Happy to be there

Gig at Old Town Artisans tonight went well. A couple of new friends showed up to hear us live for the first time. One of them liked the fact that even though we played some sad songs, I didn't act as though I was unhappy to be there. He specifically praised me for smiling at them.

Yet another data point.

Unpronounceable advocacy success!

Today's benefit concert went nicely, I think. Some highlights:

• The event was a lot more political than I originally thought it would be. Somebody I talked to mentioned the individual family that urgently needed medical care, but all the public statements were about getting the government to do the right thing and pass the right laws. The organizers were firmly in favor of a single-payer system.
  
  
• The weather was perfect -- in the 80s with a gentle breeze. Sometimes it's good to live in Tucson.
  
  
• The MC, reading off the prepared introduction for Cinder Bridge that I'd written, totally could not pronounce "myalgic encephalomyelitis." I told him beforehand that if he didn't think he could manage it, he could abbreviate to ME. He said he had to at least try.
  
  
• In our 50-minute slot, I devoted more time than usual to ME/CFS speechifying. I went into a little detail about the symptoms, and why the name "chronic fatigue syndrome" is so misleading. People seemed receptive. Of course, they were there to support a single-payer healthcare system, so I'd expect them to be.
  
  
• The audience seemed to like us. This is always a good thing, but particularly a relief given the advocacy element. When I put on my advocate hat, I fear we'll lack credibility if listeners think our music sucks.
  

So, all in all it went well. My only regret is that I forgot to tell the health insurance provider lightbulb joke. Next time ...

Unpronounceable advocacy

Cinder Bridge will join a bunch of other musicians today for a benefit at Old Town Artisans. The organizers will be taking donations to aid a family with urgent medical needs.

Last night we got e-mail from Ted Downing, a former state representative who's going to be co-MCing the event. He wanted us to write a few lines that he could read to introduce us. Here's what I came up with:

A hard-driving coffeehouse band, Cinder Bridge has been compared to Carole King, Billy Joel, Janis Joplin, and Tori Amos, none of whom sound anything alike. Cinder Bridge is the most talented band in the United States to play any songs relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis advocacy. It is also the ONLY band to play any songs relating to myalgic encephalomyelitis advocacy.

We usually don't mention the advocacy in our bios because only three of our songs relate to ME/other invisible illnesses. But hey, it's a healthcare-themed concert, so it works.

The fun part will be seeing if the MC can pronounce myalgic encephalomyelitis.

If you happen to be reading this in Tucson, come down and see us. The event kicks off at noon and goes until after 7 p.m. Cinder Bridge plays from 2:20 to 3:15. Old Town Artisans is at 201 N. Court Avenue.

Delayed response

A few people came to see us at Old Town Artisans on Saturday, including one of the musicians from the previous Z Mansion gig. I considered that an excellent turnout given that we had very little time to promote. But the last of our crowd left in the middle of our second set. That left the people who were there for a going-away party.

We kicked into atmosphere gig mode. That is, we continued to put as much energy into the songs as we could, but otherwise left our audience alone, keeping the talk-up to a minimum. Following each song came a slight pause, followed by brief, polite applause. The kind that acknowledges that the song has ended, and that's about it. I had no idea if they liked us, hated us, or even noticed us.

As we were packing up, though, a few people approached and thanked us for being there. They said the music had added something to their little gathering.

They'll never know how much we appreciated that. It's easy to tell if a listening audience digs you. When you're playing for people who came to socialize, it's harder to figure out if you're successfully enhancing the atmosphere.

Pinch hitting

We have a gig at Old Town Artisans tonight!

We acquired said gig a couple of days ago, when the band originally scheduled to play backed out. Apparently their opening acts bailed as well.

I don't know who the bands were or why they cancelled. I do, however, know that the temperature was supposed to reach 110 degrees over the weekend. And as Old Town Artisan gigs happen outdoors, part of me has to wonder if these two things aren't related.

If so, the joke's on the other band. Latest predictions say the high will only be 108 degrees. Ha!

Anyhow, if you're in Tucson, come see us:

Date: Saturday, July 11
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Place: Old Town Artisans, 201 N. Court Ave.
Directions: http://tinyurl.com/346fr2
Admission: Free free free

The patio in question has a bunch of trees providing a bunch of shade, so you should be fine. If you were the sort who would let a little heat keep you from good music, you wouldn't be living in Tucson, darnit.

Gigging with Robyn Landis

Neat gig at Old Town Artisans Saturday afternoon. We shared the stage with Robyn Landis, a Seattle-based folksinger-songwriter who headlined at the Music and Your Health event we played in November. The OTA gig went from 12 to 3 p.m., and the plan was for Robyn to play from 1 to 2.

I'd been looking forward to this because Robyn is a very talented musician and songwriter (I'm not the only one who thinks so; she's won all kinds of awards), and I was flattered that she wanted to play with us. At the beginning of our first set, however, I found myself a little nervous. Musicians pick up on subtle mistakes that other listeners might miss. If I hit a note that was a little off, she'd know! Eek!

We must not have done too badly, though. She told us she really liked us. And she must have meant it, because she asked if we'd like to back her up when it was her turn to play. We did. Much fun was had by all.