GARIBALDI DAYS AND THE THIRSTY LION...

Well, the Lions Club changed their mind about not having music at Garibaldi Days. I suppose that’s testimony to the power of the Internet, or the speed of 21st-century communication, or something like that; I just mentioned it Monday night in the blog and on Facebook, but by the time I got back from the Thirsty Lion performance Tuesday night, I had a message waiting for me from the Lions’ entertainment person, and we talked this morning, and music is back on. I’ve volunteered to help organize it (which I wanted to do from the beginning), and they’re willing to let me help (which I wanted them to do from the beginning).

I got word passed to Mike Simpson that they want his “Rockshop” kid bands performing, and they want “Deathgrass,” too. If each of those bands (including us) could do an hour set, that’d be four hours of music. I wonder how much more we could do?

We have an “entertainment meeting” set for Saturday, July 10, in the picnic shelter at Garibaldi’s Lumbermen’s Park, and I want all the musicians (at least someone from, or responsible for, each band) there, and we’ll thrash out schedules and such. A thought: if anyone within earshot (or eyeshot) is interested in performing, or in otherwise helping with this, get hold of me before the 10th, please, and let’s talk.

One firm rule—and I’ve agitated for this from the beginning—nobody is getting paid. Yes, I’ve heard all the stories about who got paid by whom to play Garibaldi Days in years past, and why; like the movie says, “That was then—this is now.” Garibaldi Days isn’t run by the Chamber of Commerce any more (there is no Chamber of Commerce any more)—it’s a fund-raiser for the Lions Club, the town’s oldest and biggest charity. I don’t care how famous you are, you’re playing for free. This is a benefit, and if you think about it, you wouldn’t want it any other way. We will promote and publicize the performers as much as we can, and I at least have a little experience in that regard.

Yes, the performance at the Thirsty Lion went well. Few gigs go exactly as expected, and this one was no exception, but I did do my part right. The setlist was a good mix, and delivery was good, and the audience, such as there was, were appreciative. There were problems with the sound system (they were blaming it on the band that had played there Saturday night without a sound engineer), and they eventually got it functioning at a minimal level, but nearly all the crowd had left in the meantime. By the time I got to perform, the audience consisted of a few stragglers at the bar, two other musicians (one of them performing), the host—and a FAN! I really did have someone come specifically to hear me!

On the financial side, the trip was a dead loss; no CD sales to offset the $25 cost of the trip, which is really too bad—I cannot afford to keep doing this. I did get one additional name for the “joelist,” was told by three or four people about a Thursday night open mike in Portland I should really try to go to (there’s that cost factor, though)—and I was told I was going to get invited back to the “final round” in their “contest.” (I don’t have any confirmation of that, however, as this is written—and that “final round” is less than a week away.)

The video of the Great Intergalactic Puppet Theatre’s June 19 performance of “Pig Wars: A Morality Play (with Socks” at the Bay City Arts Center has been posted online, so millions can see it; the link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elkvyEsvCvk. According to YouTube, 61 people watched it the first day (by comparison, only 71 people have watched the “Rufus” video in seven months). Susan Boyle on “Britain’s Got Talent!” it is not, but it is rather compellingly funny. And the soundtrack—Southern Pigfish’s “Darth Vader Blues”—is surprisingly listenable.

Joe