MISSISSIPPI III
After a short break, BMI had DAVID PRESTON there doing a workshop. Interesting as always. Good to see David, he is a good guy.
Right after that was a "20 and under showcase-contest" with some young girls. No guys signed up. I only saw the first three, was fairly underwhelmed. They tend to sound very Taylor-ish or Hip hopish.
I hooked back up with Tina who had been shopping in the really cool little shops around the town square.
My gigs that night started at BOOTS AND SPURS, which was the largest venue of the festival. It started playing to literal tables and chairs, but ended up with a few people. Performing with me was a local guy who looked the part, like Jeffery Steel. He had a good performing style and voice, but I had trouble discerning what he was singing about. Ennunciation would help a lot. But he was a very nice guy. Randy Williams was his name. Enjoyed playing with him very much. With just two of us, we were able to do about 7 songs each. I thought it was a very good pairing.
Again, I was only supposed to play a couple of songs, but one of the people supposedly performing didn't show up. I don't really get that, but have seen it happen a lot. People get on these things and then just don't show up. Pretty interesting career moves.
The last gig was in this basement, the JULIP ROOM, where Elvis used to hang out. it was litereally a basement under a pretty nice formal dining room. Interestingly enough one of the guys I was playing with again was Randy Williams, the guy from the show before. So we both felt a little more comfortable. In between us was what I call the "Fraternity Brother Writer." These are the guys at every fraternity, that kind of sit in the corner and play cover songs. He had quite a fan group with him, who cheered everything he did. Personally i could barely understand anything he was saying, again ennunciation but also singing very quietly, which was strange given the type of music he was doing which was supposed to be country. It seemed like very watered down country, but his friends all liked him very much.
All of it was a very good experience. The volunteers were great, the venues very cool and each one with it's own vibe. The audiences were for the most part polite, with some people really getting into it, some not quite understanding the eticate. It is most definately something I hope I get invited back on. Could be quite a fun thing with Gatlinburg in August, Mississippi in Sept, and Frank Brown in Oct. I'm just a festival dude!!!!
Along the way I met some WONDERFUL PEOPLE! That is the point of all of this.
Thanks for reading.
MAB