be that my give a shitter is stuck on overdrive with neurotic distortion . Also my guitar is a little high strung . Thanks for sharing your low key story ...... It's like therapy for my blues .

Comment by Bad Finger (Eric) on August 12, 2011 at 2:39am: Thanks Uncle John, Brickdust, and wes. I truly appreciate the encouragement. I didn't really do anything different than playing on my back porch, except people were walking by. Generally they were very kind or, at worst, indifferent. Lots of smiles from kids, a few people interested in maybe a holiday purchase, and otherwise fun. And who can't appreciate curvy passersby with summer dresses? Great Googlie Mooglie!

Saratoga Springs draws a varied crowd downtown when the horse track is open. Some of these guys should make it look less obvious that they run an all cash business. They might as well just carry around the paper bags of cash. :)

Oh, and my fingers are still numb from playing so long last night. Hahahahaha.

Comment by Uncle John on August 12, 2011 at 12:36am: Good on ya ED!!!

Comment by Bad Finger (Eric) on August 11, 2011 at 3:39pm: What a ripping great time! I turned the give a shitter way down low and played for 4 hours before I realized it was getting late. I collected enough folding money to buy 6 more boxes and still had a buck fifty left! I talked to a lot of people about CBGs and CBN. Hopefully we will have some more builders join up.

Comment by Bad Finger (Eric) on August 11, 2011 at 1:26am: Thanks wes! I'm hitting the streets tonight. The weather is fair and Thursday is the first big day of the week at the track, leading up to the weekend races. I expect a lot of people out on the streets. Maybe I can sell my newest guitar.

Comment by Uncle John on August 10, 2011 at 8:27am: It's hard for me to ever call a song done. I change lyrics and timing. I try to keep it simple to sing. Actually, the turn your give a shitter way down low came from Keni Lee Burgess, who got it from one of his guitar teachers. Good advice for buskers and performers. I even wrote a song about it.

Comment by Bad Finger (Eric) on August 10, 2011 at 7:57am: HAHAHAHA! Uncle John, that last comment is great.

The weather looks better today, so far. But I'm going to dive back in the basement and finish up that little Ashton guitar tonight so I have something to draw in a little larger coin from the tourists in town.

Thanks for the advice.

I've reworked the lyrics a bit since sitting down and actually playing the song rather than just hearing it in my head.

Comment by Uncle John on August 10, 2011 at 7:43am: Nice lyrics, ED. The hardest audience for me is other musicians (good ones) at open mike night. People I know come in second. Playing for people I don't know? Not as big a deal. Good wishes. Turn your give a shitter way down low.

Comment by Bad Finger (Eric) on August 9, 2011 at 11:05am: Mother Nature seems to have different ideas for tonight. Thunderstorms and the wind is blowing good. Tourists are probably all sheltered away. I'm headed to the basement to put together a quick guitar.