Wow! What a night.
Thursday, 29. December 2005, 09:26:16
Decamber 28,2005. Wednesday night.
I head down to the Tudor Lounge hoping to see their Open Mike night with Dee Adams. When I get there, I'm not sure the place is even open. One guy is sitting in front of the bar watching collegiate football on the TV.
He's as surprised as I am when I walk in. I ask if there is music tonight. He says he's not sure. He asks if I want a beer. I say "Sure, I came this far, I might as well."
So I sit drinking a beer and talking with the bartender. I tell him I'm there for the open mike and he says he's not sure anyone is going to show up. So we chat for a while. I tell him about podcasting and how I was there a week ago for the Mother May I CD release party.
We talk for a while more. I explain podcasting and we discuss ASCAP/BMI/Sound Exchange etc. and how they relate to bars and podcasts. I finally say I think there is a couple bands playing at Merlins' and leave.
Well, I never found Merlins'. I'm still not sure where it is, but I decided to head over to Allentown and see what was happening. I drove around about six times before I found a place to park. The last time I went to a bar in Allentown, about four years ago, I had the same problem. There is NO parking anywhere. I finally parked about two blocks away from where I wanted to be.
I walked down Allen St. expecting to be mugged any moment, but I arrived safely at Nietzches. I assumed they have music any night of the week and I was rewarded for my quest. I walk up to the door and can barely get in. The place is jammed.
Tonight they had something called Sun of Memphis vs A Band Named Sue/Elvis vs. Johnny Cash - Thrilla' in Vanilla. Two bands. Jamming together. One covers Johnny Cash. The other covers Elvis. What a great combo. They ended up with four guitar players. One bass. One drummer. (But what a drummer!) And several guest vocals from various people. It was great.
But from my perspective, it was a great night for networking. I no sooner got in the door than I bumped into Pam Ryder and Alison Pipitone, who I had seen just last Saturday at the Sportsman's.
Next, I'm standing next to a guy talking to another guy and he says he's just played the Sportsman's last Wednesday. He looks sort of familiar, but I'm not sure, so I ask him his name. Greg Klyma. Wow! So I introduce myself and tell him about my podcast and ask him to let me know next time he's back in Buffalo.
Next, I run into Dee Adams, who I expected to see at the Tudor. She's walking by me and I say hi. I ask if she had given any more thought to doing my podcast. She says, yes, that she will email me her schedule of coming gigs and we'll try to get together. I'm just flabbergasted that she remembered me!
Then I turn around and practically bump into Duane Hall of the Sportsmans' Tavern. I strike up a conversation about wanting to talk to him, but he's always busy at the Sportsmans'. He seems to recognize me and we hit it off. By the time I explain what I'm working on and by the end of the night, he's buying me shots and hugging me. I think I made a good contact!
After the band breaks, I head across the street. The rumour is the band there is something to see. I get there just in time to catch their last two songs. They were an acousticworld-beat swing-jazz group with a violin, two acoustic guitars, an upright bass, and a djembe player. The one guitar player made it sound like he was playing a bozouki or mandolin. They were awesome! I don't remember their name, but they told me they play there every Wednesday night. I signed their email list and left them a card, so I hope they contact me. They definitely are something different and very worth putting in a podcast.
So, then I go back to Nietzches' and head back to use the restroom. When I come out, I see John Lombardo sitting at the bar. I stop over and say hello. I've said hi to him several times before, but I don't think I've ever had a conversation with him before. This time, I do. I tell him about my podcast and how I'd love to put him on it. We talk for a while and I even buy him a drink. He told me he's working on a new CD. I said that it would be great to do a podcast to promote a new CD. He says he doesn't know much about the internet, and that he pays someone to do his web site, yet he asks a smart question: how many hits or listeners do I get for my podcast. That's a very savvy question for someone who doesn't know about the internet!
Finally, I run into the bass player from the bands this night. John. I didn't get his last name. But I recognized him from playing with the Smoking Jackets, with Gino McManus in front of the Mohawk place during the summer. I explain what I'm doing with the podcast and he seems really interested. I don't know if he is in an original music band, or not, but hopefully, he will at least mention me to someone else.
All in all, it was a great night for networking.
Even if it that wasn't enough, I'm standing there, two feet from one of the guitar players, three feet from the drummer, with people pushing by me, coming in the door, and I'm thinking to myself, I wouldn't trade this for tickets in the front row to U2. I'd rather be here seeing a no-name band, live, up close, interacting with them, than be sitting in the best seats at some arena-rock show. You just don't get any better than this! If I can't get anything alse across in my podcast, that's the message I want to tell!
I head down to the Tudor Lounge hoping to see their Open Mike night with Dee Adams. When I get there, I'm not sure the place is even open. One guy is sitting in front of the bar watching collegiate football on the TV.
He's as surprised as I am when I walk in. I ask if there is music tonight. He says he's not sure. He asks if I want a beer. I say "Sure, I came this far, I might as well."
So I sit drinking a beer and talking with the bartender. I tell him I'm there for the open mike and he says he's not sure anyone is going to show up. So we chat for a while. I tell him about podcasting and how I was there a week ago for the Mother May I CD release party.
We talk for a while more. I explain podcasting and we discuss ASCAP/BMI/Sound Exchange etc. and how they relate to bars and podcasts. I finally say I think there is a couple bands playing at Merlins' and leave.
Well, I never found Merlins'. I'm still not sure where it is, but I decided to head over to Allentown and see what was happening. I drove around about six times before I found a place to park. The last time I went to a bar in Allentown, about four years ago, I had the same problem. There is NO parking anywhere. I finally parked about two blocks away from where I wanted to be.
I walked down Allen St. expecting to be mugged any moment, but I arrived safely at Nietzches. I assumed they have music any night of the week and I was rewarded for my quest. I walk up to the door and can barely get in. The place is jammed.
Tonight they had something called Sun of Memphis vs A Band Named Sue/Elvis vs. Johnny Cash - Thrilla' in Vanilla. Two bands. Jamming together. One covers Johnny Cash. The other covers Elvis. What a great combo. They ended up with four guitar players. One bass. One drummer. (But what a drummer!) And several guest vocals from various people. It was great.
But from my perspective, it was a great night for networking. I no sooner got in the door than I bumped into Pam Ryder and Alison Pipitone, who I had seen just last Saturday at the Sportsman's.
Next, I'm standing next to a guy talking to another guy and he says he's just played the Sportsman's last Wednesday. He looks sort of familiar, but I'm not sure, so I ask him his name. Greg Klyma. Wow! So I introduce myself and tell him about my podcast and ask him to let me know next time he's back in Buffalo.
Next, I run into Dee Adams, who I expected to see at the Tudor. She's walking by me and I say hi. I ask if she had given any more thought to doing my podcast. She says, yes, that she will email me her schedule of coming gigs and we'll try to get together. I'm just flabbergasted that she remembered me!
Then I turn around and practically bump into Duane Hall of the Sportsmans' Tavern. I strike up a conversation about wanting to talk to him, but he's always busy at the Sportsmans'. He seems to recognize me and we hit it off. By the time I explain what I'm working on and by the end of the night, he's buying me shots and hugging me. I think I made a good contact!
After the band breaks, I head across the street. The rumour is the band there is something to see. I get there just in time to catch their last two songs. They were an acoustic
So, then I go back to Nietzches' and head back to use the restroom. When I come out, I see John Lombardo sitting at the bar. I stop over and say hello. I've said hi to him several times before, but I don't think I've ever had a conversation with him before. This time, I do. I tell him about my podcast and how I'd love to put him on it. We talk for a while and I even buy him a drink. He told me he's working on a new CD. I said that it would be great to do a podcast to promote a new CD. He says he doesn't know much about the internet, and that he pays someone to do his web site, yet he asks a smart question: how many hits or listeners do I get for my podcast. That's a very savvy question for someone who doesn't know about the internet!
Finally, I run into the bass player from the bands this night. John. I didn't get his last name. But I recognized him from playing with the Smoking Jackets, with Gino McManus in front of the Mohawk place during the summer. I explain what I'm doing with the podcast and he seems really interested. I don't know if he is in an original music band, or not, but hopefully, he will at least mention me to someone else.
All in all, it was a great night for networking.
Even if it that wasn't enough, I'm standing there, two feet from one of the guitar players, three feet from the drummer, with people pushing by me, coming in the door, and I'm thinking to myself, I wouldn't trade this for tickets in the front row to U2. I'd rather be here seeing a no-name band, live, up close, interacting with them, than be sitting in the best seats at some arena-rock show. You just don't get any better than this! If I can't get anything alse across in my podcast, that's the message I want to tell!
WIDGETIZE